2002 · Columbia / Time Bomb

Jinx

Released on April 9, 2002, JINX was the album that took Quarashi from being an Icelandic phenomenon to becoming an international force. After significant delays due to their original contract, their fourth full-length album and only major-label release, JINX was finally released through Columbia Records and became the band's first album to receive a worldwide release, reaching audiences across the United States, Japan, Australia and Europe. For fans who had been there since Switchstance, this was the moment everything changed. Produced by Sölvi Blöndal, alongside heavyweight producers Brendan O'Brien and DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill, JINX captured Quarashi's raw Icelandic energy and sharpened it for a global audience without stripping away what made the band unique. Then came “Stick 'Em Up.” The track broke into the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart at #27, an extraordinary moment for a band that had begun recording in a Reykjavík garage only a few years earlier. It also found its way into the wider pop-culture universe, appearing in 2 Fast 2 Furious, Alias, Smallville and NBA on TNT, among other media. Suddenly, Quarashi weren't just being heard in Iceland. They were everywhere. JINX remains Quarashi's best-known and most internationally significant album, and for many fans, it is the record that introduced them to the band in the first place. The Japanese edition even included two additional tracks, “Into Your Arms” and “Switchstance,” making it an especially sought-after version for collectors. For Quarashi, JINX wasn't simply an album release. It was the moment the rest of the world finally got let in on the secret.