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Rotten Sound: Cycles

17/03/08 || The Duff

Thoughts were that I should start this review with nothing but “Griiiiiiiiiiiiiiind”, then I figured this would be too obvious a reaction, but at the same time, this kind of music, when done right, encourages no other such reaction. This shit is primal, it’s ugly, it’s all that’s right about the extreme – music that forces you to dig deep down and excavate all that you’ve hated about yourself and those around you; fuck yeah! I’m no big fan of grind, but Rotten Sound is one of those bands that I follow closely ever since the demise of heavyweights Nasum , and ever since the arrival of “Exit”, an album that was essentially a grind masterpiece. My doubts were high for the follow-up, especially considering that the successor for “Murderworks” hadn’t been too much a development from the band’s past sound, and a promising EP (as reviewed by Tash) often results in disappointment when accounting the ensuing full-length.

I never checked up on the EP, but I can tell from the get-go that Rotten Sound really like their old-school Entombed sound, not only in the production that they’ve adopted but also for the slower, groove-infected moments. As much as I would like to credit Napalm Death with their influence on groovy grind, the core of slow-paced Rotten Sound this day and age is basically Entombed. The faster material is still very much what is expected of the band, so there’s very little for old fans to dislike when it comes to the band’s progression. The production is insane; so fucken perfect it begs disbelief – the guitars crunch and shred just where needed, the bass crushes face, and the drums, holy fuck! I thought that I would miss Kai Hahto to some degree, but with “Cycles”, I’m finding that not in the slightest is the case; Sami Latva can blast, fill, accelerate to full speed with a moment’s notice, and make every beat hit like a freight train – the man is a legend, filling the drum spot with an intensity that obliterates all thoughts of the band’s past drummer, so definitely no complaints on such front.

So what of this album’s ills? I would state that Rotten Sound have been too focused on creating the perfect grind album, and less inclined to have written eighteen great tracks and figuring out the order subsequently. “Cycles” seems to be a case of ridiculous degrees of ferocity to the point of your mind going “I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!”, before settling down into a calm-down, slow-paced break all a little too comfortably – Rotten Sound are starting to learn their craft too expertly, and the music suffers as it doesn’t seem to flow as naturally as it should – this is evidenced soon after “Alternews”, where the album treads predictable terrain up until “Sold Out”, and where even the grind riffs become quite repetitive, making these tracks unfortunately pale in comparison to the grade-A material. Also, they really should have ended on a blasting note (starting off their albums with a sluggish riff has yet to grow old – and I might add one of the coolest samples I’ve heard kickstart an album), for as much as “Trust” is an awesome closer, adding some nice new, doomy elements to the band’s sound, it’s too much of a wind-down for my tastes.

Overall though this is still going to be one of the year’s best; the material is just so strong, and although it is a step back from “Exit”, and it offers little new for even the casual grind fan, such was to be expected, and it’s safe to say that Rotten Sound have released yet another outstanding record. Even the punk sections (a genre where the only appeal I can discover is being able to throw bottles at musicians who can’t play their instruments for jack shit) – or is it crust? – grab me by the bollards, and as much as I may put this largley down to the killer production that makes the guitars buzz so fucken healthily, I can’t do the band a disservice by omitting the obvious in that they know their shit like the people know Janet Jackson’s right nipple.

8 Entombed riffs out of 10.

Information
Released: 2008
Label: Spinefarm Records
Website: www.rottensound.wotanworks.net
Band
Keijo Niinimaa: vocals
Mika Aalto: guitars
Sami Latva: drums
Toni Phihlaja: bass

Tracklist
01. The Effects
02. Prai$e The £Ord
03. Blind
04. Units
05. Corporation
06. Colonies
07. Poor
08. Days To Kill
09. Deceit
10. Caste System
11. Alternews
12. Simplicity
13. Enigma
14. Decimate
15. Victims
16. Sold Out
17. Feet First
18. Trust

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