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Welcome Death Is Not Glamorous to the newest, gradually accumulating wave of super poppy melodic hardcore. The band has obviously taken up classes at the Lifetime School of Melodicore Hooks, and boy, they're well on their way to their bachelor's. Demo 2005 is a fun and positive albeit awfully derivative take on the style that's plenty enjoyable all the same.

With one listen of opener "The Fallback," you can tell these guys aren't from New Jersey. I can't tell if lead singer Christian Medaas has a thick accent or not; he simply sounds foreign, perhaps due to the wildly raspy nature of his voice. The novelty (good or bad, it isn't necessarily either) wears off quickly, luckily, as one of the EP's best tracks comes next in "Think You Can," bringing to mind the currently defunct Backup Plan. It's the band sticking the closest they can to angry hardcore punk, and apparently they do it rather well. "Close-Knit" and "Elephants" brings us back into the more upbeat, pop-punk-oriented reaches of the band's grips. Closer "Assets" is the other standout here; Medaas's vocal approach seems pretty creative here, as he sounds a bit frustrated abruptly shouting lines over skatepunk structure until a slight tempo change is applied for the chorus with a bouncy, power-chord approach that actually gives the song a good, diverse quality.

DING's Demo definitely isn't deathly distinct or doubtlessly devising. Still, their embryonic stage is a pretty fun one to watch, as out of hand as this metaphor is already. But seriously, the Norway-based outfit is definitely one to watch (notably thanks to "Think You Can" and "Assets"), and should assuredly pair their refreshing attitudes with some even better tunes soon.

DOWNLOAD Demo 2005 as a zip file






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    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 at 2:56 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Chrisssstian med ssmilehull xD

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 8:03 AM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Um all i can realy say is that ther the best band iv ever herd fast and poppy......amazing band amazing people

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 8:03 AM (EDT)

    Um all i can realy say is that ther the best band iv ever herd fast and poppy......amazing band amazing people

    Posted by AnaMorph0sIs on 2006-03-05 14:43:30
    My Score:

    Great band, great demo.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 9, 2005 at 7:54 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    braviiii!!!!

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 7, 2005 at 7:58 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    To that guy below me: I said hardcore. Manhattan Skyline is a pile of shite, and I'm not just saying that because they don't play hardcore.

    Yours,
    the guy you quoted

    Posted by givemeamuseumandillfillit on 2005-11-09 04:04:39

    "Brilliant band. To the one who though only trees lived in Norway (right), we have a great hardcore scene in the making as well. Check out (other than DING) bands like Damage Control, Enforcer and Soulfire among other. Good, good shit. Soulfire also have a demo out for d/l on MySpace."

    Enforcer? Damage Control?
    No thanks, when i want really bad sportcore i'll listen to something from boston, mind you.
    Manhattan Skyline are pretty good for that kind of stuff though.

    Posted by gophgirl on 2005-11-08 04:58:54

    hahaha yep i agree only trees live there. but maybe they are trees. singing trees?! Wow ive never met one of them! if ne1 has a singin trees number i would appreciate it alot! in fact i might see if ebay have any. like that beer advert save the trees eat the beavers but thats just harsh. Anyway i quite like this band but shit lyrics sorry but shit lyrics shit shit shit but apart frm dat theyre pretty good.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 6, 2005 at 3:40 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Brilliant band. To the one who though only trees lived in Norway (right), we have a great hardcore scene in the making as well. Check out (other than DING) bands like Damage Control, Enforcer and Soulfire among other. Good, good shit. Soulfire also have a demo out for d/l on MySpace.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 6, 2005 at 2:00 PM (EST)

    Good band name!

    Posted by givemeamuseumandillfillit on 2005-11-05 15:57:33

    this band is from Norwegia?!?!?!?!?
    SHIT I THOUGHT ONLY TREES LIVED THERE11

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 5, 2005 at 2:12 PM (EST)

    This sounds pretty good, but the vocals are kind of lame.

    Great to be able to download the whole fella as a zip.

    Posted by Sirens on 2005-11-04 15:08:44

    I like this alot.

    Posted by bizzlebrizzle on 2005-11-04 14:46:56

    This is a different approach.

    And Lifetime and Jawbreaker don't hold that many similarities.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 4, 2005 at 1:19 PM (EST)

    "No more tough-guy stance, I hear your mommy calling"

    As for Kid D and Lifetime clones (Jawbreaker and Gorilla Biscuits anyone), I think I'd say the Shook Ones are more than adequete.

    -ObeyYourParents.

    Posted by bizzlebrizzle on 2005-11-04 11:10:19

    OK, after listening, all I gotta say is that this is probably the first time I've heard a Lifetime influenced band(that's not also influenced by Kid Dynamite) that actually sounds good.

    Posted by bizzlebrizzle on 2005-11-04 10:44:45

    I'm dissapointed that this review did not mention once where the band got their name from...

    AN EMBRACE SONG!

    Could anyone send me this demo?

    Posted by p-fresh on 2005-11-04 00:23:03
    My Score:

    Oslo's best dancers!!

    Band reminds me a little of Satanic Surfers, good stuff though for sure.

    Posted by colin on 2005-11-04 00:07:36

    o rly?
    ya rly.
    no wai!!!

    anyway, any band that uploads their demo as a zip file is worth checking out in my book. can't get any better than free music, even if it's popcore.

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