Rotten Sound – Mass Extinction
Season of Mist Records
8,5/10,0
Brief:
The state of the world has only fallen further into disrepair, but after three crust-ridden decades, ROTTEN SOUND are still grinding. Despite production slowing to a halt during the pandemic, the Finnish vets outran the coming apocalypse on their last album. Now, two years later, they’re back with another brief but no less devastating burst. Take cover, metalheads. Rotten Sound are laying waste to the opposition with Mass Extinction.
“We like to make concise statements”, Keijo Niinimaa says about their whopping 11th EP. While the band’s longtime raging vocalist still has hope for the future, when it comes to our current state of affairs, his outlook on Mass Extinction is more dire than ever. “Bringing about real meaningful change seems to take forever. Misinformation, polarization, conspiracy theories and censorship have made everyone more distrustful”.
Few extreme bands have enjoyed the shelf life of Rotten Sound. Since emerging from underground Vaasa with their debut album Under Pressure, the Finnish exports have cultivated a reputation as one of the larger scene’s most pungent yet stabilizing presences. Niinimaa first grabbed the mic not long after guitarist Mika Aalto started the band back in 1993, while drummer Sami Lava has held the throne since 2004, when original stickman Kai Hahto left to found Wintersun. Early albums Murderworks and Exit are still widely cited road maps for grindcore, though their high-speed blend of classic D-beat punk and Swedish death metal has only sharpened with each successive stab in the studio.
Each Rotten Sound release spews uncontrollable chaos, but there’s a method to their madness. Since signing with Season of Mist in 2012, the band has followed each full-length with a short statement. Like a mushroom cloud, Mass Extinction arose from the immediate aftermath of Apocalypse. All six off-the-rails tracks were laid down during the same recording sessions before getting mixed at Rain City Recorders and later mastered by Brad Boatright. But their new EP is no half-life mutation. “Recycle” whirrs and churns with the all-consuming power of a supply chain.
Rotten Sound know how to get their message across. In just under 10 minutes, Mass Extinction chews through toxic consumerism, labor exploitation and other plagues on society. Lead single “Brave New World” pushes for unity over divisive politicking behind a barrage of blast beats. But while our leaders certainly need to clean up their act, there’s nothing stale about this band’s filthy brand of grindcore. Even the slightly optimistic “Idealist” gives way to a downright hostile groove upon Niinimaa’s screaming command.
[Edited Press Release]
Tracklist:
- Recycle (1:09)
- Ride of the Future (0:45)
- Gone (0:50)
- Polarized (1:00)
- Brave New World (1:21)
- Empty Shells (1:05)
- Idealist (1:35)
- Mass Extinction (1:58)
Main Focus Tracks:
- Ride of the Future (0:45)
- Polarized (1:00)
- Idealist (1:35)
Other Recommended Tracks:
- Recycle (1:09)
- Brave New World (1:21)
Line-Up:
Keijo Niinimaa — Vocals
Mika Aalto — Guitars
Sami Latva — Drums
Matti Raappana — Bass, Backing Vocals
Comments:
Mass Extinction is much more than a simple grindcore EP, with Rotten Sound seemingly setting no limits and offering music full of surprises. Brutal! A brave new EP!
Contacts:
Video:
Selected Discography:
Psychotic Veterinarian EP – 1995
Sick Bastard EP – 1995
Loosin’ Face EP – 1996
Under Pressure – 1997
Drain – 1999
Still Psycho EP – 2000
Murderworks – 2002
Exit – 2005
Consume to Contaminate EP – 2006
Rotten Sound: EP – 2008
Cycles – 2008
Napalm EP – 2010
Curses EP – 2011
Cursed – 2011
Species at War EP – 2013
Abuse to Suffer – 2016
Suffer to Abuse EP – 2018
Apocalypse – 2023
Mass Extinction EP – 2025
Photo credit: Mika Aalto