Norma Jean – Redeemer
Solid State Records – TND63560 – September 12th, 2006
By Jason Jordan
I doubt any of the staff members here at UltimateMetal, besides myself, cared for
Norma Jean’s return
O God, the Aftermath. Come to think of it, nobody at my other haven – MetalReview – cared for it all that much either, but I thought the shift from chaoscore (2002’s
Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child) to post-hardcore (2005’s full-length) worked well. Sadly,
Redeemer parallels its predecessors in several identifiable areas, yet curiously isn’t quite as interesting or arresting as it should be.
I’m not saying
Norma Jean’s 2006 installment isn’t good – it is. More often than not, however, the songs either lack flair or rely on repetition to grab the listener. While the latter may be akin to “cheating” in the eyes of some, the technique succeeds on a level that matters: catchiness. It’s nearly impossible not to shout in unison with Cory Putman (ex-
Eso-Charis) when he screams
Just what are you trying to say? in “A Grand Scene for a Color Film,”
Fight fair! in “A Small Spark vs. A Great Forest,” and
The South is on fire! in “The End of All Things Will Be Televised.” Notable, too, is first single “Blueprints for Future Homes” for its grooves and melancholy nature, which peeks through occasionally. The everyman, clean vocals are still in place (and still make the grade), as are the softer, slower part that are intermingled throughout a handful of
Redeemer’s tracks. Also, one must not overlook the contributions of auxiliary drummer Mathew Putman (ex-
Living Sacrifice, ex-
Eso-Charis) and producer/co-mixer Ross Robinson, who both leave their indelible marks on the record.
Furthermore, despite the A+ liner notes and the Hitchcock-meets-Rockwell cover artwork,
Norma Jean come out swinging upon hearing the starting bell, but seem tired by the end of the match. In other words, the highlights I pointed out can be found within the first five songs, which results in
Redeemer overstaying its welcome. I simply can’t imagine anyone being riveted until the final notes of the melodic closer “No Passenger: No Parasite” come to an end. To reiterate, though, this has only a few moments laced with focused brilliance, and is therefore just a plain ol’ solid effort, but is also not a spectacular follow-up, nor the group’s finest effort to date.
7/10
UM’s Review Rating Scale
Official Norma Jean Website
Official Solid State Records Website
and I'll definately be checking this out
