It ought to go without saying that grind is one of the most chaotic and unpredictable reaches of metal that we have to choose from. As such, there are loads of creations out there in the sound that are almost purposefully a mess in some form or another, and a lot of them are almost purely just that. Far too many are just flinging whatever at a wall and seeing what sticks. Sometimes, it works. Other times, you need to bring something else to the table to show us what you can really do. Long established as a need-to-respect name in the world of grind, it’s with their latest EP that Rotten Sound shows us how it’s done.

The quick and raw nature of grind is something that can often be used to its advantage as you can focus more on the rage and madness of it all rather than structuring your creation together that almost seems to work against the core themes of the genre itself. Yet, it can easily become a bit of a roadblock given that songs barely over two minutes in length need to actually be good at their intended job in what little time they have. Rotten Sound has been going at it for over thirty years now, but don’t think for a second that has dulled their senses or quelled their intensity in any form whatsoever. The eight tracks of “Mass Extinction” don’t even clock in for a total runtime of over ten minutes, but it demands to be made clear that Rotten Sound is nothing if not efficient in their sprawling brutality. A continuation from their previous album “Apocalypse”, it’s clear to see the themes and songwriting decisions that tie the two pieces together intimately, but that doesn’t mean for a second that “Mass Extinction” is little more than an effort of B-sides. Rather, it’s the mirror to society that grind has always been perfect for with atomic force that Rotten Sound channels yet again to make this EP not something that’s meant to shake up the genre, but offer us a brutal and uncompromising visage of society that demands to be dragged into the spotlight to be seen for all the nastiness it is, even if it’s for less than ten minutes.

Indicative of the power of the band and straight to the point in the most unapologetic form, Rotten Sound remains a name that demands the respect and attention of any who claim to be a connoisseur of what grind can still be. “Mass Extinction” may not have too much to call its own, but it’s in delivering the goods with hardly a runtime of any sort that Rotten Sound demonstrates mastery over the craft that cannot be ignored.

“Mass Extinction” releases on December 12th via Season of Mist!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Mass Extinction” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Rotten Sound on Facebook here.

FOLLOW Rotten Sound on Instagram here.