History & Biography Vaasa, Finland-based grindcore band Rotten Sound was founded by Mika Aalto in 1993 and has kept on going with many full-lengths and EPs ever since. The band has changed labels several times, but never received any serious publicity from any of the concerns. Members have also come and gone with singer G and guitarist Q being the mainstays.
Italy's SOA issued the band's debut EP Psychotic Veterinarian in 1993. The band was singer Keijo Niinimaa, guitarist Mika Aalto (who was also in the reliably unheavy ...And Oceans) and drummer Kai Hahto (who was a drum taxi). A 7" called Sick Bastard followed. It contained ten tracks in ten minutes.The Loosin' (sic) Face EP arrived in 1996. Keijo moved to Tampere in 1997, while the others remained in Vaasa. The video Live In Nummirock '999 was released by Repulse in 1997. The line-up for Under Pressure was Keijo Niinimaa, Mika Aalto and Kai Hahto. Juha Ylikoski was heard on Drain. Deathvomit Records released an EP, called Still Psycho, in 2000. Murderworks saw the band revert to a four-piece formation. Mika Häkki/H was on bass. Toni Pihlaja was on bass for Exit. The music was the 'exit,' but the cover artwork depicted the faceless office worker the moment just before. The band toured Scandinavia with Disfear. Next was an EP called Consume To Contaminate. Rotten Sound opened for Rotting Christ in Europe in 2007. Sami Latva drummed on Cycles. He had joined in 2006. Rotten Sound and …The Ocean announced a 2008 tour. Carcass, 1349, Necrophagist, Suffocation, Aborted and Rotten Sound were touring North America in late 2008. This run was sponsored by a corporate entity, namely Scion A/V. Napalm was an EP/DVD through Relapse in 2010. It contained three Napalm Death cover versions and footage from Obscene Extreme Festival 2007. Finnish Metal Tour II had the band drive around Canada and the USA with Finntroll, Ensiferum and Barren Earth. A 3-minute long EP called Curses appeared in 2011. The group flew to Japan in 2011 as well. There the group appeared at Kabuto Metal Fest. Grind Over Europe 2012 featured the band and Exhumed. Species At War was another EP, but the issuing label was Season Of Mist in Europe in 2013. The label had signed the band in late 2012, but Relapse handled North America.
Obscene Extreme Australia, New Zealand and Summer Breeze billed the band in 2013. Keijo had completed a run with the departing Nasum recently. The group announced a North American tour in 2016 and fit in the Maryland DeathFest. A US tour had the band together with Darkest Hour and Ringworm. Abuse To Suffer was followed by Suffer To Abuse. The Suffer To Abuse EP's material was written at the same time as the full-length that preceded it. The band appeared at Hellfest in 2018 and Toured Europe with Implore and Exhumed. Implore and the Finns booked a European tour for 2019 after the band and Napalm Death played gigs around Finland. The band was booked for South America in 2019. The group and Wormrot toured Europe in early 2023. The band and Warfuck toured in 2023 as well. The act was booked for Brutal Assault 2024. Murderworks was reissued by Time To Kill Records in January 2025. There was a lyric video for the song Agony, which featured a guest performance by the late Mieszko Talarczyk of Nasum. 2025 was to start with a tour of Europe.
The typical Rotten Sound song title consists of one word.
Reviews ROTTEN SOUND - DRAIN - REPULSE
Rotten, Rotting, Rotting Head, Rotting Flesh, Rot and now this mob, which despite Repulse's claim as regards the band's fame, has next to zero name recognition. Hopefully a little promotion will be accorded the band this time out. The band name might be nothing new, but the fact that Finland still has a heavy band certainly is! It sure is a revelation, as the last serious metal band out of Finland, to these ears, must have been circa 1993! Sarcasm aside, this former HC/crust band, while still harbouring some of their former elements, has turned into a death/grind band with a penchant for torturing their guitars the Swedish way with a suitable Sunlight production to boot. Seriously intense stuff, not for the faint-of-heart and a definite find in Metallian tower. - Ali "The Metallian"
ROTTEN SOUND - STILL PSYCHO - DEATHVOMIT/NECROPOLIS
Great! One of Finland's only really heavy bands is back with a MCD of pure speedy death metal. It must be difficult to maintain your poise, when all around you formerly heavy bands wimp out, go pop and constantly send out press releases touting their chart-topping albums as if it is a badge of honour! No such folly from RS, the Finns bash out a tight mix of Carcass/Napalm Death/Centinex sure to appeal to all fans of efficiently delivered blows to the head! Unlikely to appeal to fans of Children of bottomy or Sentenced (to bore), this quintet means metal business. - Ali "The Metallian"
ROTTEN SOUND - MURDERWORKS - DEATHVOMIT/NECROPOLIS
As soon as the album was inserted into the disc player, there was bound to be criticism of Rotten Sound for releasing an album that is 28 minutes in length and has a 2 minute intro to start. Forget that! Quality over quantity. If their instruments could speak they would scream torture and abuse. This is speed for speed's sake and bullocks to all wimpy naysayers. When Necropolis owner Thind insisted to us here at Metallian Towers that Rotten Sound's (pay close attention to the monicker) new one is killer, we had no idea he meant it literally. Aaaarggghh, guitars lurch and ravage, the drums blast to hell and the singer's larynx punches through all resistance. How ironic then that Rotten Sound features members from poser act And Oceans... Furthermore, the quartet has achieved what has eluded many others. They have gotten a sharp sound that is simultaneously clear. The guitar tone on a song like Obey will be studied at death metal academy for a long time. Speaking of which, check out these titles: Lies, Doom, Seeds, Suffer, Edge, Insane and Agony. The CD comes with no less than three videos to boot. Too bad they depict four (down from five) short-haired nerds. Still, ring the bells of hell. Necropolis has a winner. - Sheila Wes Det
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