EYES OF THE NIGHTMARE JUNGLE

“They dance through the flames and they're falling so proud to die. Hand in hand they dance on the crimson ground glad to dance.“

Summoned from the late-1980s gothic underground, The Eyes Of The Nightmare Jungle occupied a brief yet decisive place in the scene. Formed in 1987, the band released two full-length albums — Fate and Innocence — alongside key singles such as Shadowdance (1989) and Pressure (1994). Though their time in view was short-lived, the music travelled far, finding devoted listeners in the UK, Germany, across Europe and far beyond. In time, these releases settled into the fabric of the gothic rock underground — cherished, revisited, and quietly influential long after the band itself slipped into silence.

At the centre stood Russell Webster: restless, driven, and unwilling to abandon music even when ambition collided head-on with reality. Early dreams of pop stardom were tempered by an imperfect voice, unforgiving pitch, and the prohibitive cost of studio time. Rather than retreat, Webster rerouted. He built his own recording space and named it The Slaughterhouse, opening its doors in 1985. What began as a necessity soon became a cult studio, a dark nerve centre within the gothic network of the era. Its rooms echoed with the presence of artists ranging from The Cult and The March Violets to intense sessions with Andrew Eldritch and Wayne Hussey. It was during an unforeseen interval — an empty studio and time to think — that Webster returned to writing and recording his own material, encouraged to embrace the depth of his natural voice. From that moment, Shadowdance emerged, becoming the track most closely associated with the band’s identity.

Then, without announcement or closure, Eyes of the Nightmare Jungle faded from view. No final statement, no clean break — just absence. For decades, the band lived on as a reference point rather than a presence: spoken of with quiet respect, rediscovered by new listeners, cited as influence rather than relic.

Now, after more than thirty years, the jungle finally stirs again, its nightmarish eyes casting their spell for the long nights ahead. The band’s renewed presence is marked by a completely new album — their first full-length release in over three decades. Rather than revisiting former glories, the record confronts the distance travelled: years shaped by inner conflict, creative isolation, and a world that transformed while the band remained still. What unfolds is not a revival, but a continuation — unfinished work finally finding its voice.

At Peek-A-Boo Music Magazine, we are ready to step into this darkened domain — guided by none other than its creator and keeper, Mr. Russell Webster himself.

As the night faintly settles in, Russell, I would first of all like to sincerely thank you, on behalf of Peek-A-Boo Music Magazine, for taking the time to speak with us. It is the late 1980s — a simpler yet magnificent decade — when something beneath the surface began to move, and the roots of The Eyes of the Nightmare Jungle first took hold. What do your memories reveal from that time? How did it all begin?

It was a crazy and wonderful time. So much going on everywhere I looked. In fact, when the Happy Mondays came to record Bummed it was bedlam.

Before Shadowdance was released as a single in 1989, the track Horse appeared a year earlier, in 1988, on the Slaughtered Box Set, released as a vinyl box set. Was Horse in fact the first track by Eyes of the Nightmare Jungle to be released — ahead of the singles and albums that followed?

Yes, Horse was the very first track. It was the result of jamming session with Adam from Leeds and it gave me the courage to keep writing. Adam used to tour and play with the Sisters and pretty much defined our sound.

Closely intertwined with the early life of The Eyes Of The Nightmare Jungle is The Slaughterhouse — your studio, which grew into far more than just a recording space. With iconic artists such as The Cult, The March Violets, In the Nursery, The Sisters of Mercy and The Mission recording there, to name just a few, it quickly gained a reputation as a cult studio within the scene. Can you tell us more about its history, and what it was like for you to have your own studio?

To me the studio was almost surreal. It was a pipe dream come true. I have always done things spontaneously, mainly because I suffer from bi-polar disease. It was a mammoth task, which included purchase of the main building and raising a vulgar amount of cash from friends and the bank. Somehow I managed to finish it and yes, I was the proudest man on Earth.

And then came Shadowdance, released in 1989 — the first single by The Eyes Of The Nightmare Jungle, and the moment the music behind the project began to crystallise.

In the late 80s I decided I wanted to become a pop star, but that turned into a very expensive dream. It was with profound disbelief that I discovered I was not a naturally brilliant as a vocalist, well not in the pitch I thought was needed, yet I loved being involved the music business. Also studio time was stupidly expensive.

So I did a bit of mental calculation and decided to build my own recording studio and name it The Slaughterhouse. It became a real cult studio for Gothic bands

We recorded virtually every goth band from The Cult through to the March Violets and then an epic time with Andrew Eldritch from the Sisters of Mercy and Wayne Hussey from what eventually became called The Mission. I lived through the split up between them all and the story is well worth a totally different article that I can write about if you would like.

Also, at that time we had a short notice cancellation from Ian Brody from the Lightening Seeds and it left us with two weeks in an empty studio. I had thought my vocal career was over until Andrew Eldritch told me that I had a deep voice similar to his and that I should write some songs.

People loved the songs and Shadowdance became a hit in Germany and other parts of Europe. The rest is history.

The name The Eyes of the Nightmare Jungle is incredibly evocative — once you hear it, it tends to linger and stir the imagination. Do you remember the moment it came into being, or how you arrived at it? Were there particular ideas, images, or influences that inspired the name?

