21 February 2025 – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane – words by Cody-James Henderson
Ambassadors. Titans. Unrivalled. I could sit here and list off adjective after adjective about the Ukrainian Metal collective that is Jinjer, but I’d only be preaching to the choir. It’s no secret that the band are becoming one of the most dominant forces in todays metal scene but again you probably already know that. Since 2008 the group has evolved into a household name, bringing together a variety of elements to create a discography so flawless you could spend days trying to create the perfect setlist. But as the band is backing up their recently released album Duel it’s safe to say this tour is going to be under heavy influence of an album of the year contender. Alongside them? The band that paved the way for woman to thrive in a scene so male dominated; Kittie.
When two icons of the here and now of heavy metal come together to put on a tour that has nearly sold out nationwide, what could possibly unfold? With the tour opening in Brisbane tonight, it’s up to us to find out.
KITTIE: A show that begins early is always welcomed, but when a band makes an effort to entertain at least 45 minutes before show times deserves their plaudits. Coming out to make sure their pedalboards were ready and active before prancing their way out of the limelight to a round of applause, the 12 year absence was officially lifted.
“You say to me, that I should whisper”
The bands latest album Fire self titled track explodes like fanfare marking a triumphant return to audiences both in person here tonight but also to the world of heavy metal. From something new into a classic record get off the band, ‘Spit’ unites a front of heavy metal women in the same manner it did 25 years ago. It revolutionised a new wave of feminism in metal and even after a quarter century, its effects are still prominent to this very day. That teenage aggression that so many people thought the band would lose in age is still right at the forefront of the assault.
Vocalist Morgan Lander powers over the crowd for ‘Eyes Wide Open’ not slipping over a single word and barely taking a moment to breathe. Seamlessly slotting into clean singing for ‘We Are Shadows’ Guitairst Tara McLeod and Drummer Mercedes Lander fill the harsh void with accompanying vocals, cutting through the soundscape like razors all whilst not missing a step. It’s hard to believe a band so cohesive spent almost a decade away from all audiences, you’d be forgiven for thinking they’d been doing this night in, night out nonstop for just how fluent and effortless Kittie makes performing look.
Whilst the band made the most of their time promoting their latest album, there was always going to be time for the ultimate hits. ‘Brackish’ and ‘Charlotte’ sounds as if the original recordings were played over the sound system, it genuinely couldn’t have sounded any better if they had tried. You could see older generations transported to a time where they first heard the debut of these bratty teens and find peace in knowing that even after all this time, it’s exactly how they remembered it.
Kittie are not just a powerhouse that belongs on such a stage like this. They are a piece of history, a defiant roar in the jungle, the howl at the full moon, the flash before the thunder. They are icons in their own right and this performance will only solidify that to the masses.
JINJER: As the lights fall dark, the name illuminates the screen and phones fill the air for the impending Duel we are about to be a part of, a spectacle begins to unfold. It takes mere seconds for Tatiana to have full control of thousands for ‘Just Another’ and ‘Sit Stay Roll Over’ and just a few more to realise the world you are being immersed in. If its not the stage performance, it’s the music cohesion luring you into rhythmic uncertainty. The kaleidoscope lights will be sure to ground you to a point where you should be seating equal to where you jaw has fallen too. Did I mention we’re only 2 songs in at this point.
‘Teacher Teacher’ will immediately immense you as Brisbane explodes in raucousness, if only we could clap in time. But that’s okay, because the synchronised head banging that reaches to the back of the room makes up for it. As ‘Fast Draw’ comes around (which if you haven’t read my review of the bands latest album Duel, you would know I consider this the song of the year) there’s the clear feeling of “Does Jinjer actually hold back on record?” Because the intensity for a performance like this is something completely oblivious to anything I’ve ever seen. And then in a flick of a switch, the harshness of Tatiana’s voice turns to a pitch perfect sweetness for ‘Green Serpent’. I’m drawn in to this siren song and I know the doom is coming, but I cannot be deterred.
“You know we love you, but this next song goes to our beautiful home Ukraine, and all the people we left behind” and so begins the suitable ‘Retrospection’. Amidst the chaos that is the floor of tonight’s venue, there’s a sombre reminder of the trials, tribulations and genocides occurring across the globe as we gather here tonight.
Tatiana’s voice serves as the final bullet that ends the war. Surrounded by Sky Blue, Sunflower Yellow, the hearts of millions beat alongside Jinjer tonight. If you want peace, prepare for war. But if you go to war with Jinjer I suggest you surrender.
Continuing through the new album with the title track ‘Duel’ and ‘Someone’s Daughter’ being dedicated to “all the beautiful ladies in the room” the band make sure to step back to more classic titles to fulfil the desires of the most seasoned of fan. ‘On The Top’ and ‘I Speak Astronomy’ garner massive ovations from tonight’s sold out audience. ‘Copycat’ harnesses the band with their Ukrainian Flag made from still shots of beautiful native countryside, but the beauty can only distract you for so long as the structure of performance captivates like a poem to a reader. It is near impossible to take your eyes of the stage and not a single soul around you. The articulation of every single step is so enviable you can’t help but feel as if it was directed screenplay. Genuinely awe inspiring.
As Tatiana gets the crowd to give it up for Kittie she pre faces this by saying “they were basically my heroes growing up” and I have to wonder. Do Jinjer know they are serving as heroes to women for the next generation of heavy metal? There will be women in these audiences that will view a Jinjer album the same way the previous generation viewed a Kittie album. A collection of art. A roadmap through the unknown and a stepping stone across the rivers divide. This encore of ‘Pisces’ my just be the final piece in the puzzle to motivate someone here tonight to forge their own in the music industry. I sure hope it does.
Jinjer are as close to musical perfection as you can get, and that’s before you walk in the doors of the venue. There is a statement to be made about the sheer ferocity that is packed into consumable art. What is curated here by Jinjer is nothing short of a spectacle that to bear witness too it, is to be immersed in a world that is indescribable.
