Band : Second Base

Album title : Recover

Label : Kickass Records – Burned Star

Distributor : Burned Star

Release date : Oct. 2007

Release : 5-track MCD

This Belgian Melodic Punk Rock trio based in the city of Aarschot was formed in 2003, and soon after they went and recorded their first demo. Although the recordings were not of all too high quality, the demo quickly sold out its 250 copies. In 2004 the guys were put on a split-CD with Old Fashion Heroes on Belgian label Burned Star Records, and 2006 brough the band's debut full-length The Risk To Loose It All (also on Burned Star, with a distribution by Funtime Records)...both of which are now sold out. After the demise of Old Fashion Heroes, singer/ bassist Sam Bergen joined guitarist Stan De Bontridder and drummer Jeff Maya of Second Base, and that is the trio which released this very EP in October 2007 (recorded in Assafora, Portugal, with Miguel Marquez of Easyway fame), promo copies for which were sent out only in April 2008. Besides that, the band has appeared on multiple national and international compilation albums (several Live Fast Die! and Change The Station compilations, and samplers on White Russian Records, to name but a few).

In the five years of the band's existence the guys have had the chance to provide support (in Belgium) to the likes of Strike Anywhere, Useless I.D., The Loved Ones, Ignite, Belvedere, Satanic Surfers, and have done multiple tours abroad, including trips to Denmark, Germany, Holland, the South of France, and the UK. With an average gigs count of 50 per year, they have already over 250 shows under their belt, and have also been so lucky to win a couple of band competitions (Maanrockrally, Zogrockrally) andplay a couple of bigger shows (including the prestigious Maanrock festival, where they played in front of an audience of 15,000).

When it comes to describing SB's music, I guess the words used in the bio do it best: "melodic and emotional Punkrock, and not the kind of tight t-shirt wearing, high pitch voice using metrosexuals singing/ screaming about that girl that didn't accept 'em on MySpace! Second Base is a much needed refreshment from those bands, combining the technicality of Belvedere with the harshness of NOFX and the deeper thoughts of Rival Schools"! Expect well-written, relatively fast-paced singalong hymns with an occasionialy more sensitive track thrown in for good measure, with song lengths averaging 3 minutes (making this EP clock in at 14:38).

Get a taste of Second Base music at myspace.com/secondbaseband, where you'll not only find 3 tracks off this very EP, but also one off the split-CD and two more off the band's debut album (two more tracks off that debut album can be found at purevolume.com/secondbase). When you've listened to even half of those, you'll have to agree the above description is right on the spot, and Second Base is indeed one of the more excellent bands in the genre. Following the release of their EP, the guys have started the writing process for their sophomore album, which is planned for an early 2009 release. Meanwhile, be sure to get your copy of Recover!

95/100

Tony.