Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Jungle Rot - Warzone - 2006 - Crash Music

Track Listing1. Victims of Violence 2. Cut in Two 3. Savage Rite 4. They Gave Their Lives 5. Strong Shall Survive 6. Decapitated 7. Ready for War 8. Ambushed 9. Fight for Life 10.Territoriality 11.Killing Spree

Still waging war after more then ten years, Jungle Rot is showing no signs of slow down or surrender. Thundering onto the scene in ’95 with their first album “Skin the Living”, we have seen a steady release schedule since. Despite multiple line up changes and label troubles early on, Jungle Rot have earned their stripes time and again. Paving a trail with heavily graphic imagery and brutally catchy riffs, Jungle Rot’s 2004 release, “Fueled by Hate” was marked as the epoch, the high water mark, for the American Midwestern quartet. Well lace up your boots, and strap on your soldier, 2005 saw them their ten year anniversary, after yet another line up change, and a new label, Jungle Rot is once again launching a full frontal assault, and taking no prisoners with their ‘06 release “Warzone”.

In their trademark album style, military imagery of war scenes and violence adorns each aspect of their album artwork, as if preparing your senses for the brutality contained inside. In that sense it does no justice. Chock full of pulse pounding double bass, wailing riffs and guttural lyrics “Warzone” is Jungle Rot doing what they do best, auditory violence and lyrical dismemberment. Focused and heavy their formula has never failed them in the past and their latest blood bath is no exception.

Their morbid lyrical influence draws seemingly from, everywhere. From dark primitive jungles where cannibal tribes tear outsiders limb from limb and devour their bleeding skin on “Savage Rite”, to suicidal terrorists giving their lives to a holy war on “They Gave Their Lives”, painting a much more visceral picture of the world around us. They even dusted off one of their classics, “Decapitated” which sounds marginally cleaner then the original, but still just as brutal showing purists their new line up is the real deal. This album really shows Jungle Rot putting their fans in their forethought, this retaining all the raw heavy sound of their early underground days, but showing the years have been spent evolving. All this mixed with the new line adds enough fresh variation to keep this new album standing out from its predecessors.

In favor of time honored traditions, I’m a big fan of the saying, “If its not broke, don’t fix it.” Evidently the fellows behind Jungle Rot feel the same way as there is plenty of nostalgic moments that throw me back to “Slaughter the Weak” but as I said, it is by no means a “Best of” album, suffice to say that this might be the “Best of” Jungle Rot that we’ve seen to date. Will it stand the test of time as they have? I’m confident of that. Like the tropical disease that bore their namesake, Jungle Rot has set in and is spreading its infection throughout the metal scene, and it’s going to take more then a tube of topical ointment to halt this plague.

Jungle Rot is comprised of:
Dave Matrise: Vocals/Guitar
James Genenz : Bass Guitar
Geoff Bub: Guitar/ Backup Vocals
Neil Zacharek: Drums



--Weasel 12.21.06