Rotten Sound

This wildly enjoyable EP/DVD set is Finnish grinders Rotten Sound's first release on new home Relapse Records. And it's a heck of a start. When it comes to grind, short, fast and loud is a good rule of thumb, and this EP delivers, almost comically so, on all fronts. Napalm features three new songs and three Napalm Death covers, hence the name and cheeky nod to the grind legends in the cover art. The originals start things off, with "Mindkill" being a perfect introduction to this band's high-precision grind, "Dead Remains" hopping between almost catchy and pure grind mania, and "Brainload" flirting with a bit of groove (from a distance, and only slyly). The Napalm covers ("The Kill," "The Missing Link" and highlight "Suffer the Children") are done with skill and obvious love, the younger generation giving a tip of the extreme hat to their forefathers. The accompanying DVD features a live performance from the Obscene Extreme fest, and while watching live metal on DVD isn't exactly a thrill-a-minute, these freaks are so talented at what they do it's worth checking out. This is a great little package from one of today's best grind bands.