REVIEW: JENNER – “PROVE THEM WRONG”

This Serbian sensation returns with a sophomore effort that avoids a second-album slump and gives new fans a perfect jumping-on point.

Your humble reviewer is not the biggest thrash hesher out there but I enjoy the occasional slice of the genre when it’s done just right. Jenner is a band that mixes those prized elements of thrash with the melodious classic metal we all know and love into a sound that might be what you are looking for if you need a new band in your fibrous and diverse metal diet. Let’s break it down track by track:

1. No Time For Prayer begins the album with a slow intro before diving right into the action. Thrash riffing gives way to deft twin-guitar tapping to set the stage for what’s to come. The relatively clean vocal delivery is very welcome. This isn’t completely spotless singing, and it’s delivered with a perfect amount of grit. More skilled shredding takes the track home launches the album in strong fashion.

2. Prove Them Wrong is a bit more straightforward than our introductory track. What it lacks in surprises it makes up for in effectiveness. There’s no frills here and it makes for a solid title track. The solo is tasty, melodic, and my favorite part of the song. I can easily see this one becoming a live staple for the band.

3. Born For Something More throws you right into the mix with some Iron Maiden-esque twin-guitar harmonies before giving way to a fairly catchy tune reminiscent of some of the recent AOR revival acts hitting the scene. I will never say no to more AOR goodness in my music! Another killer solo continues to hammer home that this band is more than just a gimmick.

4. Down in the Pit is a surprisingly mellower track than one would expect with a song having this title. The riffs chug away but the lyrics and vocals let this track down. It lacks the focus found on the earlier tracks and doesn’t quite click the way the previous songs do. Another spectacular solo isn’t enough to salvage this track.

5. Not Even You begins with a clean guitar intro that is followed by some sinister chug-tastic riffing. This track is carried by strong vocal melodies and shredding that give way to yet another fantastic guitar solo (are you guys noticing a pattern here?). This is the kind of song that would get this band radio airplay if radio stations had the balls to play metal anymore!

6. Eye For An Eye is a straight-ahead thrasher that wastes no time getting to the point. The riffing is reminiscent of classic crossover thrash right out of the Municipal Waste playbook. This is the kind of track that will get a circle pit going in mere seconds!

7. I Saw It All Clear is a nice change of pace. This is a slower track that takes its time to tell its story. The strong lead guitar work is used to maximum effect here. While I would never usually add a track like this to my personal playlist, these kinds of tracks are always a good way to break up the flow, especially in thrash-focused records like this one. Searing leads are absolute icing on the cake here.

8. Never Say Die gets us back on the Thrash-Train Express straight to Moshville! The speed dial is turned all the way to ten and your pencil neck will barely be able to keep up. This track sounds the way you hope it would based on the title and the tidal wave of thrash that has come before it. True heshers will be pleased!

9. Laws of the Weak isn’t much longer than some of the other tracks on this album but it has that big closer kind of feel to it. This song feels bigger and the band pulls out all the stops to make the most of it. The shredding goes absolutely berserk. There’s twin-guitar harmonies to punch you through from one passage to the next. The riffing takes on a much bigger presence. This is the best song on the album and it’s a triumph.

Wrapping Up:

This album comes out swinging and hooks you immediately as a listener. The lead guitar work by vocalist/guitarist Aleksandra Stamenković is some of the best I’ve heard in a long time. It’s very early into 2024 but I have a hard time imagining that someone else will top this level of shred. It’s fast. It’s melodic. It’s downright heroic. These leads are the anchor that help this album stand out from similar thrash inspired peers. Prove Them Wrong is a smartly produced record with a good amount of variety in the tracks to keep things fresh. Some of the songwriting is slightly unwieldy and the lyrics can get a little too verbose, but if Jenner can focus on their strengths and refine their approach, they will become a force to be reckoned with in the scene. Check this album out. You won’t regret it.