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Editorials

IF YOU REALLY, REALLY LOVE NORMA JEAN

 Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 12:44pm by

Norma Jean

Buzzgrinder alerts us that Christian metalcore pioneers Norma Jean are releasing their entire back-catalog on vinyl as a 4-LP box set. Bless the Martyr is too long for just one vinyl, hence the fourth disc — O God, The Aftermath and Redeemer will comprise the other two.

I’ve never been too much of a fan of this band, but I did at one time sort of get into O God, The Aftermath for a spell. Their output before and after just didn’t tickle my fancy.

I suppose if you’re a Christian metalcore completist and vinyl aficionado, this box set is for you. Otherwise it’s a pass.

Where do you guys stand on Norma Jean?

-VN

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  • http://www.myspace.com/evilsammy Sammy

    I read that first sentence as “…entire catalogue as a 4-SONG set…”

    That makes it much funnier.

    I’m not really sure why a Christian band users the moniker of a dead sex symbol.

  • hotsauce

    I like O’God the Aftermath myself. Never listened to Bless the Martyr or the latest one.

  • Brett

    Not too big on “Christian” or “metalcore.” Especially together.

  • Zac

    I think there’s one good way to sum up what happened to this band, and, in order to do that, I’d like to quote my high school football coach, Jim Slaughter.

    “Boys, you lie down wit da dogs… you gonna gid up wit fleas.”

  • 36Thoughtless

    First off, I think their last album, Redeemer, was a terribly underrated album of 2006. The rub for my really liking this band is, however, that they ape Botch at almost every turn, to the point of being ridiculous. O God, the Aftermath was a little to spastic for its own good, and Bless the Martyr was decent. So that’s what I think about this band. Will I buy the 4-LP box set? Hell no, this marketing crap is a ploy to make more money off of these “alternative” music 14 year-olds.

  • Zac

    Did anyone else enjoy the demo and early performances of that song off O’God, In Reference to a Sinking Ship? Its a very dark song, but I think it was a bit too clean and over-thought on the album.

  • Tommy Leebowitz

    Norma Jean is listenable to in my opinion, but really nothing special. I don’t quite see them doing anything that sets them apart from other Christian Metalcore outifts, however I’m not really into the Christian Metalcore scene, so what do I know?

  • Master of Puppies

    I love Christianity but definitely have a love/hate relationship with Christian metalcore. I’ve never been that into Norma Jean (or AILD, though I do love Underoath), but I think they’re at least a pretty good band.

  • http://www.myspace.com/formulafictions Dr Tizzle

    I like em, and i don’t care if they’re christans. The music is cool so fuck it.

  • chris

    dr tizzle is rite on the money in my opinion. why do bands get labeled according to their religious beliefs? i dont hear norma jean or aild for that matter bashing you over the head with love jesus love god bullshit. i dont think the fact that there christian should be a justifiable reason to label them as a “christian metal band”… like, can’t they just be christians IN a metal band. either way, i dont even really see them as being metalcore, no sing songy choruses and no standard song writing techniques like verse, chorus, verse, chorus, something new, chorus, done. idk… thats my two cents take it or leave it.

  • http://www.conorschaefer.com/blog/ Conor

    I don’t ever, ever buy boxed sets. Stop trying to resell me the same material!

    Geek though I am, I’ve never gotten into vinyl. I know some metalers who swear buy it, though, and I think at my next place of residence I’ll have some space to set up my equipment and do some experimenting. I’d love to here something in the vain of NJ or technical death metal on vinyl, and hear what is to be heard.

    The format shift isn’t that significant a change for me to rebuy something. But if they don’t print many, and then sell out to a bizarre niche audience, they can probably still cut a profit. I mean, the material they already have, right?