Album Review: Jungle Rot - Cruel Face Of War
Reviewed by Sam Jones
When it comes to old school death metal, Jungle Rot are amongst the most fervent believers of keeping extreme metal grounded and with a minimum of superfluous elements. Formed in 1992 out of Wisconsin, United States, the band released their first Demos in 1995 before unleashing their debut album, Skin The Living, just a year later. Going on three decades straight Jungle Rot have seen a near uninterrupted schedule where every two or three years they put out a new record with just as much unrelenting passion as they did in 1996. With a plethora of new acts indulging in ever more technical or avant-garde ideas, Jungle Rot have become a championing act in delivering old school death metal with a single goal in mind: killing you. With frontman Dave Matrise as sole remaining original member, it’s his drive and genuine adoration for metal that, upon seeing them live a few years back, demonstrates Jungle Rot are here for more than show. Cruel Face Of War, their twelfth album, is slated for a May 15th release date and is once more distributed through Unique Leader Records. These guys always deliver and I was excited to dive back into their sound.
War isn’t necessarily a human centric topic, the introduction suggests such imbuing the record’s tone with animalistic, primal soundbites detailing how conflict is innate to nature itself, or describing how mankind’s appetite for war is indicative of its primal nature. Like previous releases Jungle Rot’s production is wonderfully crisp and enables riffs and smaller nuances to come to the forefront with little standing in the way. The modern production quality gives additional strength to riffs that look to double down providing that pummelling deliverance. Allowing freedom within the mix for the bass to be heard also enables its basslines to rumble beneath the guitar work, providing that cushioning layer which has fired Jungle Rot their signature rolling but ease of listening.
But we shouldn’t confuse this production for crafting a shiny-clean aesthetic. Jungle Rot’s guitar work is lethal for riffs are carried along knives that stab and find the softest parts of ourselves; when the pace quickens too their performance is heightened in intensity. On the whole the band are comfortable performing with steady tempo and a pace where one will never lose track of a song’s pathing. Their songwriting has always given credence to the audience where one can become deeply invested in Jungle Rot’s cavalcade of destruction; headbanging to this record is as natural as breathing for it isn’t long into Cruel Face Of War before I was bobbing my head up and down. Songwriting Jungle Rot has cements the need and desire for old school death metal creating music for the here and now, planting our feet firmly to earth.
I appreciate how solos across the record aren’t used as an excuse for showing off instrumental capability, rather they become a direct extension of a track’s identity via its riffs. Depending on what atmosphere a track is utilising, the solo in question only be a handful of notes but that is more effective than had the guitar work suddenly branched off to do its own independent thing. In doing so Jungle Rot are supporting their songwriting by ensuring the audience isn’t taken far-off by some meandering route; we’re kept in the track even as various sequences come and go and given how Jungle Rot are content in not moving too far out of the box, by this perspective they’ve made the box work for them. A longtime fan knows what they’re getting from Jungle Rot but newcomers should find themselves more than satisfied with these bludgeoning tracks from which escape is a memory.
There have been various changes in lineup but Matrise as sole remaining member is critical to the band’s longevity, given his vocals have become such a mainstay element of Jungle Roy’s sound. Like the band’s ethos towards old school death metal, Matrise doesn’t imbue his performance with anything overtly spectacular or use techniques outside what he, in that recording studio, can do himself. Listening to him on record is what you’ll receive live, something I personally can attest. His gruff and grounded performance, baritone yet not so deep you can’t follow his lyrics, works hand in hand with songwriting built the ground up to keep things stable as you listen. It’s well documented by now Jungle Roy’s songwriting isn’t anything new, yet old school death metal when done right doesn’t need to be new. It simply needs to be engaging and exciting. It’s why it’s survived going on four decades now.
In conclusion, Cruel Face Of War is like pizza. Yes, you’ve received it a hundred, perhaps a thousand times now, but every time you bite into it you’re minded why you keep coming back for more. Jungle Rot’s twelfth album fits the metaphor for whilst they’ve never altered their songwriting or approach to death metal too greatly in thirty years, they frankly haven’t needed to because what they do, and do consistently, has kept fans coming back for those very thirty years. Sure, they aren’t about to remake the wheel but old school death metal, like Jungle Rot write and perform, will always have its fans, myself included. Cruel Face Of War is testament that overt technical and avant-garde ideas aren’t required for a band to retain its fanbase. Write music that’s engaging, know your audience, know your strengths and just have some fun with it. A splendid time to be had.
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