September 14, 2023 – MTelus, Montreal
Jinjer energizes Montreal with their angelic and demonic blend of metal
2023 has been the first year since the pandemic where it seems like every band in the world is on tour, and Jinjer is no exception. It’s an amazing time to be a live music fan and a metalhead especially. We were spoiled when the Ukrainian metal band brought their North American tour to Montreal’s MTelus performing arts centre.
Frontwoman Tatiana Shmayluk is such a force of nature and there is no denying her extraordinary vocal skills that vary from smooth angelic singing to demonic growls. It’s sometimes hard to imagine that both of these sounds are coming from the same person, but the contrasting vocals leave the audience absolutely mesmerized.
See Also: Avenged Sevenfold at Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa
The band is so tight live with their technical precision and mastery over their instruments—there’s no chance of hearing even the smallest mistake. Bassist Eugene Kostyuk, guitarist Roman Ibramkhalilov, and drummer Vladislav Ulasevich all create a powerhouse of a band with their exceptional musicianship and they worked like a well oiled machine throughout the almost two-hour set.
In a heartfelt moment, Shmayluk made sure to thank the Montreal audience for their kindness, and she reminded us that the war in Ukraine is not over and to keep the country in our minds.
Towards the end of the band’s set, she asked if the crowd was ready to hear a new song. Before the opening melody of Pisces started, she laughed and pointed at the audience mouthing “gotchu”.
The audience was ecstatic throughout the whole set and didn’t want to let go at the end. The crowd lingered after Jinjer left the stage to hold on to the feeling of what they just witnessed. We could have all let that night go on forever.
Opening the night was the progressive metal band Monuments whose members hail from all over the world including the UK, the US, and the Netherlands.
It was hard not to fall in love with singer Andy Cizek’s endearing character and his strong vocals as he bounced across the stage, tossing in an occasional somersault. His energy got the crowd going wild to match, which prepped everyone for the headliner to follow. Cizek encouraged the audience to create a wall of death and to crowd surf, and the crowd gladly obeyed.
Read More:
>> Jinjer and Monuments at MTelus, Montreal
>> Avenged Sevenfold at Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa
>> RBC Bluesfest come to an end with a performance from The Smile
Having gone through multiple member changes over the years, the band has clearly found the combo that works for them with John Browne on guitar, Mike Malyan on drums, and Werner Erkelens on bass. They left us absolutely out of breath after their short set and wanting more.
Setlists
Jinjer Setlist
- Perennial
- Ape
- Copycat
- Teacher, Teacher!
- Who is Gonna Be the One
- I Speak Astronomy
- Call Me a Symbol
- Vortex
- Home Back
- Pisces
- Dead Hands Feel No Pain
- Judgement (&Punishment)
- Sleep of the Righteous
- As I Boil Ice
- Encore:
- Sit Stay Roll Over
Monuments Setlist
- Cardinal Red
- I, the Destroyer
- Degenerate
- False Providence
- Opiate
- Nefarious
- Lavos
- I, the Creator
