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Yet another new band to me from the Metal Blade roster, Lay Down Rotten (what a weird band name, possibly a mis-translation from 'Drop Down Decomposed'? Who am I to say), formed in Germany back in 1999. The release of 'Reconquering the Pit' marks their fourth full length foray into the world of death metal.

Although the band is generally touted as melodic death metal, this is far more filth-caked and crunchy than your average Dark Tranquility clone (mainly due to the harsher, growled vocals and beefed up, down-tuned guitar barrages). In fact, these guys have more in common with Laethora (the harsher death metal project of DT's Niklas Sundin which I also reviewed a while back). Though there isn't much in the way of variation to be had with this release, there are a few great riffs which get your feet tapping along in double-bass mimicry, and enough meat on its bones to get your teeth into at first listen. However, whilst this is a fair album, it doesn't have enough to make it stand out from the crowd. A lot of the riffs slip into a generic cycle after the initial impact riff has hit you, which becomes even more blatant after a few listens. Though concise and fairly simplistic arrangements are perfect for a lot of death metal, these guys could really use a few more flourishes to really get them tattooed in your memory, as the 'chug-chug, tremolo-pick, chug-chug' riffs alone don't quite manage it.

So, whilst Lay Down Rotten are competent enough, they lack the edge to push them into the upper echelons of the death metal hierarchy, 'Reconquering the Pit' exposes them as helpless flotsam floating directionless in the vast ocean of death metal.