Now let’s talk about music. I Not Dance could be the vanguard of the new school hardcore revival hype to come. The intelligent, un-metal riffing and their big time groove are really refreshing in my ears. Thankfully they added a few contemporary screamo influences so it doesn’t feel dusty at all and they don’t lose themselves in complexity for complexity’s sake. Three compact songs that transplant the few good things about new school into post millennium times and make a good alternative to all the 08/15 old school, metalcore or third-class-screamo.

However I like Mr. Willis Of Ohio even more although after all they are more or less nothing but screamo with all its top ingredients like changes between quiet and loud parts, subjective lyrics, great guitar harmonies and, well, screaming. Let’s just call it emotional hardcore. I think this is a far better term. I really love the warm sound of the recording and some harmonies are really huge. I also love the lyrics. On one hand “lasst sie sterben” is just another animal rights song. On the other hand it is really touching and I do still believe that veganism is a great idea. The second song “herzschlag” that deals with mechanical life-support and the question of death in our society is even more intimate and touching. Knowing that singer Stefan is working in a hospital and knows what he is talking about first-hand gives the song a lot of impact. When he screams “das ist kein leben mehr” (“this isn’t life anymore”) I can’t help getting gooseflesh. Politics on a personal scale, like humanism with guitars.

Really good record with two good bands from two mountainous countries. Please check it out! [jan]

www.myspace.com/mrwillisofohio
www.myspace.com/inotdance