Norma Jean : "Deathrattle Sing For Me"

 

This is one of the few bands we break out rule of no Christian bands for. They seem to have largely worked their faith in a more shrouded metaphor that is overshadowed by the screamed angst and tensely unsettled mood. The album's title is exclaimed in the opening line to " Spearmint Revolt" that finds the band adding a great of nu metal like groove to their sound. The first two song falling in the more melodic yet in your face explosion that comes closer to what you might typically expect from this band. While they are more neatly in the confines of what commercial mainstream metal core is doing, they have really perfected their song writing skills as this is superior to their previous album. Sure, there are some formulated metal core tropes in place but in terms of the overall sonics they are hitting you with this time around it is more interesting.

Actual singing is sprinkled in a larger dose going into "Memorial Hoard" that almost falls somewhere between the Deftones and Linkin Park though without any of the hip hop influence those acts at one point both dabbled in. "Aria Obscura" also flirts with these kinds of melodic dynamics that recall the soft to loud explosiveness of 90s alt rock.  The first misfire is six songs deep into the album as "Any%" tries too hard to go back to the hard-core punk beginnings of the band and doesn't connect in a manner as compelling as the first half of the album has. It is when they explore more melodic boundaries that this album, really excels after all where else are they going to go with chaotic screaming. However, that is not to say they have not found other ways to bring high energy in your face sounds as heard on "WWAVVE". 

"A Killing Word" is closer to the bulk of modern mainstream metal core. This song does display how they have some great production on this album, as even though this is not my kind of thing on that song, it has a big heavy wall of guitars that I appreciate. Atmosphere sets the stage for a wider dynamic range on "Penny Margs". This is another element however that requires balance as "El - Roi" is just an ambient interlude rather than a song.  The strike the balance between hook and groove on "Sleep Explosion".  The last song, continues to prove that as long as they stay on a trajectory similar to that of a band like the Deftones, who continues to retain who they are while evolving what they do they give themselves a longer shelf life outside of the confines of the genre they started in. Thus, a Christian band proves the theory of evolution. I will give this one a 9.5.    

Norma Jean : "All Hail"

When it comes time to review this band I am always on the fen e. Aside from Wovenhand they are the only christian band I will cover here. I think the music in both projects is the focus and it doesn't compromise the mission statement of this blog which is to spread darkness sonically. When I cover pop music it compromises this more, but I love it so , I will just double down on the black metal.     their sound has become streamlined the opener just to the left of the  Deftones heaviest moments . Not pure hardcore, put enough groove to hold my ear. The second song has more punk anger  to it. By the 3rd song  the screamed vocals and hammer guitars begin to run together without the groove to hold it together. The frenetic energy of "Landslide Defeater" only benefits from when more of a melody comes about at the chorus.

"Full Circle in Under a Minute" has more groove , but doesn't feel like it connects as well as a song and is slightly disjointed. The clean sung verse to "with_errors" works to break things up . This also shows how much easier it is to write a song with singing.  "Trace Levels of Dystopia" is almost in Converge's zip code sonically.  I like how the heaviness and atmosphere come together . Melody continues to help their cause on "Transitional". This does not make them any less hard hitting. They can come other compromises in this regard and do not have to follow the rules of Myspace metal when it come to blending their refined anger and melody.  They take this even further with more of  a power ballad like emo tone to "Careen".  "Anna" does not connect as well with me until later in the song.

These guys have expanded their sound and moving in more effective directions as song writers. Age is mellowing them only a little. When they dip into a more angular chaos , I do not think they do this as well as Converge, in fact the only thing they do better than Converge is the Deftones infused emo sound. I do not plan on listening to this any more than I have due to my prejudices against their religious leanings , but if their music was a good as Wovenhand's then I might be able to keep that part in a more compartmentalized context. I will give this one an 8.5.  If you do not like the fact i won't give Christian bands a shot then go to fucking hell.

Norma Jean : "Polar Similar"

I never got into Norma Jean, or really wanted anything to do with them once I was told they were a christian band. I have come across people over the years whose opinions in regards to music I half way respected that were into these guys . Going into  giving this album a shot, I did a little clicking around and found out that some of the members are christians, but they are not a christian band, so then it was o.k for me to go ahead with listening to this album. Lyrically it's a mixed bag in this regard , like most christians they have to clue what is in the bible as they scream about hoping that you burn and what you are feeling is the loneliness of god. I never guess that they would use clean vocals, what I have heard from this band before did not have clean vocals. There is a very Tool like pulse to "Everyone Talking Over Everyone Else". It kind descends into a perpetual break down. Sean Ingram from Coalesce appears on "Forever Hurtling Towards Andromeda". There is not a ton of difference between what is going on here and what these guys were doing back in the days of Myspace. It sounds like a more hardcore berserker version of the Deftones. This album is well produced and mixed. They have a really good heavy guitar tone. The riff to "1, OOO,OOO Watts" is catchy and I like the use of clean vocals here. It's the first song that connects with me.

They go into the more spastic side of metal core on " Death is A Living Partner". Here the screamed vocals are not as focused and the math of their riffs is not as catchy. For all it's chaotic math  "Synthetic Sun" is still better put together than the previous song. There is some screaming about the light not coming outside. Here is another song heavily influenced by the Deftones. It's got plenty of punch that is well placed aside the melodies. The drumming is very Tool inspired until they get to the most drivingly heavy section of the song. The first guitar riff to "the Close and Discontent" reminds me of Soundgarden, they accelerate into more of a hard core zip code. It's hard to tell what is the breakdown and what is just business as usual for these guys. This makes them rely more on the melodic sung sections. "An Ocean Of War" is explosive, but compact in it's out bursts so that it makes sense in a song , much like some of Botch's more metal moments.

"A Thousand Years A Minutes" has a very Deftones like throb to the bounce it carries when not breaking down into indie rock sections, when they ask if you got what you came for. I am not sure how to answer that question, as I thought they were going to be heavier, so I am not sure that I came here for this , but it is better than I expected. After some atmosphere they bust into the meat of "Nexus". The singer exclaims it takes one to know one. This song wanders around and winds up in many of the same places we have heard them go. They jam on this for sometime, which I am sure would convert well to a live setting. I check out a little bit during this section.  I'll give this album an 8.5 though I am unsure that I'll really get many more listens out of this , but if you are a fan of the band I am sure you will get what you came for.