Norma
Jean, the name of a 50's blonde bombshell or a group of nomadic
young men? Well both, but only one is slowly but surely staking
a larger piece of the metalcore/hardcore genre pie (sorry
Marilyn). With their first release under the moniker of Luti-Kriss
(no they didn't release Word of Mauf), a new name not only
relieved confusion but also brought out the best in a genre
that is quickly becoming over saturated. Right from the 0:01
mark, Bless the Martyr & Kiss the Child, kicks it into full
throttle with a relentless attack only equal to that of their
own touring regimen which in 2001 alone consisted of over
two hundred shows, something unheard of with the smaller support
of an independent label.
While
many of Norma Jeans' counterparts produce albums that lack
originality or variety, this is where they are able to shine.
They are able to combine the wonderfully off-tune chaos of
Converge and Botch; the slow, deep textured chug of Neurosis
and Isis; and gritty, in your face screams of Hatebreed. From
the absolute raw and chaotic tracks like "the entire world
is counting on me, and they don't even know it" and "face:face"
to the slow chugging progression of "Pretty soon, I don't
know what, But something is going to happen" and tracks that
seemingly combine both like "Memphis will be laid to waste"
and "sometimes it's our mistakes that make for the greatest
ideas". It is extremely rare to find a disc where every single
track has its own unique texture and quality, yet still hold
a wonderful overall listen. This produces many surprisingly
delightful ups and downs while still maintaining a punishing
quality. Surprisingly this album was tough to stomach at first,
I found myself changing tracks quickly one after the next.
Yet with each listen, all eleven tracks slowly built up their
charm until they all were able to stand on their own.
Don't
let the Christian label on the band turn you away from this
release; it is without a doubt the best metalcore/hardcore
album to be pressed in 2002 with or without the help from
above.
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