Jinjer Pay Ode to Their Parents in New “Retrospection” Video

It’s been a helluva ride for Jinjer over the past couple of years, which have seen the Ukrainian metal outfit rise from relative obscurity to one of the hottest bands in metal. But that success comes with a price, as we so often hear: all that time on the road puts an incredible strain on a musician’s relationships with their friends and family back home.

“Retrospection,” from Jinjer’s latest album, Macro, is about those difficulties, and the brand new video for the song puts those issues on stark display by juxtaposing footage of the band slaying sold out crowds and signing autographs with baby photos of the band’s members.

But it’s the statement the band issued to accompany the video’s release that really tugged at my heartstrings:

 “‘Retrospection’ is one of the most personal songs we have ever written. Being a full time touring musician, spending most of the time on the road … of course we are making our biggest dream come true and living each day to the fullest, but nobody mentions that there is a dark side. We do not see people who devoted themselves to us entirely, who gave us everything they had and more… We miss them and they miss us in return, and yet we should call them more often… much more often than we do.

“I am talking about our parents. 

“For most of the Jinjers, our parents are separated from us not only by distance, but also by war and politics. We don’t have an opportunity to visit our parents even when we are in Ukraine. And it feels like they are on the other side of the planet even if we are literally only 800 km away. The worst thing is that, now being in our 30s, year after year, it feels like the storm clouds are gathering above. We all know that the day will come when we will feel alone all of a sudden… and we will lose them. The people, but for whom, we’d never make it. The bitter taste of understanding this is almost unbearable.

“We look at this song as an anthem to the ones who raised us, who sacrificed everything for the sake of our happiness no matter what the costs, even despite our own thankless and ingratitude towards them. The people who showed us that the purest love ever does exist – the love of the father and mother for their children.
Thank you.

“«Наши мамы и папы, мы хотим, чтобы вы знали, что мы тоже вас любим, и что без вас мы бы никогда не добились всего этого и не осуществили бы свою мечту. Спасибо вам за все» (Mom and Dad, we want you to know that we love you too, if not for you we’d never make it this far and never fulfill our dreams. Thank you for everything.)”

Shew… I’m not crying, you’re crying!

Watch the video below, and catch Jinjer on tour all year — dates underneath the embed.

Jinjer on tour:

29.02.20 IL – Tel Aviv / Reading 3 SOLD OUT

03.03.20 AU – Adelaide / Lion Arts Factory
04.03.20 AU – Belconnen / The Basement Canberra
05.03.20 AU – Melbourne / Max Watt’s SOLD OUT
06.03.20 AU – Sydney / Manning SOLD OUT
07.03.20 AU – Brisbane / The Zoo SOLD OUT

10.03.20 SV – San Salvador / Buhos
11.03.20 GT – Guatemala City / Rock Ol Vuh
13.03.20 MX – Monterrey / Cafe Iguana
14.03.20 MX – Guadalajara / Foro Independencia
15.03.20 MX – Mexico City / Hell & Heaven Festival
17.03.20 CR – San Jose / El Grinch
18.03.20 CO – Bogota / Ace Of Spades
19.03.20 PE – Lima / La Oficina
21.03.20 CL – Santiago de Chile / Blondie
22.03.20 AR – Buenos Aires / Teatro Flores
24.03.20 UY – Montevideo / Music Box
27.03.20 BR – Limeira / Bar Da Montanha
28.03.20 BR – Sao Paulo / Carioca Club

10.04.20 AT – Vienna / Impericon Festival
11.04.20 DE – Leipzig / Impericon Festival
12.04.20 DE – Oberndorf / Eastercross Festival
14.04.20 FR – Besancon / La Rodia
15.04.20 FR – Strasbourg / La Laiterie
16.04.20 FR – Dunkerque / 4 Ecluses SOLD OUT
17.04.20 BE – Durbuy / Durbuy Rock Festival
18.04.20 DE – Oberhausen / Impericon Festival
19.04.20 DE – Munich / Impericon Festival

Tour Of Consciousness 2020 w/ Suicide Silence, Toothgrinder

23.04.20 US – San Francisco, CA / The Filmore [tickets]
24.04.20 US – Los Angeles, CA / Belasco Theater [tickets]
25.04.20 US – Las Vegas, NV / House Of Blues [tickets]
26.04.20 US – Phoenix, AZ / The Pressroom [tickets]
28.04.20 US – Houston, TX / House Of Blues [tickets]
29.04.20 US – Dallas, TX / House Of Blues [tickets]
30.04.20 US – Memphis, TN / Minglewood Hall [tickets]
02.05.20 US – Charlotte, NC / Epicenter Festival [tickets]
03.05.20 US – Norfolk, VA / The Norva [tickets]
05.05.20 US – Brooklyn, NY / Warsaw [tickets]
06.05.20 US – Boston, MA / House Of Blues [tickets]
07.05.20 US – Silver Spring, MD / The Filmore Silver Spring [tickets]
09.05.20 US – Daytona Beach, FL / Welcome To Rockville Festival [tickets]
10.05.20 US – Pensacola, FL / Vinyl [tickets]
12.05.20 US – Atlanta, GA / Buckhead Theater [tickets]
13.05.20 US – Nashville, TN / Brooklyn Bowl [tickets]
15.05.20 US – Columbus, OH / Sonic Temple Festival [tickets]
16.05.20 US – Milwaukee, WI / Rave II [tickets]
17.05.20 US – Chicago, IL / House Of Blues [tickets]
19.05.20 US – Minneapolis, MN / The Filmore Minneapolis [tickets]
20.05.20 US – Lawrence, KS / Granada Theater [tickets]
22.05.20 US – Lincoln, NE / Bourbon Theater [tickets]
23.05.20 US – Denver, CO / Summit [tickets]
24.05.20 US – Pryor, OK / Rocklahoma Festival [tickets]

European Festivals & further shows

12.06.20 CH – Interlaken / Greenfield
13.06.20 AT – Nickelsdorf / Novarock
20.06.20 DK – Copenhagen / Copenhell
21.06.20 FR – Clisson / Hellfest
25.06.20 ES – Madrid / Rock The Night
26.06.20 NO – Oslo / Tons Of Rock
27.06.20 FI – Helsinki / Tuska
28.06.20 CZ – Spalene Porici / Basinfire Fest
02.07.20 ES – Viveiro / Resurrection Fest
03.07.20 DE – Ballenstedt / Rockharz
04.07.20 BE – Ieper / Ieper Fest
09.07.20 SE – Gävle / Gefle Metal Fest
17.07.20 NL – Eindhoven / Dynamo Metal Fest
19.07.20 IT – Cremona / Luppolo In Rock
27.07.20 FI – Oulu / Qstock
30.07.20 SI – Tolmin / Metal Days
01.08.20 AT – Lustenau / Szene Open Air
03.08.20 PL – Gdansk / Ergo Arena w/ SLIPKNOT
07.08.20 ES – Villena – Leyendas del Rock
08.08.20 UK – Walton On Trent / Bloodstock
12.-15.08.20 DE – Dinkelsbühl / Summer Breeze
15.08.20 DE – Sulingen / Reload