I'm going to be brutally honest with you: 2015's new release from the famed old school Death Metal band, JUNGLE ROT, titled "Order Shall Prevail", is the first recording from the Wisconsin headcrushers I have had the pleasure of experiencing. Sure, I'm painting a target on my back for the more militant of the scene's opinion warriors but I was pretty chuffed that I just discovered quite a legendary band. I quite often find myself being introduced to criminally-underrated acts (JUNGLE ROT obviously one of them) with new releases that are dropped onto my lap (or shoved down my throat, by the more enthusiastic of ye whom I applaud profusely).

The thing about the wonderful world of Metal is that there is always something to check out and absorb, and I kick myself every time I find a band I "should have found years ago". Formed in 1994 with a total of albums under their belt, "Order Shall Prevail" appears to make a head-turn towards their older material (upon a little retrospective listening), focussing less on the groove-laden tunes they were putting out for the majority of the 2000's; something I imagine will draw a smile on the faces of their older fans. Decidedly running with a rather muddy-sounding production (experience-enhancing, if you ask me), the album commences, pulling no punches, with "Doomsday"; a rather thrashy number. Already an album-favourite for me, it contains some of my favourite riffs on the record, particularly the groove influences coming back in at around the halfway mark. Such a vibe would continue in the following track, "Paralyzed Prey", coming across instantly as killer-live-show material and an all-round crowd-pleaser. Nothing more, nothing less. "Fight Where You Stand", however, is far more interesting from a musical standpoint, with decidedly-jarring riffs and ingenius arrangement, and also features a guest appearance from a certain Max Cavalera.

Interestingly enough, the other stand-out track on the record I had found in "The Dread Pestillence"; a decisive, pounding, mid-tempo number with riffs that roar with an ominous and commanding presence. Carrying on the new-re-found Death-Thrash execution is the title track and "Trench Tactics"; to seamlessly execute music that melds metal from most corners of the Extreme spectrum is no small feat, and something that seems to put "Order Shall Prevail" a cut above the last few releases.

I can't profuse that I am blown away by this release, although, if an old-school flag-bearer of the band were to tell me that "the first album was the best, bro", and I were to likely agree with them, I certainly nonetheless enjoyed the hell out of it. Staying true to yourselves for over 2 decades in a sea of musical saturation that is the current state of much of the world's known extreme metal is a testament itself. Regardless, through new material, JUNGLE ROT has found a new fan.