A face-melting night of metal with Jinjer & more in Wes Des Moines

On July 13th, West Des Moines fans gathered at the Val Air Ballroom for an unforgettable night of international metal, with face-melting riffs as hot as the heat outside. With support from Entheos and Crystal Lake, Jinjer’s Duél North America Tour emphasized technical precision, emotional intensity, and sheer live power.

Fans buzzed in anticipation for Japanese metalcore band Crystal Lake to kick off the night.

Wasting no time, the band launched into their set with relentless energy; the drummer thrashed around on the kit while each guitarist and bassist kicked, jumped, and head-banged. The most surprising element was Myke Terry (of Volumes and Fire From The Gods) filling in on vocals, due to the departure of their most recent vocalist. Terry provided a stark contrast from the studio recordings — which was pretty cool to catch live!

Following that burst of physical intensity, Entheos took the stage and shifted the atmosphere into something more cerebral — although momentum was maintained. Their performance leaned heavily into progressive death metal, emphasizing intricate rhythms and technical precision. Where Crystal Lake thrived on chaos, Etheos thrived on control, offering a distinction that deepened the overall experience of the night. 

Frontwoman Chaney Crabb also claims Des Moines as her hometown.

Midway through the set, Crabb spoke of how formative the Val Air Ballroom, specifically, had been to her during her early life, saying that she had been going to shows there since she was a child. She spoke of watching Des Moines hometown heroes Slipknot perform on the very stage she stood on, only 25 years prior, emphasizing how full-circle they’ve come as a band. This sense of pride in their music was very much felt in every note. Crabb delivered a standout performance.

By the time the Ukrainian powerhouse that is Jinjer took the stage, the audience had been primed by two distinctly different, yet equally compelling performances. Opening with their hard and fast track “Duél” (the title track off their most recent album to which the tour was named after), the band immediately took off, with Jinjer alternating between soaring, clean vocals and punishing growls.

Jinjer’s setlist leaned heavily on material from Duél, while still incorporating fan-favorites and the crowd reflected this duality. The pit remained active, fueled by the energy established earlier in the night, but there were also moments of stillness; fans completely absorbed the intricacies of the music. It was chaos and control, spectacle and substance. What a night!

Photography by Jayme Bigger

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