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Norma Jean
« Meridional »
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1 | Leaderless and Self Enlisted
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| 2 | The Anthem of the Angry Brides
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| 3 | Deathbed Atheist
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| 4 | Bastardizer
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| 5 | A Media Friendly Turn for the Worse
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| 6 | Septentrional
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| 7 | Blood Burner
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| 8 | High Noise Low Output
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| 9 | Falling from the Sky: Day Seven
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| 10 | Everlasting Tapeworm
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| 11 | Occidental
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| 12 | The People That Surround You on a Regular Basis
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| 13 | Innocent Bystanders United
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| 14 | Hidden Track: Oriental |
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Cory Brandan – vocals, guitars
Chris Day – guitars
Scottie Henry – guitars
Chris Raines – drums
Jake Schultz – bass guitar
Additional musicians
Shelby Cinca (Frodus) – guest vocals
Jeremy Griffith – piano, backing vocals[ |
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Production
Justin Chapman – assistant engineer
Jeremy Griffith – producer
Artwork and layout
Jason Oda (StarvingEyes) |
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| 1. Leaderless And Self Enlisted
Enslavement wasn't my first choice.
My will is greater than that, believe me.
I'd scratch away to the center.
I'd bite it down to the blood.
I want to rip out the foundation,
I want the axis to rupture.
I never wanted to tell you since we know you've hear |
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Правильный образец того, как нужно широко мыслить, работая в жанре хардкор. А для меня Norma Jean настоящая дрим-тим, как один из главных ориентиров для пения или сочинения риффов (если бы я все это делал). Вот эта группа, вот этот альбом, вот эти музыканты... Все, что мне нравится в рок-музыке, все здесь - что парни сочиняют, как зажигают на сцене, как называют свои песни и так далее. И у этого есть объективные причины.
Харизматичный вокал Кори Брендона - одно из главных украшений группы, а его единственным недостатком я бы назвал тембр голоса. Можно подумать, очередной горе-вокалер с района пытается остаться безголосым. Много крика (кстати, ему уже 35), но поет он здорово, и когда привыкнешь, уже не оторвешься. Его стоит уважать если не за сам голос, то за технику, за то, как он выкладывается и как умеет менять интонации.
Повелители хаотик-риффов Крис Дэй и Скоти Генри стараются избегать простоты в своей музыке и эту задачу полностью выполняют. Оказавшись в студии уже в пятый раз, команда не стала начинать с нуля и джемов, а сразу приступила к записи черновых вариантов песен - те уже были в общем виде готовы. Только теперь получилось без излишней навороченности и затянутости, как бывало ранее. Это лучше заметно, когда слушаешь их песни с отключением не-гитарных дорожек; все очень насыщенно и энергично, и нет ощущения, что где-то можно сыграть поинтересней. Вообще Norma Jean выделяется сочетанием нескольких современных течений (значительную роль играют хаотик-хардкор с эпизодическими добавлениями маткора), что немного размывает границу их звучания. Но сэра металкора почти нет, он тут где-то на подтанцовке, и за кажущимся сходством стоит совсем другая эстетика. Музыка альбома не пытается просто взять и понравиться, не делает особого акцента на контрастах "спокойно-жестко"; мотивы могут быть и простыми, но безрадостная атмосфера, ощущение атональности и диссонансов вместе с сильным вокалом работают на создание по-настоящему особого звучания.
Коллектив приписывают к лагерю христианских рок-групп, хотя эти тексты трудно назвать прям уж особо религиозными, наоборот, ничего особенного. Набо бы посмотреть, о чем поют другие похожие команды, а то есть ощущение, что тэг "христианский" не более чем бессмысленный ярлык. И все же такой жанр есть и от этого никуда не деться. Еще в 80-х, когда металическая армия Иисуса стала набирать мощь, некоторых особо набожных металистов объединили словами white-metal. Светлая сторона силы в конце концов умудрилась просверлить дыру даже в блэк-метале, побудив некоторых отчаянных парней заиграть "блэк наоборот": та же музыка, только никакого сатанизма и язычества. Коллективы этого направления всем сердцем любят Иисуса (или просто делают вид) и наверняка в глубине
души хотят сжечь всех блэкарей.
Так раз не про религию, то про что? Обложка альбома только запутывает - она такая же странная, как и предшественницы. Рисунок выполнен с претензией на оригинальность, но даже сами "джины" не знают, что там такого наворотил художник. Интересные названия песен вообще никак не связаны с их содержанием, а отсылок к христианству самый минимум (почти что нету). В основном тексты обращены к какому-то виртуальному собеседнику Брендона, но из-за их небольшого размера трудно догнать мысль автора. С точки зрения непосредственно музыки описывать все песни смысла нет, они все очень хорошие. Басист довольствуется вторыми ролями, ударник запомнился несколькими очень недурными битами, но гитаристы отработали по полной программе - ритм- и соло-партии просто блеск. Главные боевики - это "Bastardizer" с явным привкусом "железа" в риффах и убойная тема "The Anthem of the Angry Brides", но песни поспокойнее наверное даже лучше. Скажем, "Deathbed Atheist" - мое почтение вокалу Брендона. Крик как искусство - вот что он сотворил со своим голосом.
