Norma Jean - Redeemer

Norma Jean - Redeemer

O' God The Aftermath was a tornado of an album, it was fast, intense, hit with an unrelenting force and in the end you were scrambling to find what remained of your senses. Redeemer is a hurricane. It's more oppressive, it's a bit slower, it covers a larger area, but it's just as destructive if not more so. Really if there's such thing as a perfect album this may be it. Redeemer is a master piece hands down.

Taking their mathcore roots, it slows everything down. Long intros that switch directions keep your ears on their toes. 'A grand scene for a color film' starts things off in full force, it's like being hit by a stampede of angry elephants. It feels more refined than anything they've previously done and for that it's heavy and harder than anything else. 'Blueprints for future homes' takes things in another direction. While just as intense as the beginning, it's a more melodic side of Norma Jean. It's something they hinted at in their previous work but never really used. Here it shows up full force. Songs like 'Cemetery like a stage' and 'A small spark vs a large forest' really show how a song can be heavy and dirty while at the same time being melodic and catchy.

The last song on the album 'No passenger:No parasite' slows things down even more, it's long it's drawn out, it's amazing. It starts of with a haunting chorus line of "wake up" being repeated over a steady drum beat, while in the background you can hear what almost sounds like a heart monitor. As it progresses slowly elements are added. The drumming gets more intense, the guitar is heard, then the bass line, breaking into a full song. It's so simple, yet so complex with so many different layers. It's haunting and probably one of the best ending songs to any album.

Norma Jean has pulled off an amazing feat. Redeemer some how takes everything they have done in the past, refines it to the point where this album should come with a suit and tie, slows it down, and turns the intensity up. It leaves you needing a shower it's so dirty. It's about as close to perfection as a band could ever get. This is a must listen for anybody even remotely interested in music.