Jungle Rot

History

Jungle Rot was founded in 1992 as a side project by Jim Harte and Joe Thomas, members of the Wisconsin thrash metal act, Prisoner. The band's name refers to Jungle rot, an infection of the feet, which people developed in the jungle when their military boots got wet and were left on. The band acquired Kenosha-based guitarist Dave Matrise (Num Skull, Nocturnal, Fatal Violence) in 1993 and recorded their first demo Rip Off Your Face, a crude offering of childish fun. It wasn't until 1994 when Matrise took over that the band got serious and started to take off. The band refined their style and released their second demo Skin The Living in 1995, which is the year Matrise acknowledges the band truly officially began.

After their first two demos, the band was signed to the American independent label Pure Death Records, owned at the time by Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, where they released their first album, a repackaging of their second demo Skin the Living, in 1996. In late 1997, their second album, Slaughter the Weak was released on independent label Pulverizer Records.

The EP Darkness Foretold was released in 1998 by the small label S.O.D. Records, which was spearheaded by the creator of the underground music magazine Sounds of Death, and featured covers of Slayer's "Fight Til Death" and Carnivore's "Jesus Hitler". The initial pressing of Darkness Foretold came with a limited edition Jungle Rot Comic Book. The next two full-length studio albums, 2001's Dead And Buried and 2004's Fueled By Hate were released by Olympic Recordings in partnership with Century Media Records.

It wasn't until 2005 that the current core of Jungle Rot came together when Matrise enlisted the talents of Chicago native James Genenz (Fleshgrind, Avernus, Dead For Days, Reign Inferno, God Dementia) on bass guitar and Geoff Bub (Destiss, Putrid Dissentary) on guitar. With songwriting duties now shared between the three members, and the bulk of the lyrics being forthwith written by Genenz, Matrise was now able to take his band to the next level.

Subsequent touring ensued with bands like Deicide, Goatwhore, Cattle Decapitation, Krisiun, The Black Dahlia Murder, 25 Ta Life, Hate Eternal, Incantation, and Vital Remains. In mid-2006, the band released the album Warzone on Crash Music. This recording marked the first album to feature the now current Jungle Rot core of Matrise, Genenz, and Bub. In 2008, they headlined a European tour with support from Warmaster, Downswitch, and Walking Corpse.

The band signed with Napalm Records in January 2009 and released What Horrors Await in June 2009. A European tour with Six Feet Under followed shortly thereafter along with a headlining run across the United States. In April 2011, the band signed with Victory Records and released Kill on Command on June 21, 2011. On March 19, 2013, Jungle Rot released their eighth album through Victory Records, titled Terror Regime. The band hit the road to support the album with metal luminaries such as Suffocation, Obituary, Broken Hope, Decrepit Birth, and more.

On April 14, 2015 it was announced that Jungle Rot would be playing the entirety of the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, performing on the Victory Records stage.

In early 2015 the band announced via their social media that they were working on their ninth studio album, Order Shall Prevail, to be released later in the year on Victory Records. Pre-orders for the album were announced on May 26, along with the album's track listing, release date of June 30, and a stream for the single "Paralyzed Prey." On May 27, 2015 it was revealed that Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy) would be lending his vocals on the track "Fight Where You Stand". On June 29 the official music video for the single "Paralyzed Prey" premiered on Vevo.

On March 7, 2016 Jungle Rot released a video for the track "Doomsday" via Victory Records. The band was also announced as part of the 2016 edition of the Metal Alliance Tour alongside Dying Fetus and The Acacia Strain.

Jungle Rot are endorsed exclusively by Spector Bass Guitars, ESP Guitars, S.I.T. Strings, Vader Cabinets, and In Tune Guitar Picks

Style

Jungle Rot plays an aggressive style of thrash influenced death metal and are known to integrate slow stomp melodies into their speed-thrash style. Most of the lyrical subjects deal with war, torture, murder, death, and corruption.

Current members

Former Members

Touring Musicians

Studio albums

Demos and EPs

Singles

DVDs

Music Videos

Compilation Appearances