Artist: Jungle Rot
Label: Olympic Recordings
Release Date: 6/29/04
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Title: Fueled by Hate Artist: Jungle Rot Label: Olympic Recordings Release Date: 6/29/04 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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2 | ||
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3 | ||
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Abyss's Review:
I actually slapped Fueled By Hate into my CD player weeks before I knew I was going to review it. Jungle Rot were one of those bands that I never really listened to. In fact, I'm not really sure how I knew of them. No one ever sang their praises to me, and they never really seemed to get much exposure from the media. Despite this, I have been aware of their existence for some time, and when I realized I had their promo, I happily put it on, without expecting much. What I found was shocking.
"One word review: Killer." I'm not currently referring to the music, instead I'm referring to the fact that the promo material that accompanied the CD was actually accurate. I know, I couldn't believe it either. This is what it said: "[Jungle Rot] have never tried to be the goriest or most technical band in the extreme underground, but instead have focused on flowing grooves and infectious, catchy songwriting." I couldn't have said it better myself, which can mean only one thing: whoever wrote this should be fired. Promo Writing 101 says that you never concede ANYTHING that might make your band sound like anything less than the ultimate act of all time. A corrected version of that sentence follows: "[Jungle Rot] are THE goriest and MOST technical band in the extreme underground, and have the MOST flowing grooves and the MOST infectious, catchiest songwriting of ANY band in history!" You can never have too many superlatives. If you start being honest and informative in your marketing, I'll find myself with nothing to do.
Inept marketing aside, Jungle Rot's new record is extremely satisfying. Their knack for groove is formidable, making this album damn fun to listen to. Imagine a much less commercial Six Feet Under with a lot more grit and ballast (sorry, say what you want about SFU, but I still believe they have a knack for groove). Fueled By Hate is composed so you're never left wanting. The aggression is all there, but so is the craftsmanship, and while these songs aren't the most intricate things out there, it is obvious that more than a little thought goes into them. The guitar sound is thick and dirty, but has enough clarity for you to appreciate what is going on in the riffs. It is in this capacity that the album excels, walking the fine line between 'organic' and 'slick' production, and finding a happy medium.
One thing is certain, this band definitely deserves more attention than they've been getting. Perhaps they were helped by my lack of expectation, but this is a great album and I suggest you get it. One word review: Killer.
Death's Review:
Chicago's classic death rockers Jungle Rot are back, but the sound has not really evolved much. Jungle Rot channel a simpler time, mixing Sodom, Unleashed, Usurper, Bolt Thrower and Obituary. Simple, classic and groove-laden death riffs are the formula, something you rarely hear anymore distilled to such simplicity and executed with such seriousness. Jungle Rot do what Six Feet Under do, only with less catchiness and/or commerciality (I admit that Six Feet Under are kind of a guilty pleasure for me sometimes).
"Horns up for the power of the simple yet heavy and pure death metal riff." I don't have anything against Jungle Rot. In fact, they are undeniably "metal," and their adherence to the classic sound is admirable. There are some cool riffs and some headbang-worthy double bass drums, and so I can't really complain too much about a record that embraces the metal genre so wholeheartedly. But the songs are pretty boring, and much of the execution is so viciously average that I couldn't possibly in good faith ever give this anything more than two skulls. Horns up for the power of the simple yet heavy and pure death metal riff. There could be more to the songwriting, but I guess that's not really the concept or the point of this band.
Hel's Review:
As I enter the latter half of 2004, I feel myself becoming increasingly bored with many of the albums coming my way. Maybe it’s because there were so many great ones earlier in the year, or maybe my ears are just reaching critical mass, but I am having a hard time maintaining my usual fierce objectivity lately. Enter Jungle Rot. If I had received this record early in the year, I probably would not have hesitated in giving it four skulls. But let’s come back to this.
"Fueled by Hate may not sparkle with brilliance, but it is an extremely competent effort by an extremely competent band." The intro track, like all tracks of this ilk, is essentially a waste of space. This one does set the tone better then some I have heard, and for that I give the band credit. The jungle sounds in the background make it work, inasmuch as it can work. This relatively generic intro leads into a relatively generic album. Like the intro, the record works, inasmuch as it can. Fueled by Hate may not sparkle with brilliance, but it is an extremely competent effort by an extremely competent band. The drumming is excellent, and keeps the record floating above mediocrity. The guitar riffs are standard, as is the songwriting, and both fill their roles perfectly, yet neither wows me. The vocals are extremely understandable, which allows you to follow the rather inane lyrics to their reasonable conclusion. I’m not entirely fond of the vocal delivery, but it is not the worst I have ever heard either.
So all in all, my first experience with Jungle Rot has not been at all unpleasant, nor has it been particularly titillating. I walk away from this record with a sense that this is a slightly better than average band that has released a slightly better than average record. As I began discussing earlier, at this point in the yearly cycle, I’m searching for the “wow” factor, the feeling of being knocked on my ass – hard. Jungle Rot has provided me with an enjoyable record, but not a particularly memorable one. I may or may not return to this in the future, though I’ve certainly enjoyed my time with it. Connoisseurs may choose to pass this up, but if you’re looking for some fun music to pass the time, you should certainly give this a spin.
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