You have to give it to these here Finns for coming up with a song title such as "Prai$€ the £ord" -- not only is it witty, but it's mighty suggestive as well. You just know it's going to be either politically fueled hardcore or socio-political grind. In a way, Rotten Sound are both, plus a notch of death metal here and there. _Cycles_ is an album brimful with the supersonic velocity of Napalm Death's _Scum_, although better recorded and certainly less legendary.

Unlike previous records, this time the band has allowed some two or even three word song titles, but the tracks themselves rarely reach beyond the 1:20 marker. Intensity is ferocious throughout: riffs accelerate from fast to ultra-fast in mere seconds and drums sound like a frontline machine-gun, but the almighty groove helps this album out of the all-speed and no hooks territory. Highlights are hard to pinpoint, but I'll go for the short and murderously good "Corponation" and "Deceit", plus the longest _Cycles_ tracks: "Alternews" and especially the stomping "Trust", which sports a melody (of sorts) and some crushingly slow riffs.

Indeed, Rotten Sound manage to pull off a very tight album that is conservatively grindcore but might prove a fairly entertaining listen for any lover of metal extremities.