The fraternity of musicians continues with their seventh outing. After a string of lackluster releases and a revolving door of members, it finally feels like there's a soul present in the band. While no original member remains in the group since their foundations, vocalist Cory Brandan carries the band to new heights with their strongest release since O' God The Aftermath.
The songwriting has gotten incredibly proficient. While their debut continues to remain the strongest batch of songs in their catalogue (if not metalcore in general), Norma Jean makes a really great effort to write a great set of songs. While their DNA remains in tact, with alarm clock riffs galore and raspy yells ahoy!, the group knows how to leverage their boundaries and stretch them out to extremes. It's obvious Brandan has gained a heap of confidence, practice and development, because for the first time in their history, the vocals bring about a fresh palette of color to the table, painting Norma Jean as a professional group capable of writing hooks.
There are moments that seem to be ripped right out of the Everytime I Die book, with album highlight "1,000,000 Watts" showcasing talent that hasn't been heard from the guys since they began. If you've been a fan of the band since Bless The Martyr... and threw the band away after their sophomore release, it's finally time to reignite interest and get back on the bandwagon.
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