Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

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 Our strong sense of community has been replaced by skepticism and fear.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”.

Mass Extinction comes out December 12 on Season of Mist.

–Pre-order: https://orcd.co/rottensoundmassextinction
–Pre-save on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/4GjDqqrZi7TTEjCmvvXq5f

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.     

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

Tracklist
1. Recycle (1:09)
2. Ride of the Future (0:45)
3. Gone (0:50)
4. Polarized (1:00)
5. Brave New World (1:21)[WATCH]
6. Empty Shells (1:05)
7. Idealist (1:35)
8. Mass Extinction (1:58)
Total runtime: 09:44

Rotten Sound are ushering in Mass Extinction with a tour of South America alongside their Season of Mist labelmates DVRK and Brazil’s very own Crypta.

Next year, the band will return to the grind with a fresh set of European headline dates in support of their new EP. Following this blistering ride with Repulsive Feast and Teething, Rotten Sound will return to the U.S. for a special set at Maryland Death Fest celbrating their classic albums Murderworks and Exit.

Rotten Sound South America Tour 2025
November 13 – Campinas, Brazil @ TAG* [TICKETS]
November 14 – Santos, Brazil @ Cadillac Music* [TICKETS]
November 15 – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil @ Garage Grindhouse* [TICKETS]
November 16 – São Paulo, Brazil @ Burning House* [TICKETS]
November 19 – Montevideo, Uruguay @ Live Era** [TICKETS]
November 20 – Córdoba, Argentina @ Sala Formosa** [TICKETS]
November 21 – Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Uniclub** [TICKETS]
November 22 – Santiago, Chile @ RBX Clube** [TICKETS]
*with Baixo Calao
**with Crypta & DVRK

Rotten Sound European Tour 2026
with Repulsive Feast & Teething

January 9 – Hamburg, Germany @ Bambi Galore+
January 10 – Göttingen, Germany @ Freihafen +
January 11 – Maastricht, Germany @ Muziekgieterij+
January 12 – Herford, Germany @ Kulturwerk+
January 13 – Essen, Germany @ Don’t Panic Club & Pub+
January 15 – Portugalete, Spain @ Groove#
January 16 – Madrid, Spain @ Barracudas#
January 17 – Lisbon, Portugal @ Xapada Fest#
January 19 – Murcia, Spain @ Garage Beat Club#
January 20 – Perpignan, France @ Perpignan#
January 21 – Saint-Jean-de-Védas, France @ Secret Place#
January 24 – Barcelona, Spain @ Winds of Metal Festival#
+with Repulsive Feast
#with Teething

Rotten Sound North American Dates 2026
May 23 – Baltimore, Maryland @ Maryland Death Fest

more dates coming soon…

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 social plagues 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.  

“…an absolutely essential listen from a legendary band”, Invisible Oranges wrote upon the arrival of Apocalypse, Rotten Sound’s eighth and latest LP. “This is the sound of a band who have mastered the genre’s machinations and are now immortalized in its cannon”.

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” whirs 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

All music written by Mika Aalto

All lyrics written by Keijo Niinimaa

Producer
Rotten Sound

Recording & Sound Engineer
Janne Saksa

Recording Studio
Sound Supreme for drums and vocals, Nordic Audio Labs for guitar and bass

Mixing
Jesse Gander at Rain City Studios

Mastering
Brad Boatright at Audio Siege

Cover art
Error Design

Photos
Mika Aalto

Follow Rotten Sound
​​​​​https://music.apple.com/artist/rotten-sound/71466405
http://rottensound.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RottenSoundOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/rottensoundgrind/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4aglyvdJ7ApTfDC6aQ2LFf