Third Man Down
Rude Awakening

February 2009
Released: 2008, Full House Records
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: Luxi Lahtinen

A metal-tinged hardcore band, named Third Man Down was formed in Helsinki during the summer of 2006, and since its formation, TMD´s purpose has been to play hardcore with a heavier, more metallic sounding edge – and when spinning through the band´s debut album titled RUDE AWAKENING, only 19 minutes in length, a straight enjoyment is somewhat guaranteed if you just happen to be a fan of the type of stuff in which hardcore elements are nicely melted together with some tastefully done thrash riffs and shit.



Third Man Down - just like so many other new Finnish hardcore bands nowadays, sound actually amazingly good, offering the very basics of the true HC-sound, but only serving it with a good dose of thrash-like riffs that basically speak heavily of the current orientation of many young acts of today´s Finnish HC-scene. Having all those more metallic ingredients in the sound, should also work for their advantage because I cannot see any reason why some thrash fans wouldn´t like TMD, too. Obviously most of them do – me being one of them at least.



To me, there´s even a fair fistful of NY´s S.O.D. in Third Man Down´s sound - minus the hilarious tongue-in-cheek humour as can be found from S.O.D.´s now classic SPEAK ENGLISH OR DIE album. TMD´s songs vary between from 1 to 2 minutes in length, so they are straight to the point without any bullshitting, making the listeners breathless and punished after short rounds in TMD´s dominating violent ring.



Anyway, RUDE AWAKENING smokes in decent amounts. Yep, it does - just believe me.