When it comes to bands who claim to be ‘old school’, true to the roots of the genre and generally proclaiming themselves the only true remaining guardian of any particular style or sound, it has to be taken with a pitch of salt. It is more often than not it is a pile of B.S, being spouted to generate a buzz around the scene. In the case of Jungle Rot however there is no idle bravado or chest beating going on here. For the past fourteen or so years Jungle Rot have been the creators of some of the most traditional REAL old school Death Metal you could ever wish to come across, and I expect nothing less from their latest offering ‘What Horrors Await’.

True to form I’m not disappointed. ‘Worst Case Scenario’ opens the proceedings and while certainly not one of the albums stand out songs it does set the tone for what is to follow. Dave Matrise vocals are akin to a gruff sounding Chris Barnes crossed with a horse John Tardy, which does beg the question, does Matrise gargle with sander paper! ‘Straightjacket Life’ and ‘Never Gas Catastrophe’ showcase some impressive solos and in Eric House Jungle Rot have a sticks man in the true Death Metal mould, with kick drumming being the order of the day.

A fair criticism of Jungle Rot is that over their six albums, various E.P’s and demos, progression has not been an integral element in the bands writing process. Their sound was established way back on 1995’s ‘Skin The Living’ and has to all extent remained unchanged since. This may go some way to explaining why Jungle Rot has never widened their appeal beyond the underground; a sad reality but a reality none the less.

‘What Horrors Await’ will appeal to those who already know Jungle Rot’s work and anyone looking to experience good old fashioned Death Metal al la 1990. I don’t see the album opening to many new doors for the band but that says more about the world of extreme Metal than it does about Jungle Rot and their albums per say, as these guys exude integrity and the kind of devotion to their music that should be commended. If Obituary and Six Feet Under is your bag then Jungle Rot will open a whole new world of body bags for you.