In my late teens I was at a college party with my cousin when some guy spotted the Anthrax shirt I was wearing and approached me. He started talking about metal with me and asked for my address. A few weeks later I got my first letter from Stephen. I actually don't think Stephen was the guy I spoke to and gave my address to, I think it was one of his friends. He wrote to me about metal he liked and what he was listening to at the moment and I replied likewise. This started my correspondence with Stephen, which lasted for a couple of years and probably stopped around the time I got into hardcore. I used to love receiving those letters. I mainly liked thrash and he was more into death metal but our horizons stretched beyond those limited genres. I remember both of us enthusing about The God Machine's 'Scenes From The Second Storey' album which, funnily enough, we had both discovered via Virgin Megastore's Listening Post. He would try and get me into death metal, telling me what was good and what wasn't but I usually dismissed the majority of death metal as all speed and no substance.
I'm reminded of this phrase when Cerebral Extinction take to the stage. They are low in pitch and fast in speed but there aren't any discernible riffs, just a mush of guitars and drums with the drums being particularly dominant. The bassist's fretwork looks impressive but I can't hear any of it. The vocals are guttural and monotone and don't appear to have any flow, detracting rather than adding to the music. When I can hear the bass, it has a technical feel similar to Origin. After a couple of songs, all the instruments become clearer and I can at least hear what they are trying to do but it's all a bit tired and uninspired. The drumming seems too basic for what the rest of the band are trying to achieve and this sums Cerebral Extinction up, technical yet basic at the same time.
Jungle Rot are the complete opposite because everything they do is very simple and they execute it extremely well. Musically, they sit somewhere between street tough metallic hardcore and death metal, think Merauder or All Out War with John Tardy singing or maybe even 'Chaos A.D.'s heavier moments. They have a real groove and there is lots of mid paced chugging which is great to bang your head to. 'Terror Regime' starts off with a stomping riff before they up the speed to a furious pace. 'A Call To Arms' has a mid to late 90s NYHC feel whilst 'Face Down' sounds like it could have been on 'Set It Off', only with deathly vocals. 'A Burning Cinder's chorus is seriously heavy. Memorable riff follows memorable riff, which is a simple yet really effective approach. 'Sent Forth Oblivion' is dynamic and precise death metal which incites plenty of slam dancing in the small yet enthusiastic crowd. 'Jungle Rot' chants frequently erupt from the crowd throughout the set and the band seem genuinely touched by the reaction. Encore 'Psychotic Cremation' is too simplistic and lumbersome but that is the only misstep in an otherwise enjoyable set.
Jungle Rot ****
Cerebral Extinction **
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