This time around Norma Jean has changed and this reviewer is stuck between liking this CD and giving this a good look and saying, "it is alright." O God, the Aftermath claims attention, but this is no longer the Norma Jean that people once knew. It seems to be that chaos is now meant to have to be art and nothing else to it, a certain fashion, a different feel, and a way of being stubbornly chaotic. For some reason, O God, the Aftermath grows on a person, yet it leaves them wondering. Wondering how come it is so obscure, random, and slashy feeling. One moment it is likeable and then maybe a person would be kind of iffy on it. I will tell you this though: by no means would I like to hear other bands emulating this sound, only so many bands should try to pull this sound off, and Norma Jean should be one of the only ones trying it. A sound that is Chaotic Metalcore, yes, but a removal from Bless the Martyr NJ era and its scattered bursts of Chaos Metalcore that is kind of fidgety and squirms around, going here, going there, then hitting that.
People have been saying this sounds like a secular band named Botch, but I can't corroborate that as for some reason, I've not heard of them. One thing is for sure, lots of people look up to Norma Jean and follow their music at a closely held distance and this CD will make a slew of new fans helping Norma Jean to be pursued by the big time labels. Hard music is huge now; Headbanger's Ball (NJ's got it covered), moshing (NJ incites it), and fly in your face lyrics that have a slightly "odd" theme to it (NJ's image is "odd," but has a place). So.... yeah! Norma Jean's O God, the Aftermath is going to be huge, regardless of any circumstances.
3 tocks
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