Jungle Rot’s Cruel Face of War (Unique Leader Records) finds Dave Matrise as the sole original member, but it works in his favor as he has assembled a heavier, more modern-sounding band. These guys still get what he was doing back in the nineties, and they are true to who the band was, and have created something vital rather than taking you down memory lane. At 57, Dave has retained his ability to growl with heft and resonance. This album also benefits from excellent production, with effects and layering that fall in all the right places. “Apocalyptic Dawn” kicks the album off with the kind of energy that you want from these guys. The title track carries a more manic, thrashing feel.

Photo credit: Alex Zarek

Lyrically, Dave sounds like he is barking out your typical Metal mish-mash. Still, it is snarled in a manner articulated well enough to cut through the din of distortion around them.”Maniacal” is stomped with much greater purpose to create catchy headbanging vibes before the vocals even come in, The proof of how songwriting is given focus lies in how the band backs off to give the vocals room to growl, rather than just burning them in a wall of guitars. “Suffer in Silence” has a strong enough chorus that manages to balance out the more speed-obsessed riffs that race by your ears. “Radicalized” brings more groove, with weighty accents that pound with a more refined syncopation. “Blade of Betrayal” is more typical in its rapid-fire death metal approach, which will appeal to fans of that era of the genre, but does not benefit as much from their songwriting skills as the previous songs.

The verse of “When the Elders Rise” is empowered by the album’s most commanding, not as effective when they pour the speed into the double bass, but overall, the song works. Dave Ingram of Benediction joins them for “Horrors Vile,” which takes off at a faster pace and finds them pressing the gas pedal further once the vocals come in. They find a better balance of tempo and intensity in “Legacy of the Damned.”  At under two minutes, “Rot Riffs” does not try to cram too much into that time frame, mainly working off the one riff. “Hollow Husk” is punishing, though, on the side of just meat and potatoes straight-up death metal. The vocals just roar along, though on my second listen, it is highly recommended to listen to this album through headphones, as experiencing this album in that manner, rather than the shitty laptop speakers, brings out how powerful this guitar tone is, excellent production.

This album delivers nineties death metal in a more meaningful way, so fans of this band are going to get what they want here. 

Buy the album here:
https://uniqueleaderrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cruel-face-of-war

9 / 10 

WIL CIFER
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