Rotten Sound lay waste to societal plagues on new EP ‘Mass Extinction’

Take cover, metalheads. After outrunning the apocalypse on their last long-player, ROTTEN SOUND are back with another destructive burst of politically-charged grindcore. On their upcoming 11th EP, the underground veterans’ worldview is more dire than ever. But Mass Extinction lays waste to all that’s plaguing our society. The album’s lead single, “Brave New World”, pushes for unity over division behind a barrage of blast beats and relentless groove.

“This is one of the most aggressive songs on our new EP”, says Rotten Sound. “‘Brave New World’ is about how misinformation, polarization, conspiracy theories and censorship has lead people into a state of distrust. Our strong sense of community has been replaced by skepticism and fear. The fight for coherent and reliable information is now a constant struggle”.

➤ Watch the video for Brave New World: https://youtu.be/PnXza57bf44

The video for “Brave New World” was created by Shaumbra ArtVisuals.

Few extreme metal bands have enjoyed the shelf life of Rotten Sound. The Finnish exports longevity is practically unheard of for grindcore. The band’s core lineup of guitarist Mika Aalto, vocalist Keijo Niinimaa and drummer Sami Latva have been banging heads since 2004. Their high-speed blend of classic D-beat punk and Swedish death metal has only sharpened with each successive stab in the studio. “Brave New World” shatters your speakers like the perfectly-timed throw of a Molotov cocktail.

All eight songs on Mass Extinction were spliced from the same radioactive Petri dish that birthed Apocalypse. But Rotting Sound‘s whopping 11th EP is no half-life mutation. In just under 10 minutes, the band chew through a festering host of societal ills. Ushered in by an opening address from none other than Jim Jones, “Brave New World” warns against following party lines sown by divisive leaders. “Trust no one“, Niinimaa screams over rapid-fire blasts and bludgeoning riffs that send the opposition ducking for cover.

Next year, the band will return to the grind with a fresh set of European headline dates in support of their new EP.

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 join 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.

“Napalm Death and Nasum have both done longer albums, but that’s their thing”, explains Niinimaa. “Our thing is we want to be straight to the point. After all the recording was done, we decided which songs would go on Apocalypse and which ones made sense together for Mass Extinction”.

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.

“Wake up!” With so much atomic force, it’s impossible not to heed Rotten Sound’s warning on Mass Extinction.

Recording Lineup:
Keijo Niinimaa — Vocals
Mika Aalto — Guitars
Sami Latva — Drums
Matti Raappana — Bass, Backing Vocals