DUÉL

Jinjer - Duél (3.5/5) This album surprised me considering I haven't really liked Jinjer's previous work. I didn't expect something this focused or emotional from them. It's by far my favourite album of theirs and is my favourite progressive death metal album of the year (so far). I'm not really much for the sound of modern metal in general but it feels like it's starting to head in the right direction. The playing on this album is tight and complex, but it does get boring fast. The songs are quite short. If not for the vocals on this album it would probably be a 2. Every vocal line is there for a reason, the same can't be said for the rest of the members. It has amazing production but still has that raw and brutal feel. It's not overproduced like most albums nowadays. What I really love about this album isn't just the music (the instrumentals are quite mediocre) but instead Tatiana's vocals. She's always been good and it feels like everybody knows that, but here,well she's just on another level. There's so much control in how she moves between harsh and clean vocals without any straint. It's so smooth, it never feels like she's trying to impress but she does. Her performance on this album carries a lot of the emotional weight. You can hear the anger, the sorrow, the restraint. There's something very human in the way she delivers each line. It's probably the best she's ever sounded and this is just the beginning. "Kafka" is the track that I really thought stood out. It's my favorite on the album. There's something unsettling but beautiful about it, like it's stuck in a loop of self-doubt and frustration. It's anxious and explores how it feels to be judged. The pacing is perfect, and Tatiana's vocal delivery is what pulls it all together. The way she shifts from cold detachment to something more vulnerable is subtle, but powerful. "Tantrum" opens the album with precision and is a great opener, the problem with this album is that the instrumentals stay in the same area for the entire album. The song has no buildup, no delay. It just starts and doesn't let go. "Green Serpent" feels sharp and uneasy, like something's festering just beneath the surface. "Someone's Daughter" carries a lot of emotional weight. "Fast Draw" is relentless and the title track, "Duél," wraps everything up without overstaying its welcome. It ends exactly when it needs to. I didn't expect to like this album as much as I did. It's not perfect, it has some flaws, but it's by far their best release. (3.5/5)

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