Wrongdoers

About

Following the replacement of three core members, Norma Jean comes roaring back to life on <i>Wrongdoers</i>, an impressive follow-up to 2010’s <i>Meridional</i>. With cofounder/guitarist Chris Day leading the charge, the band harnesses the squalling noise of earlier releases with a surer grasp of melody and structure. Vocalist Cory Brandan Putman snarls and bellows like a man at the brink of the abyss, articulating a palpable sense of defiance rather than choking on his own bile. His bandmates match thick distortion waves with kinetic blast beats and crushing chug passages on “If You’ve Got It at Five, You’ve Got It at Fifty,” “The Lash Whistled Like a Stinging Wind," and similar tunes. More melodic but no less forceful are tracks like “Triffids” (sparked by arresting harsh/clean vocal interplay) and “The Potter Has No Hands” (carried by a stuttering beat and panic-wracked riffage). Themes of spiritual warfare and emotional crisis course through the lyrics, culminating in the glimmers of hope shining amid the stately gloom of “Sun Dies, Blood Moon.” Norma Jean turns <i>Wrongdoers</i> into a statement of renewal, delivered with a vengeance.

via Apple Music