Metal fans were given a treat when Jinjer headlined Music City, playing to a nearly sold-out crowd at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville.
Japanese metalcore band Crystal Lake opened the evening with a performance that immediately engaged fans and set the tempo for the rest of the evening. While most in the audience were unfamiliar with the group, it was clear they were a hit, as the crowd latched onto the on-stage energy. There was only one downside to the band’s performance – despite repeated attempts to get a pit going, lead singer Myke Terry could not get the crowd to do so. You win some, you lose some.
During the band’s final song, lead guitarist Yudai Miyamoto jumped into the crowd, making his way to the bar area. There, he played a guitar solo to fans who were waiting for their drinks. One audience member was even nice enough to share, letting Miyamoto drink from his glass as the guitarist continued to perform. It was a great way to cap off the opening set of the evening.
Hometown heroes Entheos were next on the bill, and from the very start, their set felt like a celebration. Early on in the performance, lead singer Chaney Crabb told the Music City crowd that she and the rest of the band were glad to be performing in Nashville.“We’ve seen so many shows here, but this is our first time on this stage, so this is such an honor for us,” Crabb said to a loud ovation from fans. “It’s so good to see so many familiar faces and even some new faces. This is f***ing amazing. We are so proud to be from this city.”
That connection with the city and the audience members is what really drove home Entheos’ performance. After learning the group was from Music City, fans locked in and remained engaged throughout the 30-minute performance.
It had been a while since Jinjer made their way to Nashville, with their last performance at Marathon Music Works in December 2022. A lot has happened for the Ukrainian metal band in that time , including the release of their 2025 album, Duél, which echoes the name of this tour.While the group’s discography has grown, so has its stage production. During their last U.S. headline tour, Jinjer brought a smaller production with them – four ribbon LED screens. This time around, they’ve added a massive screen, which adds depth and enhances the performance. Throughout the show, the screens displayed a variety of visuals that complemented the music, including lyrics, which helped fans who wanted to sing – more like scream – along.
As far as the actual performance, frontwoman Tatiana Shmayluk continues to prove why she is one of the most impressive vocalists in metal today. On top of that, she commands the stage and, in some ways, has captured a pop-star persona with her motions and showmanship – that is, until she lets out a scream. Shmayluk’s ability to seamlessly shift between soaring clean vocals and her devastating growls is remarkable.
While Shmayluk is impressive, so is the rest of Jinjer. Whether that’s Eugene Abdukhanov on bass, Roman Ibramkhalilov on guitar, or Vladislav Ulasevish on drums, all of them had their moment to shine with their heavy, fast, and brutal instrumentals. Their instrumentals allowed Shmayluk’s vocals to shine through even further throughout the performance.
While Jinjer is touring in support of its latest album, the group has also made sure to deliver fan favorites throughout the show. What was a treat was watching the audience members who were seeing Jinjer for the first time. Throughout the nearly 75-minute performance, some of those first-time fans were left wide-eyed with their jaws dropped. It was a hilarious and fun sight. Hopefully, those crowd members will use word of mouth, and it will be exciting to see how Jinjer grows from here.
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