I was sitting with my graphic design pal John Lewis just brainstorming ideas and marketing plans and we came up with the band name together. The imagery at that time was something he conjured up.

You mentioned that Andrew Eldritch told you that you had a deep voice similar to his, and that it was that moment which pushed you to start writing songs again. Do you remember how it felt to hear that from someone like Andrew, at a time when you had almost given up on singing?

I think that Andrew was my mentor, and he gave me the balls to try my own voice. I spent stupid amounts of time with him when he came to the Slaughterhouse. We talked a lot and played chess often. Honours even there.

Beyond the musicians you’ve worked with directly, who has inspired you most — both personally and musically? Which other artists or bands have shaped the way you listen, write, or think about music?

My influences date back to being a young boy with likes of Deep Purple and Pink Floyd and then Genesis. The seventies and early eighties were not great for me, as I saw no real depth in most of the bands. The world started to change rapidly in the 80s and splintered into more good indie bands and the rapid emergence of house music and the drugs that went with it. That period enraptured me and I started to go out clubbing quite regularly. Insomniac from Faithless had quite an impact on me as did artists like Sandstorm. Losing My Religion by REM was my all time favourite song for years, until Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol.

Quickly following Shadowdance, the first The Eyes Of The Nightmare Jungle album, Fate, was released in 1992. Beyond earlier tracks such as Horse and Shadowdance, the album also featured powerful songs like Puppets and Jade, and even included a guest appearance by Wayne Hussey of The Mission on guitar.

I became very close friends with Wayne Hussey and admired his songwriting style. Where Was (Fate version) is a classic piece of improvisation and so glad Wayne wanted to contribute. That was a time where the Sisters were splitting up and Wayne and Andrew were at loggerheads over use of the name and various rights. It was an awkward time especially as both factions were asking me for my advice.

Eyes Of The Nightmare Jungle’s live appearances were few and mainly focused in Germany in late 1993. Looking back, do you still remember any standout moments from those nights on stage? And are there any plans to bring the band back to the stage again in the future?

Until I stepped out on stage in Munich to a crowd of 2000 people I had never even sang in a pub even. That was for me possibly the most frightening thing I had ever done in my life. I seem to remember almost running off stage. Such was my relief to get it over and done with.

The second night was in Köln and I had just started to feel as though I really could do it. It was the third gig in Hamburg when it all came alive for me. Suddenly I just knew that I could actually give a strong performance. And I did. What a turnaround from Munich, a few days earlier. I was in total control and it felt amazing. What I would not have given to play more than just the next three gigs.

My life moved on and that was that. BUT, now I think about it all the time and am seriously hoping that I will get the chance later this year. I want to sing the new songs to a good audience. It will all come down to money, as so much does.

After Fate came Innocence in 1995 — the second and final studio album before Eyes of the Nightmare Jungle fell silent. Aside from a Best Of compilation released in 2008, that silence stretched for decades. For fans, it became a long and uncertain wait, one that only deepened the sense of mystery surrounding the band — until now, in 2026. What called you to bring Eyes Of The Nightmare Jungle back from the depths of the shadows?

We did not totally disappear from the music scene all together. With a good friend Archie B we created an acid chill album called Mindmaster, which never got released. It was just not that easy back then.

It does not feel like I was away for decades but life and four young boys changes things a lot of things and making money became important too.

So, yes, life seems to get away with us all. One minute I was in my thirties. Now I have just turned 69. Of course I take my state pension and other pensions gladly but last year it simply became boring. So, I formed a boutique nutritional label called Madvits and found the perfect partner, Ben Potter, who was also very musically talented. One day last year he asked me if I would like to play around making a few songs on Pro Tools. We really liked the results and so did our close friends so it inspired us to write a new album. And here we are. I have got the bug again now and really want to carry on. Lets see how this album does.

Both Fate and Innocence have been reissued as Reborn editions, described as “a complete, brutal and visceral reimagining” of the original albums. What drove you to approach them not as restorations, but as complete reimaginings?

I think that what drove me is that technology is simply so much better today. Ben and I started a completely new process one night and, compared to the past, it was so much quicker than ever before.

And now, so many decades later, there is also Rebirth — the comeback album featuring fourteen tracks, including new material alongside reimagined classics. Please tell us more. The creative process, how it was brought to life, how it was written.

I have had Pro Tools for 30 years, as it was state of the art for multitracking with MIDI. So, I upgraded and started experimenting. So what we came up with is a rather unique hybrid. Where Ben plays both bass and both lead and rhythm guitar. Drums are very easy to program and I play all the keyboards. So that leaves getting vocals recorded and the all important mixing and mastering the songs.

Alright Russell, to conclude, on behalf of Peek-A-Boo Music Magazine, a sincere thank you for taking the time to speak with us and for shedding some light on the mystery surrounding The Eyes Of The Nightmare Jungle. It has been a true pleasure. If there is anything you would like to add, the final word is yours.

I have reached the conclusion that this is simply all I want to do for the rest of my life, with one proviso, that I somehow find myself more drawn to different subjects that I am interested in nowadays. I do worry about the mental state of mind four so called 'civilised society'. I just see so many people who are unhappy in themselves nowadays. And that somewhere there are a few sources of inspiration. I would like to be a source of inspiration with my songs.

The Eyes Of The Nightmare Jungle

Hayley CLX
29/04/2026