Norma Jean – Meridional
Release Date: 2010Jul13 (US)
Label: Razor & Tie
Rating: 4.5/5
Norma Jean is a band that has eluded me over the years. Not that I haven’t heard them, but I was truly underimpressed with both Redeemer and The Anti-Mother; maybe it had something to do with knob-turner Ross Robinson (a.k.a. The Godfather of Nü Metal), or the reflexive cringe I get when I see that Solid State label. For their fifth album, they signed to heavyweight Razor & Tie, and enlisted the help of near-unknown producer Jeremy Griffith. He actually makes his presence known throughout Meridional, contributing vocals, guitar, organ and piano.
Norma Jean has improved its arrangements above all else. The basic ingredients remain remarkably similar in my memory––style and tone have changed little––but their developed delivery has come further than I thought possible. This is the kind of music that can restore faith in the term ‘metalcore’.
There are two men to watch in particular, the relative newcomers. Chris Raines may have debuted on the last album, but his dynamic drumming is better utilized here, especially on the band’s finest song to date––“The Anthem of the Angry Brides”––which concludes with the year’s best singalong chorus: “You’re not getting under my skin”, belted out with undeniable conviction by Cory Brandan Putnam. This is the other man who has truly come into his own, now on par with Every Time I Die‘s Keith Buckley. The end placement of the “Bastardizer” breakdown with proclamation “We found a better way” also leaves the masses doubtless to that very fact. And tracks like “A Media Friendly Turn for the Worse” and “High Noise Low Output” test both his confident vocal control, as well as Griffith’s understanding of balance. To see a band improve upon all its weaknesses is truly remarkable.
The disgustingly-titled “Everlasting Tapeworm” (a new Wonka product?) almost falls victim to excessive effects, but everything functions for the song. In similar fashion, the interludes “Septentrional” and “Occidental” attempt to compliment the album as a whole, but could still be trimmed. The same goes for “Oriental”––an odd 95-second bonus track of sorts, which comes fifteen minutes after “Innocent Bystanders United”, one of my least favorite tracks here, due largely to the four minute commencement delay. I appreciate all the experimentation, but there is no shame in reeling in a solid ten-pounder with no filler. I now believe Norma Jean has the ability to write a classic album, but in the meantime, this comes startlingly close.
FCC OK
Try: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12
01. Leaderless and Self Enlisted
02. The Anthem of the Angry Brides
03. Deathbed Atheist
04. Bastardizer
05. A Media Friendly Turn for the Worse
06. Septentrional
07. Blood Burner
08. High Noise Low Output
09. Falling from the Sky: Day Seven
10. Everlasting Tapeworm
11. Occidental
12. The People That Surround You on a Regular Basis
13. Innocent Bystanders United / Oriental