With all the new bands forming and old bands splitting up, the Belgian hardcore scene is as busy as a beehive. I wasn’t familiar with Third Season, but by the time I got to listen to this excellent debut, they had already split up. This six-song CD-EP, released on Belgium’s Funtime Records, contains fast, energetic hardcore that reminds me a lot of In My Eyes and The Hoods. Like those bands, the style Third Season plays is definitely oldschool, but with a modern touch that sets them a bit aside from the rest of the pack. The songs are short but contain a good punch. The vocals are a bit over the top, but intense and sometimes even a bit emotional, while the band has brought a shitload of friends to the studio to help out with the backing vocals.

The lyrics deal with relationships, struggle and being independent, nothing unusual for a hardcore band. The production is as good as you might expect from a small label, and songs like ‘Take One’ and ‘Left Alone’ make me feel sorry the band split up already, because I would have liked to hear more from them. Some great stuff here, but with only six songs they leave me asking for more.