UMUR "Abuse to Suffer" is the 7th full-length studio album by Finnish death/grindcore act Rotten Sound. The album was released through Season of Mist in March 2016. It´s the successor to "Cursed" from 2011. Rotten Sound did release the Species at War EP in 2013 to bridge the gap between the two full-length studio albums, but other than that, there hasn´t been other output from the band in quite some time. It´s not because of lineup changes though, as the lineup who recorded "Cursed (2011)" is still intact.

Stylistically the music on "Abuse to Suffer" is grindcore with the occasional death metal leanings (or deathgrind if you will...). Especially the sound production has a brutal death metal sound (reminding me of a slightly more clear sounding early 90s Swedish death metal sound), and the vocals are also semi-growling, although to be fair they are a combination of growling and brutal hardcore shouting. The instrumental part of the music varies from fast blasting, to mid-paced grooves, and the occassional heavier part.

The material on the 16 track, 28:19 minutes long album is pretty standard for the genre, and the only time Rotten Sound move a bit out of their comfort zone is on "Yellow Pain", where they incorporate a couple of stoner riffs. Other than that most tracks just seem to float into each other, with very few hooks to hold on to, and after the album is over, it´s near impossible to remember any specific tracks off the release. It´s not a huge issue when dealing with a grindcore release, because it´s supposed to be chaotic, noisy, and over before you notice it, but just a few hooks or a couple of memorable tracks would have been appreciated. When that is said, "Abuse to Suffer" is still a decent quality release, which is enjoyable while it plays, and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

J-Man Although Finland's Rotten Sound has yet to move me much on a personal level, I've always admired their dedication to crafting balls-to-the-wall grindcore of the utmost sincerity. With 2013's Species at War EP - the band's first release for the Season of Mist label - this sentiment remains as true as ever. Rotten Sound still remains faithful to their furious, crust-tinged style of grindcore, and whilst originality and subtlety aren't very high on their list of priorities, the music still comes across as entertaining for fans of the genre.

Species at War consists of six tracks that will flash before your eyes in just over eight minutes, so it should be immediately apparent that grindcore is the name of the game here. The focus is on crafting short bursts of anger not too dissimilar from early Napalm Death, Nasum, and General Surgery. As such, we're not dealing with particularly original music here, but Rotten Sound does do a solid job at delivering the style with plenty of conviction and power. The EP also sports some absolutely relentless musicianship and a rather murky production, both of which certainly work to the release's benefit.

Rotten Sound does manage to sneak in some groove-oriented portions (particularly in “Salvation”) to keep the EP from feeling too one-dimensional, and while this is certainly appreciated, I still don't feel like Rotten Sound has entered into the 'upper tier' of grindcore acts that are able to craft memorable compositions in addition to conveying a sense of raw aggression. As blissfully violent as Species at War is, there isn't anything terribly memorable throughout its short duration. Species at War is a recommendable purchase for any fan of Rotten Sound, but it doesn't strike me as anything tremendously earth-shattering.

UMUR "Cursed" is the 6th full-length studio album by Finnish grindcore act Rotten Sound. The album was released in March 2011 by Relapse Records.

With now 6 album releases up their sleeve Rotten Sound is definitely one of Finland´s finest grindcore exports and when listening to "Cursed" it´s quite obvious why. It´s not that Rotten Sound break any new ground with this release but their Nasum influenced crusty grindcore style is raw, powerful and effective. While the band can certainly play aggressive and blasting grindcore sections in style, they are also fully capable of occasionally taking the songs down to a mid-paced groove which is great for the variation.

The production is crusty, harsh and distorted, but it´s a very professional sound production where all instruments and vocals are well defined.

...it´s all over in 27:42 minutes. 16 tracks of pummeling grindcore to make your ears bleed. But that´s how it´s suppossed to be and "Cursed", while not exactly original, is definitely worth a purchase for fans of the genre. A 3 - 3.5 star rating is warranted.

J-Man For their first full-length album with Relapse Records, Finnish grindcore act Rotten Sound has certainly entered with a bang. Whether this "bang" is a good thing or not is entirely up to the listener. No, grindcore is not my favorite genre of music by a longshot, but Rotten Sound generally delivers the sound well on Cursed. I'm sure this album will not only satisfy the band's faithful, but also open the gates for a whole new legion of fans. I can't say I was overly-impressed by Rotten Sound's sixth album, but denying its quality would be cutting them short. I'm sure there's an audience out there for Cursed - unfortunately, I'm not part of it.

The music on Cursed is a cross between grindcore and death metal, landing somewhere in Napalm Death and Nasum territory. As such, this isn't anything terribly unique, but Rotten Sound delivers the style confidently and professionally. My biggest issue with Cursed is that the album develops a "samey" feeling about halfway through. I consider myself lucky if I can recall more than 2 riffs after hearing the album, which is surprising considering the amount of riffs here. They just aren't recognizable when put next to each other, and that's a major issue in my opinion. This is partially due to a lack of variation, and partially due to (I hate to stereotype here) the underdeveloped songwriting that seems to plague many grindcore releases. Maybe I'm being a bit too harsh, but that's honestly how I feel. This album isn't without its positives, though. The musicianship is impeccable, and the drumming from Sami Latva is breathtaking (to say the least). The man is simply a bundle of energy, and that can also be said about the rest of the band. The production is also a major asset to the album, boasting a raw yet developed mix that I think is excellent.

Although Cursed is a high-quality album, it simply doesn't move me in any way. People who consider themselves fans of Rotten Sound should dig this one, though I find my mind wondering excessively - that's not a good sign when the entire album barely exceeds the 29 minute mark. There's certainly an audience out there for this album, so a 2.5 star rating is deserved. Avid grindcore fans can even add an extra star to my middle-of-the-road rating. Very few grindcore albums completely win me over, and Cursed hasn't quite reached that mark. Still, it's a competent album; hence my decent rating.

UMUR Napalm is a 6 track, 11:13 minute long EP release by Finnish grindcore act Rotten Sound. The EP was released in April 2010 by Relapse Records.

As the title of the EP might suggest there are in addition to 3 original Rotten Sound tracks, covers of The Kill, Missing Link and Suffer the Children by UK grindcore legends Napalm Death. The EP also comes with a DVD of the band´s full live performance at the Obscene Extreme festival in 2007.

Both the original tracks ( where I hear an obvious Nasum influence) and the covers of the Napalm Death tracks are really well played and for the most part blasting grindcore. There´s nothing particularly original about the music, but it´s certainly powerful and delivered with conviction. The production is raw and a bit noisy ( especially the guitars) and that suits the music well. The DVD part of the EP is good, but I can´t say that a live grindcore set is something that´s easy to sit through for me. I´d much rather attend the concert. That´s where music like this works wonders. Fans of the band should be able to enjoy the DVD greatly though.

So Napalm is overall a good release by Rotten Sound. Therefore a 3 star rating is deserved.