When Norma Jean discovered the chords and notes that make the following sounds; "EEEEE", "BAHHH" and of course the ever present "DUG DUG CHUGGA CHUG CHUG" they shit themselves. From that moment on they had what it took to write 3 full length albums using those very chords and notes in different orders and arrangements. Listening to the array of Norma Jean albums is like reading the same "Choose your own adventure" book over and over again and discovering new little twists and turns, but eventually stumbling upon the same 3rd grader stimulus you knew as a child. Not to say that Norma Jeans First album Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child didn't stake it's claim as one of the most rocking metalcore albums in last 5 or so years, it has been a gradual decline in ingenuity since that first record. Their sophomore album Oh God the Aftermath showed that the clock was tickin' for old Norma Jean. After parting ways with their original vocalist, Josh Scogin, and sifting through a handful of replacements, Norma Jean secured Cory Brandan as their permanent front man, whom on Oh God the Aftermath proved to be quite a disappointment. One of the main things that Bless the Martyr-era Norma Jean had going for them was one of the most competent front men in the genre, providing foot stomping hooks and cut-throat lyrics that strengthened the songs more than any other member. Brandan, on the other hand, tries his hand at clean vocals, which as many know is a very touchy department within metal and hardcore. You better be a damn good vocalist to pull off vocal melodies over what musical genre is well known for being mostly devoid of melody. Brandan, like his bandmates, found one thing and stuck to it. No matter what song Brandan's patterns seem to be identical with the exception of what words he's using. The one thing I liked about their latest release Redeemer is that the vocals have indeed progressed. The only problem is that the rest of the band still has not.

These guys managed to get producer Ross Robinson (At the Drive In, Sepeltura, The Blood Brothers) on board for "Redeemer" which might make you think they had a real hit on their hands. On the contrary Ross old boy, your lack of dynamics and knowledge in this particular field of music made for a scrappy sounding Norma Jean record. Maybe that's what these fellas were going for, but to me it just sounds like they aren't tight and are fishing for decent riffs in an oversaturated pool of noise. Bless the Martyr is the most boner-stroking album as far as its production goes thanks to well known metal producer Adam D. The difference between Ross Robinson and Adam D. is that Ross is an old man who doesn't know what it takes to make a soundtrack for putting the boots to some deck furniture, Adam D. on the contrary wrote the book on it.

The niche that Norma Jean has found in metal is the one where the listeners are either too young or too stupid to have ever heard a botch record. Needless to say, Norma Jean is making their way into the hearts and headphones of a younger generation of metal and hardcore fans maybe leaving an old timer like me a little bit confused regarding what's cool. Here's hoping that these guys broaden their sound for the next record, maybe actually find the redemption they were looking for on this one. Wagga wagga wagga!