Kill on Command - Jungle Rot - 2011

Goddamn, look at that cover.

Someone commanded that dude to kill and he did so.

Twice.

Jungle Rot have bellowed forth a new album, Kill on Command, and I am more than pleased to inform you that it exceeds my highest expectations. "The Finest Hour" is indeed that. And yet, somehow, it gets better. 

How can a band like this get heavy metal so very, very right and not be absolutely celebrated? Opening with the aforementioned "Finest Hour" Jungle Rot blows the mind straight out of the gate with a Geoff Bub solo. The guys have left it accompanied by their trademark barrage of all things heavy, of course, but it's a sign of a little something extra on Kill on Command, a record that feels poised for a breakthrough.

"Rise Up and Revolt" is my immediate favorite (and I'm less than 24 hours into this monster). For one thing, a new drummer has fit right in with the band. Jesse Beahler beats the hell out of this album. As for the rest of the band, they've retained their heavier-than-tungsten churn and grind but somehow have also added a militant majesty that elevates Kill on Command beyond the rest of their records - and most of their peers.

Like I said, "Rise Up and Revolt" is my favorite. That is, until the next song. And it keeps on going that way - across ten tracks. It's hard to communicate how utterly fun Jungle Rot's records are. So fast, so loud, so furious, so devoid of bullshit - just give a listen to "Push Comes to Shove," for example. They jump right in. No fucking around. Jungle Rot has three minutes at a time to lay waste with rock and roll and they go straight for the napalm riffs and rapid-fire drums. If this doesn't become huge there is something seriously wrong with the metal-buying public.

Jungle Rot are all that is right about heavy metal and Kill on Command is the best of Jungle Rot. If you've not heard them yet, why not start right here at the pinnacle?

Catch 'em live this week - and pray they expand this into a much bigger tour.