Norma Jean ’s fifth studio album Meridional is nothing short of a masterpiece of violent, headbanging ferocity. Since founding frontman Josh Scogin’s departure after the release of their acclaimed debut album Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child, Norma Jean has experimented with a multitude of different sounds under the reins of the more than capable Cory Brandon.On their second album, O God The Aftermath, Norma Jean created an album to rival Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child and continued the trademark raw noisecore sound. For Redeemer, Norma Jean took their raw and unbridled power and toned it down with epic, sweeping melodies. On their fourth album, The Anti Mother, they took the same melodic approach as on Redeemer but went a step further and made it even more media friendly with help from Chino Moreno of The Deftones. They gleaned sounds from The Deftones repertoire which gave The Anti Mother a heavy, grungy sound while still allowing for the presence of melodies. For Meridional, Norma Jean takes what they have learned on all their previous albums and brings us a sound that that will make you want to bang your head, sing along and, as they say, punch a dolphin in the blowhole.
Meridional is heavy, melodic, powerful and noisy. The best example of this is the third track, Deathbead Atheist which builds up from a relatively calm sound into a chorus that will leave you bloody and bruised but then make you want to sing along. In Deathbead Atheist, as well as on many other tracks, Brandon utilizes a technique that has been a staple of Norma Jean since the Scogin days- a quasi breakdown where he screams a line full bore over and over again. When you hear Deathbead Atheist and the chorus hits you like a tidal wave [Lie to me, Lie to Me!], you’ll want to scream along but won’t be able to match the ferocity or the decibels that Brandon puts out.
Of course, it’s unfair to talk about one track on this album in so much depth and not about the others, however all songs on this album are stand out tracks and would each warrant their own paragraph, save for the songs Bastardizer and Blood Burner which are both good tracks, but don’t even begin to compare with the others. To give the best overall impression of Meridional, and to not bore you all to death with a novella-length review, I’ll take a look at three of the most stellar songs from the album: Anthem of the Angry Brides, Falling from the Sky: Day Seven and The People That Surround You on a Regular Basis.
Anthem of the Angry Brides is just as furious as the title implies [no fury like a woman’s scorn] and is possibly the heaviest song in Norma Jean’s entire discography. Anthem showcases the drumming chops of percussionist Chris Raines as well as the technical skill of guitarists Chris Day and Scottie Henry who are an the top of their game on this song. The song starts out with Raines’ signature disorganized pattern of drumming as Day and Henry’s guitars flutter over like butterflies harkening the apocalypse. Perhaps the most important aspect of this song, however, is the ending which is a forty-second breakdown of noisecore bliss with Brandon screaming louder, longer and heavier than he has ever done before, repeating over and over the line “You’re not getting under my skin!” This song serves as a friendly reminder to all of the longtime fans that have turned their backs on the Almighty Norma Jean for becoming ‘too soft’ that they are just as hardcore, if not more than they ever were., and if they forget it they will beat you into submission with Anthem of the Angry Brides.
While Anthem is the heaviest song that Norma Jean has ever done, Falling from the Sky: Day Seven is its polar opposite. Falling from the Sky: Day Seven is one of the softest songs that Norma Jean has ever done and could even be called a rock ballad more so than a metal song. It is so unlike anything Norma Jean has ever done and yet it fits Meridional superbly and is the favorite song of lead singer Cory Brandon. Melodically beautiful and thought provoking with some of the deepest and best written lyrics that Norma Jean has ever produced, Falling from the Sky is a skillfully produced song that borrows elements of a Pink Floyd ballad and a metalcore dirge such as Norma Jean’s own Disconnectie: The Faithful Vampire . Falling from the Sky shows a softer side of Norma Jean, of course, this would be like calling a hibernating grizzly bear cute and cuddly right before being mauled and eaten. Even so, the technical skill evident in Falling from the Sky is undeniable and Brandon’s vocals, which barely elevate past a strained yell, are equally impressive.
In keeping with the trend, Anthem being the heaviest song, Falling from the Sky being the softest and most melodic, The People that Surround You on a Regular Basis is another one of those words ending in ‘est’; catchiest. While it is brutal, grungy, melodic and totally Norma Jean, The People that Surround You is more than that, its catchy and you can totally sing along with the chorus. They even utilize tambourines throughout the chorus, which is a bonus for me since I believe that there is nothing catchier than a tambourine and have a special place in my heart for them. Even so, The People that Surround You would be catchy and, at times, danceable due to the unique riff that drives the song. This song will get stuck in your head.
Of course, Meridional isn’t for everyone, and everyone that can’t stand metal or any subgenre thereof will hate it due to their own unrefined and ignorant tastes in music. If Metal or any of the related genres is your thing or if dabble into it, even if you are just audiophile with a broad palate, Meridional is an absolutely superb album and you will be able to find at least one or two tracks that you like if indeed not all of them. Even the Norma Jean ‘purist’ fans that say their only good album was Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child should be pleased with Meridional, and if they aren’t, I suggest they quit complaining and switch over to Josh Scogin and The Chariot who haven’t made much of a departure from the sounds of Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child.
Norma Jean has finally crated what well could be their magnum opus in Meridional. They have taken all of the lessons that they have learned on previous albums an applied them with the skill of master musicians to create a coherent, yet diverse album. As Cory Brandon promised when he took the reins after Josh Scogin left the band, all of Norma Jean’s albums will be distinct and there will be something new on every one and Meridional is no exception except that their new sound is steeped in the roots of their past musical exploits. Meridional, in Brandon’s words. is “something totally new” and something that would pay tribute to “how this band began by digging deep into our roots musically.”
Additionally, if you believe that my praise of Meridional is due to the fact that I am a rabid Norma Jean fan, you are only half right. Search the web for other reviews of Meridional and you will see that I am not alone is my praise and that Meridional is being hailed as Norma Jean’s best album as well as one of the best new metal albums of the entire year. As Levar Burton so eloquently put it, “You dont have to take my word for it.”
It is also worthy to note that there are many bonus tracks available for Meridional, most notably the KC Blitz Remix of Deathbead Atheist that is sure to have any hardcore raver dancing his shins off.
Tracklist
1. “Leaderless and Self Enlisted” – 3:19
2. “The Anthem of the Angry Brides” – 2:32
3. “Deathbed Atheist” – 5:06
4. “Bastardizer” – 3:15
5. “A Media Friendly Turn for the Worse” – 4:12
6. “Septentrional” – 1:37
7. “Blood Burner” – 4:02
8. “High Noise Low Output” – 3:26
9. “Falling from the Sky: Day Seven” – 6:17
10. “Everlasting Tapeworm” – 3:14
11. “Occidental” – 1:37
12. “The People That Surround You on a Regular Basis” – 3:41
13. “Innocent Bystanders United” (includes “Oriental”) – 25:03
Bonus Tracks (Dependent on Version)
“Kill More Presidents” – 4:27
“Deathbed Atheist” (KC Blitz remix) – 4:45
“Deathbed Atheist” (The Juggernaut Remix – 3:22
“Distance to Planets” – 4:02
There are no comments on this article yet.
