Jungle Rot
Steeped in the relatively straightforward, yet viciously corrosive grooves perpetrated by early-'90s bands like Sodom, Unleashed, and Bolt Thrower, Kenosha, Wisconsin's Jungle Rot deliver a punitive blend of old-school thrash metal, death metal, crossover, and crusty punk. Founded in 1993 -- vocalist and guitarist Dave Matrise has been the group's only constant member -- the band made their official debut with 1998's Pulverizer Records-issued Slaughter the Weak. Subsequent efforts continued to marry punishing beats to caustic riffage, and were released via Century Media, Napalm, and eventually Victory Records, who put out the band's eponymous ninth studio long player in 2018, celebrating 25 years of Jungle Rot cacophony.
Born from the ashes of Illinois thrashers Prisoner, Jungle Rot began as a side project for Jim Harte and Joe Thomas. The fledgling group recorded a demo before hiring on Kenosha-based guitarist Dave Matrise, who by 1994 had taken over the band. A second demo, Skin the Living, arrived in 1995, and caught the attention of Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta, who signed Jungle Rot to his independent label Pure Death Records. Skin the Living was reissued by the label in 1996, and was followed in 1997 by the group's official debut studio album, Slaughter the Weak, courtesy of Pulverizer Records. The LP caused a stir in the extreme metal underground, as did the band's explosive live performances and tireless work ethic. The folding of Pulverizer slowed things a bit, but the band was quickly scooped up by Pavement Records, which reissued Slaughter the Weak a year later with a bonus track. That same year saw the release of an EP, Darkness Foretold, which came with a limited-edition Jungle Rot comic book. The group endured myriad lineup changes at this time, with Matrise continuing to steer the ship. They inked a deal with Century Media imprint Olympic Recordings for their next two studio efforts, 2001's Dead and Buried and 2004's Fueled by Hate.
In 2005 Matrise brought in Chicago native James Genenz on bass and Geoff Bub on guitar, establishing what would become the most stable lineup of the group. A brutal touring regimen alongside contemporaries like Goatwhore, Black Dahlia Murder, and Cattle Decapitation preceded the release of 2006's Warzone via Crash Music, and in 2009 the band signed to metal heavyweight Napalm Records and issued their fifth studio long player, What Horrors Await. Victory Records was the next label to come calling, releasing 2011's Kill on Command. The hard-working group continued to tour relentlessly both at home and abroad, and played the entirety of the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival on the Victory Records stage. That year's Order Shall Prevail featured a guest vocal from Soulfly's Max Cavalera, and 2018's eponymous Jungle Rot included an appearance by Destruction frontman Schmier.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo
Discography
18 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Kill On Command
Metal - Released by Victory Records on 21 Jun 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Order Shall Prevail
Metal - Released by Victory Records on 29 Jun 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Skin The Living (Reissue)
Metal - Released by Victory Records on 18 Feb 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Terror Regime
Metal - Released by Victory Records on 19 Mar 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Slaughter the Weak
Metal - Released by Back on Black on 23 Apr 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fueled By Hate
Pop - Released by Liquor & Poker Music on 13 Jul 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Slaughter the Weak
Metal - Released by Crash Music on 30 Nov 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
What Horrors Await (Reissue)
Metal - Released by Victory Records on 30 Apr 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Total Extinction
Metal - Released by Unique Leader Records on 22 Mar 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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A Burning Cinder
Metal - Released by Victory Records on 29 Jun 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Call to Arms
Metal - Released by Unique Leader Records on 12 Apr 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -