When Finland’s ROTTEN SOUND come calling, you answer. When Finland’s ROTTEN SOUND walk in your direction, you step aside. When Finland’s ROTTEN SOUND say ‘jump,’ you ask ‘how high?’ Such is the natural order of business for the quartet and their bull-dogging and bull-dozing brand of gravelly Grindcore and Sunlight-tinged Death Metal, a stratagem that remains no different on their latest EP, the appropriately titled “Species at War.”

With a running time of eight minutes, the six tracks found on the EP have a hit-and-run mentality, serving a multi-bash combo before you’ve even had time to collect yourself. It’s Grindcore in a nutshell – vitriolic bursts and swells of impassioned and unstoppable energy – and ROTTEN SOUND – as they’ve proved for a good while now – have it down pat.

The album’s tempo is either in full-chase mode or it’s in stand-your-ground mode, daring its listeners to confront its raised fists, to weather the oncoming storm and take their medicine until the earth is all kicked-up and tilled like a grizzly bear battleground. With the exception of “Cause,” a one-minute detonation of blinding gunfire, the remaining five songs use moments of respite to diplomatic effect, injecting wanton groove (“The Game”) into these breathers before pulling back the lever and taking aim once more (“The Solution”).

It’s as quick as a headshot and as intense as a broken back. Those eager for a NASUM-inspired attack or curious to hear what ENTOMBED would have sounded like if they opted for a more violent existence should take heed. “Species at War” is about as concise and as devastating as an eight-minute EP can get.    

(Online January 15, 2013)