Review
On their twelfth studio effort, Jungle Rot's battering-ram mechanics remain stubbornly immune to the temptations of modern abstraction. Cruel Face of War finds the Wisconsin veterans digging their heels further into the stripped-down, mid-tempo devastation that has defined their catalog since the mid-nineties. The album leans heavily on what critics call "slow stomp melodies" and "bruising riffage," delivering a straightforward hybrid of old-school death metal and crust punk.
While the band’s signature grooves are undeniably thick, critical reception points to a slight plateau in an otherwise ironclad discography. Proponents praise the record as a "glorious slab of in-your-face old school," yet others note it misses the relentless hook density of their recent past. Even so, the pacing smartly navigates the tension between "all-out aural assaults and low-and-slow cuts," with the quartet proudly wearing their "Obituary stripes on their sleeves."
This operates less as an artistic pivot than a targeted physical barrage. Crisp, muscular engineering highlights their momentum, intentionally letting deeply tuned bass lines rumble below Dave Matrise’s baritone barks, confirming their primal instincts haven't dulled.
