Customer Reviews

The Secret

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First heard these guys listening to a free sampler that came from CM Distro. Their debut ended up being one of the best studio releases I've purchased in the last 4 years. Dead serious. I don't understand why they haven't made more waves in the metal underground. I am a HUGE fan of Gothenburg-styled Melodic Death Metal... and these guys have a VERY original take on the style. Think In Flames (circa "Reroute to Remain") with Katatonia-esque vocals. Really cool and really original.

The majority of metal seems to be comprised of either growly, growly and melodic mixtures, or the traditional hair metal screams. It's fine to some degree, but there are times I've become quite bored with all of this and want something just melodic while still being heavy and intricate.

Jonin is a band which doesn't fall into the mainstream rut, making it a great breath of fresh air. The amount of energy and range found in the melodies is quite good. Even without using a growly tone, the vocals can be much more aggressive than any death metal singer, while still utilizing a good range (but, I may not feel a growl is a good show of aggression, so take that as you like). An example of this would be Smaller.

Along with this, the instrumentation, from the drums to guitar solos, show a bit of work. The intro to the March is a good display of this. Even the simplest of rhythms bring about a triumphant and epic feel to each song.

I want to emphasize that my examples do not necessarily display the best of Jonin. Largely because I have a hard time selecting what is the best of Jonin.

I'm normally not one to make reviews, so this is a little new. But, I really want to see this band progress, so I made an exception.

Edit: Wanted to add some information to not give the wrong impression. Jonin may not be the heaviest, most intricate, best thrashing metal out there. There's even a track (Shameless) that does have growls mixed into the batch. Even so, if you're looking for purely clean vocals with good (perhaps even great) metal instrumentation, I can't think of anything better.

WOW! This is simply the best Debut album I have heard since Undertow. Ever since becoming a huge fan of Tool back in 1993 I have been searching for another band that could stand apart. Jonin could be that band. After hearing a few songs from their myspace page, I decided to order the cd from amazon- since nothing was on Limewire...apparently THE SECRET is just that. Well I wasn't disappointed. All I can say is that I was blown away and every time I get in my car, I'm blasting The March, The Embrace, The Secret, Flood, Breathing, etc...every song grabs you in its own way. That said, I think HEEL doesn't fit on this cd, its the weakest for me out of the 11. Its not bad, its just not as good as the rest, but regardless if your a fan of Tool, Disturbed, Deftones, Soilwork, All that Remains - then check these guys out, they are head and shoulders above their competition in today's scene. I'm already looking forward to their new stuff...the best 7 dollars ever spent!

"The Secret" is one of the best albums I have heard in quite some time. The ingenuity and mastery composition of this CD is astounded. Each song has its own unique feel to it while still keeping that awesome Jonin sound. Any one who is into melodic riffs and pinch harmonics like that of TOOL, or Soilwork with a kick in the face like In Flames or Killswitch Engage.

It's really something when you can listen to an album everyday and not get tired of it. I've been with Jonin from the start and I must say, this is some of their best work yet and its only going up from here.

Be sure to check out Killwhitneydead as well. Jonin's own Stuart Smith is featured in "Kill them with Kindess" on KWD's "Hell To Pay" (2007). As well KWD's Matt Rudzinski is featured on "Shameless" to give it that extra brutal sound. Both really good albums by Tribunal. "The Secret" is definitely a must have.

The debut album, "The Secret", from North Carolina's own, Jonin, is a mix of intricate guitar work, melodic vocals and heavy bass lines and drum beats. The album is a treat for the ears that incorporates heavy metal sounds with lyrics wrapped in emotion; envoking an audience pleasing furor.