Jirfiya – W

Jirfiya
W
Out : February 21, 2023
Playing Time : 45:41

Formed in early 2019, Jirfiya released their EP “Wait For Dawn” in May of the same year. Then came Corona. But the French band didn’t let that slow them down and followed up with their debut album “Still Waiting” in November 2020. In the meantime, founding member Pascal Davoury apparently left the band and was replaced by guitarist Sami Kharrat. Jérôme Thellier took over the part on bass. And the quartet continued to work on new song material. This can now be heard on the second album “W”. And for this album, the musicians have invited some guest musicians.

The album starts with the nine-minute epic “Asylum”. First a drum start, before the frying guitars kick in. After a good minute, it becomes calmer and more melodic. Strings can be heard. But as soon as Ingrid’s singing starts, the sound becomes harsher again. And the drums drive the singer. Melodic and hectic parts alternate, both instrumentally and vocally. A trumpet is rarely heard in Metal. But the French use this instrument skilfully. And of course the guitar solo must not be missing, partly in competition with the trumpet. Also “Sister In Blood” starts heavier. Later it gets a bit quieter. The vocals sound partly dissonant. And the melody and rhythm changes make for a rollercoaster of emotions. In “Dark Storms” the musicians take a calmer approach. Although Ingrid’s singing partly counteracts this calmness with sharpness and harshness. Nevertheless, this is a ballad of the album. Strings introduce “The Path Of Hate” and initially provide some calm. But as soon as the rhythm section hits, it’s over. “The Factory” is the second longest song with more than eight minutes playing time. And starts with harmonious sounding vocals. The ballad-like introduction is soon replaced by fast guitar hooks. Later, mastermind Jérôme Thellier contributes evil growls. But despite everything, the melodic part dominates here. At the beginning of “An Endless Journey” the trumpet can be heard again. It takes over the part of the lead guitar, or rather it is melody leading together with it. This should be the second ballad of the album. Consistently melodic from the vocals to the ingenious guitar solo to the trumpet melody. The Girl With The Perfect Face” is the next long epic (more than seven minutes). Once again, melodic, balladic and upbeat to weird-sounding parts alternate. The last song “Far Away From Here” is also the shortest song on the album. And as if Jirfiya wanted to forget all the hecticness of the previous songs, it is quiet and contemplative again. Mostly acoustic sounds of guitars and strings dominate. A short ballad to finish.

What Jirfiya deliver this time is not easy to listen. “W” is much more progressive than its predecessor. You should take your time to enjoy the album. There are so many musical and artificial facets to discover here. The sound also lives from the unusual instrumentation such as violin, cello and trumpet. The only question that remains is what the album title actually means.

Jirfiya – The Girl With The Perfect Face: https://youtu.be/NhutbJIm6OI

Lineup:

Ingrid Denis – Vocals
Jérôme Thellier – Guitar, Bass Guitar, Growls
Nicolas Dumant – Drums
Sami Kharrat – Guitar

Guests:

Jules Jassef – Trumpet (1,6)
Coline Verger – Violin (1,3,4,5,8)
Quentin Fauré – Cello (1,3,4,5,8)

Track list:

• Asylum
• Sister In Blood
• Dark Storms
• The Path Of Hate
• The Factory
• An Endless Journey
• The Girl With The Perfect Face
• Far Away From Here