[Review] Djiin – Meandering Soul

Djiin is a French band that offers Psychedelic Rock and Doom sounds with 70s-style Progressive Rock influences. They released a couple of Live and an EP, the debut album “Meandering Soul” was released on November 12, 2021 via Klonosphere Records/Season Of Mist. The opener “Black Circus” begins with a dark and slow atmosphere that increases in intensity with the passage of the song, also gaining speed in the rhythmic session. Chloé‘s vocal excites us right away with a warm and expressive singing full of pathos, supported by deep and penetrating bass lines. the tempo changes are an added value and the band manages to mix multiple genres and styles with ease, giving the sound a personal touch to conclude with a dark section that recalls Occult Rock. “The Void” takes us back into the maze of their most occult and engaging Doom sound with strong 70s connotations. The Prog influences here are more marked than the previous one, with enveloping choirs and hypnotic guitar and bass interweaving and elaborate drumming. The vocal is warm and epressive and excellent for interpreting this type of sound. With a sudden change in the ending the track becomes heavy and dark with an energetic and visceral vocal ending with a crescendo. The longest track on the “Red Desert” album begins with a slow pacing to increase as the minutes pass, creating an atmosphere of mystery. In constant change and evolution, when the track increases the power the riffs are heavy and dark, while the vocal is full of pathos and very dynamic interpreting all the phases of the piece with intensity. A summary of the band’s musical concept, this section of the album is a concentrate of Doom Metal and Occult Rock with beautifully crafted instrumental passages. The stratified voices open “Warmth of Death” to develop a slow track and with that feeling of mystery that pervades the sound. Chloé gives a test of all the vocal range of her with an interpretation of the piece of the highest level, while in the second part the intensity increases with distorted riffs and an elaborate and dark instrumental section. “White Valley” is the shortest of the album, heavy and dark in the sonority but engaging, perhaps the apex of the album is here, managing to create a mix of sounds between the occult and creepy but very pleasant. Closes the album “Wax Doll” which binds with a drum roll to the previous one and then releases all the energy of the band, pulled and with a different sound from the previous ones. Riffs sharp as knives, which transform when the rhythm session becomes slower, taking on heavy strokes, more Progressive when the sound requires it. This song is an ending that I did not expect and it struck me positively for how it was elaborated and conceived with continuous tempo changes and concluding with intensity and with a high level musical crescendo. An interesting journey this album that manages to combine multiple genres and styles with a mature sound full of interesting nuances, difficult to catalog. Doom, Psychedelia, Occult Rock and Prog all mixed to produce what is Djiin’s personal style, thanks also to a vocal rehearsal by Chloé which is always an added value, very intense. A listening recommended for lovers of the retro sounds of these genres, which this band manages to bring to the present day, an intense album from start to finish.

Tracklist

1. Black Circus (06:24)
2. The Void (05:14)
3. Red Desert (08:47)
4. Warmth of Death (08:19)
5. White Valley (03:20)
6. Wax Doll (08:12)

Lineup

Chloé Panhaleux / Vocals, Electric Harp
Allan Guyomard / Drums, Backing Vocals
Tom Penaguin / Guitar, Backing Vocals
Charlélie Pailhes / Bass, Backing Vocals

Djiin |Bandcamp|Facebook Page|Instagram|Spotify|YouTube Channel|

Klonosphere Records |Official Website|Facebook Page|

Season Of Mist |Official Website|Bandcamp|Facebook Page|Twitter|Instagram|Spotify|YouTube Channel|

Author: Jacopo Vigezzi

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