UK project KINJIRU is the brainchild of Roger B from metal band Demons of Old Metal. It is a fairly recent venture at that, and the first material to be issued under this moniker is the EP “4D”, which was self-released at the end of October in 2017.
Die hard metal fans may well find the landscapes presented here to be a bit too challenging, as Kinjiru isn’t at all what one might expect as the side project from a member of a metal band. The metal is still very much present, but paired off with a liberal array of electronic sounds and keyboards. Not quite electronic metal either, even if that serves fairly well as a general description.
We are, basically, treated to music that would function well at a disco. The rhythms are driving, the keyboards and synthesizers wraps everything up in compelling and at times dominant layers of sound, the guitars have less of a say that what one might expect here and there, and you can move, sway and dance to the rhythms.
As far as comparisons go, think The Land of Rape and Honey era Ministry, with a few dips into Psalm 69 landscapes, lightly flavored with elements from The Prodigy and possibly The Chemical Brothers as well. Some details here and there gave associations to the much under-appreciated Apollyon Sun too, others had what might be a touch of Fear Factory or Rammstein to them. Some token keyboard sounds had something of a Gary Numan tinge to them as well.
Kinjiru exists within as well as outside of these frames of reference. Metal? Sure. Industrial? Most likely. Catchy and danceable? You bet. Just about the sole minor negative for me was concluding cut Voodoo Sex Doll, mainly because it left me with the impression of being made as a more regular hard rock affair, reworked into an electronic metal guise. While that may or may not be the case, this song just didn’t give me that same well developed vibes as the tracks preceding it.
If you tend to enjoy artists that blend synths and electronic effects with metal, and appreciate those that create material of that kind that could and probably should be played at places where people like to dance, then this is an EP that warrants a listen. A production that, possibly, exists somewhere between Ministry and The Prodigy as far as style goes.
My rating: 80/100
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Track list:
Never Ever // Come Join the Freaks // Safeword // Voodoo Sex Doll
