The Jins- 'Death Wish' Reminds Us That Grunge Ain't Dead.

By Francis Baptiste

Death Wish is a big, big sounding album. The riffs are raucous. The drums are neck-snapping. The bass is bellowing. The vocals are loud and hoarse, like trying to talk to someone in a mosh pit. The production and performance are all spot-on. Even if it’s not your genre, it’d be hard not to appreciate this album for what it is.

That said, you don’t hear of too many grunge bands these days. 

It’d be impossible not to compare these guys to Nirvana, the way they sound and look. Especially the vocals. The scream-singing on the titular track, Death Wish, is like a time machine back to Cobain’s 90s. When I saw the Jins perform live at Static Jupiter a few months back, I couldn’t help but think the singer/guitarist Ben Larson even looks like a young Cobain. Maybe go watch the video for Death Wish and make up your own mind. I have a feeling you’ll agree with me.

None of this is meant to be a negative criticism, though. The Jins sound great. It’s like a throwback to the grunge era only recorded with the benefit of modern studio advancements. So it sounds great and rocks hard. I was a bit surprised to learn that they’ve already been signed to 604 Records, the same label with acts like Carly Rae Jepson and Marinas Trench. 

There’s so much energy on this release. Having seen them live I can confirm that they definitely take that energy to the stage. In fact, I’m surprised how well they’ve captured their live energy on this record. When it comes to rock bands I guess that’s the ultimate goal of a record, to capture the visceral energy of the live performance. In that, the Jins have definitely succeeded.