It’s been over two years since Norma Jean‘s Bless The Martyr And Kiss The Child was released in 2003. And after two long and highly anticipated years, do not expect a repeat of their debut. All I’m saying is, brace yourself.
O’ God, The Aftermath is one of the best things to be birthed from hardcore music arena in a long time. The wait was worth it, as it seems it has made the band’s music progress in unexplainable amounts. The songs are still hard, beautiful, and full of melody. Shifting countless times, Norma Jean breaks with the pack, taking a different turn away from the cliché hardcore song structure that seems to perpetuate this genre of music to the point of annoying.
“Murderotica” and “Vertebraille” start off the session right out of the shoot, snatching you up from the first second. “Bayonetwork” comes through as heavy masterpiece with a great surprise…actual singing instead of the typical roar. “Dilemmachine” and “Coffinspire” storm in with plenty of more noise. Need more vocal melody? “Liarsenic” has plenty of it but still keeps the song aggressive. Remember that long heavy ballad on Bless The Martyr? O’ God ‘s “Disconnecktie” takes it to the next level. “Absentimental” and “Charactarantula” play the part of the Norma Jean’s signature sound, then “Scientifiction,” finishes you off with an unexplainable feeling of satisfaction, but with a pinging desire to hit the repeat button and feel the experience all over again from Track 1.
To verbalize just what I came away with from this album, all you have to do is turn to their lead singer, Cory Brandan, “These things harmonize and overthrow / These things will cure / But they will tear down.”
