Norma Jean – O God, The Aftermath / 11 Tracks / http://www.normajeannoise.com / http://www.solidstaterecords.com / Reviewed 04 March 2005
Norma Jean is one of many bands I could never get a good grasp on from their singles and reasons why they had such a large fanbase. I guess some of the reasons begin to come out during their new disc, “O God, The Aftermath”. It is during “Bayonetwork” that the band begins to shine at a level equal with the 58,000 copies of their prior album – this is not just noise, but the sludgy-metal put forth by bands like Kyuss and Corrosion of Conformity, instead of the inaccessible elitism of Converge. Continuing their brutal assault with the follow-up to “Bayonetwork”, “Dimmachine” (the band really needs to not have such cheeseball names for songs), Norma Jean shows that noise doesn’t necessarily have to sound exactly the same, track after track. “Coffinspire” goes and uses those metal institutions like a heavy low-end guitar tied to a spastic set of guitars, converting them from a clichéd metal device into something new and exciting. While Norma Jean plays a style of music that goes dangerously closed to what is completely overdone and vile in terms of pop-metal (think Clearchannel rock), the fact that in tracks like “Liarsenic”, they go into interesting arrangements and attempt to innovative in a land of complacency.
Norma Jean are a popular band not only because they play music that can be widely enjoyed, but also because they create this innovation, this newness. This newness is what bids well for popular music, in days of pitiful acts like Disturbed and Papa Roach. However, in the crux of their disc, Norma Jean drops a 10-pound behemoth that only the most dedicated fans will stick around with. This track, “Disconnecktie” has a skillful amassing of energy and brooding that only has a weakness in its extreme length – both in relation to the rest of the track and the disc in general.
“O God, The Aftermath” has a number of positive sections and tracks that clarified to me why Norma Jean is so popular in this present day. However, their reliance on musical arrangements and a general style that is on the verge of being overdone may be their downfall. I have no doubt that as the band matures, their musical style will coalesce into something that is revolutionary; at this current moment, the fact is that Norma Jean is the best current-rock band out on the airwaves. Let’s just see if their next album makes them the best rock band, period.
Top Tracks: Charactarantula, Bayonetwork
Rating: 6.8/10