Filthy Music Review - 'Jungle Rot: Terror Regime'

Jungle Rot – Terror Regime (2013)

Victory Records

Review by Jude Felton

Listening to Wisconsin’s Jungle Rot is something akin to watching a five man gang in a street fight; it’s brutal, uncompromising and there’s a good chance that there will be broken bones. Get ready for a fist fight, just don’t expect to win.

My introduction to Jungle Rot’s blend of death, thrash and hardcore came a couple of years ago, through filmmaker Ryan Nicholson no less, when I picked up a copy of their 2011 album, Kill on Command. Having been impressed with that slab of metal I will admit to being excited when I heard they had a new album on the way; the album of which I am now reviewing.

The first thing I noticed about Terror Regime is that the production is a lot better; the music is still a kick in the teeth, but the sound is clearer without losing any of the music’s intensity. Terror Regime opens with a bang, with Voice your Disgust, before blasting into the ferocious title track; this is music that will make you want to bang your damned head. This is death metal that you can sing along too, and you won’t need an interpreter to understand the lyrics. But don’t be mistaken, this ain’t no walk in the park. Thunderous drums underline the monster riffs and cracking lead work.

By the time I am Hatred and Scorn have finished with you, you’ll either be beaten or begging for more. This really is a fine album, one that is topped off with some venomous lyrics, which are spat out by Dave Matrise. Musically this is an unholy matrimony of Hatebreed, Death and the primal thrash of Sodom, and that is no bad thing at all.

Kill on Command impressed me; Terror Regime has made me a believer. There is a conviction behind the music here that you don’t always hear on an album. It’s a heavy as fuck, pissed off beast that will leave you Pronounced Dead; which is a more than fitting name for an album closer, especially one this belligerent.

Jungle Rot do what they do, and they do it very well indeed, and Terror Regime is a more than welcome return for the band. Get in there and prepare to get bloodied up.

Tracklist

1. Voice Your Disgust (3:02) 
2. Terror Regime (3:55) 
3. Utter Chaos (2:50) 
4. I Am Hatred (3:43) 
5. Blind Devotion (3:21) 
6. Scorn (3:54) 
7. Rage Through the Wasteland (3:16) 
8. Ruthless Omnipotence (3:11) 
9. I Don't Need Society (1:40) 
10. Carpet Bombing (1:13) 
11. Pronounced Dead (4:28)

Terror Regime is released on March 19th by Victory Records and can be purchased at the Victory Records webstore, or at the link below.