Rotten Sound
Apocalypse


3.5
great

Review

by Benjamin Jack STAFF
April 3rd, 2023 | 16 replies


Release Date: 03/31/2023 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Rotten as ever

If ever a band lived up to their namesake, it's Rotten Sound. Abrasive as a power sander and vicious like a pitbull with rubberbanded nuts, their grindcore hubris on Apocalypse is as unrelentingly unhinged as always. They barrel through chunky, distorted riffs faster than my heart meds allow and unleash their particular brand of hell across a consistently assaultive yet lithe 18 tracks, each one a pitiless miniature orchestrated to squeeze grey matter to a pulp as it is compressed between the two entry points.

Diversity has never been a strength for grind as a genre overall, but there are artists who have managed to decrease the homogenic nature of the sound by implementing structural shifts or other dynamic applications. Apocalypse feels quite bereft of such variety, unfortunately giving the album a slightly one-note feel to its 20 minute runtime. The consistent percussive pattering, chundering guitars and howling hardcore-esque vocals blend into a slightly flat landscape over the course of the release, and were it not for the breaks inbetween tracks it would be difficult to pinpoint song changes. Nonetheless, the violent nature of the musicality is satisfyingly nasty and has definite moments of heated, snarling dynamism.

Grooves such as those found on 'Newsflash', 'Sharing' and 'Denialist' lend dexterity to the experience and imbue the carnage with creative sidesteps, allowing for breathing room amidst the apoplexy. The sound is consistently crusty throughout, and is hook-laden and explosive in a way typical for the band- a pleasing sign after the outfit's lengthiest interval between albums to date during the 30-year onslaught of their career. The socially conscious lyricism is also well-judged and demonstrates a punk tendency in its focus, covering such topics as politics, ecology, society, technological obsession and crime. It's all appropriately hate-fuelled and demonstrates clear passion, even inamongst all the musical chaos.

Apocalypse may not be Rotten Sound's strongest excursion, but it is every bit as ferocious as it needs to be, tackling a wealth of topical content and blazing through its runtime like a souped-up Challenger. It doesn't exhibit the level of re-invigoration the gap between releases would suggest, but it is nonetheless a fine addition to their discography, and certainly shows that the band have not lost their touch. Battering, fierce, and shambolic in the way only grind can be, it is a satisfyingly gritty exercise and completely rotten from top to bottom.



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user ratings (54)
3.4
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
PumpBoffBag
Staff Reviewer
April 3rd 2023


1664 Comments

Album Rating: 3.3

Lil write-up on this one. Album's a 3.3 for me, maybe cresting a 3.4. Good to see they've still got it

mkmusic1995
Contributing Reviewer
April 3rd 2023


2025 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Just listened to this last night, a pretty solid 3 for me. It's got some good riffs and ideas but the structures and starts of the songs are all insanely similar. Nice shorty review, my friend!

Purpl3Spartan
April 4th 2023


8992 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Owns



Nice rev

zaruyache
April 4th 2023


27750 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

not sure how I feel about this album. I think the heavier sound suited them better in this era, but it's also not as great of a raw sound as Exit has.

Gnocchi
Staff Reviewer
April 4th 2023


18262 Comments


Now we're talkin'!

I think I've scanned the singles on this one and it sounded pretty standard across the board.


...vicious like a pitbull with rubberbanded nuts....
Oof.

TheNotrap
Staff Reviewer
April 4th 2023


19009 Comments

Album Rating: 3.3

Love these short, straight to the point reviews, great work. I'll take a peek at this in the next few days.

PumpBoffBag
Staff Reviewer
April 4th 2023


1664 Comments

Album Rating: 3.3

Yeah it’s pretty much the band strutting their stuff, nothing more nothing less. Although there’s defo weight to Zaru’s comment, album would’ve benefitted from slightly more rawness. That said, the whole thing works regardless, but some extra diversity to the sound wouldn’t have gone amiss.

Thanks for the kind comments all! Let me know what you think when you get round to jamming trap

Manatea
Staff Reviewer
April 4th 2023


2072 Comments


Love this review boff. Gonna check this tonight

MoM
April 4th 2023


5994 Comments


This is out?! No way! Going on my list

Purpl3Spartan
April 5th 2023


8992 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

slaps

zaruyache
April 5th 2023


27750 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

check the new Sonic Poison too.

Voivod
Staff Reviewer
April 5th 2023


10937 Comments


Finally in the mood to listen to this, great stuff while I wait for new Suffering Quota album to throw me against the ropes.

Viraemias
April 5th 2023


444 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Nice review but some paragaphs would be ace instead of a wall of text.



For me the album is a clear 3.5



Generic but well made album. I don't have a problem with generic music if it's well made which is the case here. A good grindcore album. With this band it's what you see is what you get. You know what to expect and they always deliver that sound.



Favorite track: Apocalypse

PumpBoffBag
Staff Reviewer
April 5th 2023


1664 Comments

Album Rating: 3.3

Noted, agreed, actioned. Thanks man

And thanks Manatea, much love

sneakers
June 12th 2023


1286 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

surprised to hear this band still bringing the riffs, good stuff.

FearThyEvil
August 18th 2023


18806 Comments


I don't know if it's just me but the production sounds overproduced quite a bit



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