LAY DOWN ROTTEN

Lots of speed and chunkiness, the occasional hook, and a whole lot of pulverizing death metal is what Germany's LAY DOWN ROTTEN has been about for over a decade now. The band has stuck to its guns and does little in the way of pushing its sound into unknown territories. As on past albums "Mask of Malice" blends an old school foundation with a somewhat modern delivery to deliver an album that basically satisfies but doesn't leave much in the memory tank.

The songwriting itself is sturdy and the band offers several tracks that get the juices flowing and the head banging. Opener "Deathchain" is the best of the bunch for its speeding violence and medium-sized hook, setting one up to believe that the entirety of the album will do much to pinch and poke at the primal innards. And LAY DOWN ROTTEN almost delivers on that potential, at least through the first half, which includes a strong title track. The problem is that the band gets stuck in a groove that doesn't make for an especially exciting listen. It is not that standard crunch 'n burn elements disappear or that the main melodies are of poor quality. Rather, the issue is one of mild monotony causing one to begin to lose the interest that existed during the first several tracks. Some of that has to do with Jost Kleinert's vocals. While the guy does sport a big, burly growl that by most standards would be more than adequate for the style, the lack of variation or inflectional oomph becomes problematic. But much like the album as a whole, it is difficult to find serious fault in what Kleinert offers either.

That's the puzzling part about "Mask of Malice". Of the nine tracks, not a single one is bad and most are a bit above average. It's not like you one could find issue with the attack either, since LAY DOWN ROTTEN lands their punches with authority. "Mask of Malice" is a hard hitting album of workmanlike death metal. Few fans of the style would be able to find anything of significance to truly dislike. It's just that there isn't quite enough to set "Mask of Malice" far enough apart from the pack when it comes time to make that all-important purchase decision.