Rotten Sound formed in 1993. And whilst I’m aware that there’s a lot to be angry about in today’s modern world, it absolutely beggars belief that these guys have managed to maintain the rage at the almost apoplectic levels of mayhem encountered on new album Apocalypse for that long. Thirty years. Where do they get their energy from?

If you’ve ever heard the band before, this review is essentially superfluous – everything you either love or hate about the band is here, present, correct and functioning very well over the course of eighteen tracks, only one of which comes anywhere near clocking in at two minutes in length. The cement mixer bass of Matti Raappana churns away in the background, like Lilker or Emburey but with a massive hangover, whilst Mika Aalto sets all his pedals to ‘total filth’ and then lets fly. Keijo Niinimaa has the ‘dog with distemper’ vocal tic down to a tee, whilst Sami Latva assaults his kit with all the reckless vigour he can muster – which, it turns out, is quite a lot of reckless vigourousness. You know the drill by now.

If you aren’t familiar to the Rotten Sound brand, then welcome! Strap yourself in, make sure your nappy (or diaper, depending where you live) is safely fastened… and enjoy! Me, I’m an RS veteran from way back – but I have to say, for a band so safely mired in the fetid, Apocalypse does sound rather fresh and invigorating; There aren’t any standout tracks to point you towards because this is an album where the overall effect the music has on your nervous system is far more important than, well, the songwriting. That said, the little lapse into mosh-worthy skank on Fight Back is pretty groovy, tempting this reviewer up off the sofa and leading to a heated exchange with the partner who refused to indulge my living room stagedive fantasies.

The three quarters of a minute of Ownership are pretty energised too, but as noted this isn’t a ‘review’ album as such. I’ll simply leave it at alerting you to the album’s imminent appearance in the market place, and urge you to investigate should you be so minded. You won’t regret it.

Apocalypse releases on March 31st.