LAY DOWN ROTTEN

With an album title like this one, you had better be sure that the songs live up to such a lofty claim. Certainly, I would expect some exceptionally well-crafted, slamming, tunes; conjuring images of violent, even sadistic, mosh pits populated by a mass of swinging arms, like a precarious post-apocalyptic wind farm. Intro aside, it appears that any fears of potential false claims are blown aside. Yet there is more to the music than just mindless, repetitive, tub-thumping. Formed in 1999 as a solo project for vocalist/guitarist Daniel Jakobi, and forming as a whole band later in 2000, Lay Down Rotten are something of a groovy bunch of death-metallists. This, their fourth ‘proper’ album (discounting their first two demo CDs), sees the band laying down (pun unintended) some pretty impressive riffing, and turning them into a small handful of wonderfully fist-pumping tunes. There’s melody here though; it’s not all one-dimensional skull smashing. Indeed, if you listen closely, there is a distinct At The Gates vibe, especially when the higher range vocals appear over the incredibly Swedish-sounding riffery of track 3 (‘Sound Of Breaking Bones’). Mention must be made too of the melodic soloing on offer here, courtesy of both Mr Jakobi, and Nils Förster. Never too flashy, but neither workman-like, they glide through the songs, highlighting the melodic riffing, but never straying into ‘sore-thumb’ territory. The dual vocals work well, although more could be made of this attribute. So, is this album worth your time? Most assuredly, yes. Have they “reconquered the pit”? Well, perhaps not. However, this shouldn’t be seen as a negative indictment, merely that the band are too engrossing to be just another ‘mosh-pit-only’ band. They are far more interesting than that.

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Metal Blade Records

Album

RECONQUERING THE PIT

Review by Steve Cowan

RUNNING TIME:

42:03

RELEASE DATE:

5th Nov 2007

TRACK LISTING

1) Anarchic Outburst
2) Reconquering The Pit
3) Sound of Breaking Bones
4) Bitter Thoughts
5) New Mechanic Human Phenomena
6) Demons Breed
7) Nihil
8) Unholy Alliance
9) All of This Pain

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Germany

"...a groovy bunch of death-metallists."