Gospel of the Wretched

Led by guitarist Daniel Jakobi, death metal group Lay Down Rotten certainly have one gnarly name, and their 2009 release, Gospel of the Wretched, musically follows suit. The group's latest offering sees Jakobi supplying some vocals, as do other growlers such as Martin VanDrunen (Hail of Bullets, Asphyx, Pestilence), Marc Grewe (Morgoth), and the album's mixer, Dan Swanö. This is extreme metal at its most over the top -- as you're steadily assaulted by nonstop riffing, precise drumming, and (of course) the prerequisite of any death metal act, Cookie Monster-like vocal growling. Pick any track -- the album-opening title track, "Thy Won't Be Done," "He Who Sows Hate," etc. -- and it's guaranteed to not sound very different from the other tracks. But, as said many times before -- isn't that the main goal of most death metal acts? ~ Greg Prato