На "Меридионале" (слово означает сторону света - юг, это отсылка к южным корням музыкантов) достаточное количество ударного материала, да и вообще он выглядит монументально: здесь есть разные по настроению и скорости песни, есть три интерлюдии, есть заключительный гигант на 20 с небольшим минут, и наконец, два отличнейших бонус-трека, настолько красивых, что "Норма-мать-ее-Джин" просто обязана гордиться ими. В наличии все признаки великого альбома, и если мне когда-нибудь доведется выбирать величайшие работы в авторитетном жюри, буду обязательно проталкивать "Meridional" в топ.
Из всей дискографии бэнда этот релиз не является самым "дружественным", но в нем есть правильная подача: при сохранении классического саунда "Нормы" здесь не будут бесцеременно греметь и шуметь прямо в лицо, Поэтому я считаю "Meridional" лучшей работой группы, и если вы еще не слышали этих больших оригиналов, то - вот он, главный кандидат для первого знакомства.
Отличный альбом, что и говорить. |
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Norma Jean - это вам не Мерилин Монро. Что за музыку играет указанный коллектив, думаю, затруднятся ответить даже сами участники команды. Сорванный практически до хрипоты голос вокалиста, жутчайшие гитарные риффы, стройность которых нарушают чуть ли не прогрессивные соло. Пожалуй, обложка диска (на которой изображено... даже затрудняюсь ответить, что это) предельно точно отображает и содержимое альбома. "Merirdional" - ни в коем случае не металкор в чистом виде с классическим построением композиций, содержащем брейкдауны, бластбиты и неожиданные смены темпа, пусть даже большинство этих компонентов и присутствует в ряде песен. Скорее, творчество Norma Jean более соответствует понятию хаотического хардкора. В любом случае, вырваться из лап этой музыки, которая уничтожает все на своем пути, подобно лаве, извергнутой из жерла вулкана, практически невозможно. Сила группы - в непохожести композиций. Открывающую альбом, явно навеянную творениями прогрессивных рокеров "Leaderless And Self Enlisted" сменяет качевая и грязновато сведенная "Blood Burner", а "High Noise Low Output" отдает психоделикой и, отчасти, саундом 70-х. Не следует думать, что музыка Norma Jean - бездушное нагромождение риффов. В ней нашлось место отличным мелодии, причем в большинстве песен. Самой удачной в этом плане стала относительно спокойная поначалу "Falling From The Sky: Day Seven", ближе к финалу превращающаяся в забойную и угарную вещь. Фонящие в завершении большинства композиций гитары словно воссоздают эффект присутствия на живом выступлении группы. Этому же способствует и грязноватый звук альбома... В общем, замечательная пластинка, отличающаяся своей нестандартностью от основной массы творений металкор-групп. |
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Часто альбомы своих любимых групп приходится ожидать довольно долго, поскольку очень много времени у коллективов уходит на другие вещи, главным образом, на тур и запись самого нового материала, который либо чем-то огорчает слушателя, либо приводит в восторг, после чего, на самом деле, признаешь - я ждал этот альбом не зря.
Альбом "Meridional" американских ребят из Атланты Norma Jean стал, безусловно, один из самых заметных новинок за 2010 год. Ребята вернулись к корням своего раннего творчества, и в тоже время создали эксперимент, опираясь на материал своих последних альбомов. Полученный результат и назвали "Meridional".
По-настоящему "старую" "Норму" можно услышать на "Leaderless and Self Enlisted", "Bastardizer" и "Blood Burner". Мощнейшие гитарные партии и вокал, в которых как будто скопилась вся злость этих парней, что особенно подчеркивает их лирика, "I'd scratch away to the center. I'd bite it down to the blood." - вот она, та самая их первобытная агрессия.
С другой стороны, альбом достаточно мелодичный, что более характерно позднему творчеству Norma Jean. "Deathbed Atheist", "A Media Friendly Turn for the Worse" и особенно "Falling from the Sky: Day Seven" целиком наполнены потрясающим чистым вокалом, что является очередной изюминкой группы. Также нельзя не отметить впечатляющие басовые партии на "The Anthem of the Angry Brides", очень красивые и необычные интерлюдии, в первую очередь, "Septentrional" и "Occidental ". Точку на альбоме ставит эпическая композиция "Innocent Bystanders United", которая идеально подходит для концовки альбома. Однако это еще не все! В качестве приятного сюрприза, ребята записали два бонус-трека ("Kill More Presidents", "Distance to Planets"), которые меня также обрадовали. Альбом, несмотря на некоторые свои недостатки, из категории "мастхэв". |
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Yeah... I never wanted to show you since we know you've seen it before
I break your heart,
I know, I know you've felt it before.
Yeah, too many things try to pull me down.
Life seems to be like a dropping cloud.
Believe me, I'd scratch away to the center.
I'd bite it down to the blood..
I want to rip out the foundation,
I want the axis to rupture.
I'd scratch away to the center.
I'd bite it down to the blood.
I never wanted to tell you since we know you've heard it before.
Yeah... I never wanted to show you since we know you've seen it before
I break your heart,
I know, I know you've felt it before,
So many times before, before.
I'd scratch away to the center.
I'd bite it down to the blood, the blood.
I'd scratch away to the center.
I'd bite it down to the blood.
I'd scratch away to the center.
I'd bite it down to the blood.
I'd bite it down to the blood.
2. The Anthem Of The Angry Brides
I have nothing left to prove. No demonstrations, no explanations.
There was never any intention for me to convince you.
It's just another case of you with your formless sense of importance.
You're breathing fire and your words are burning in hell.
This rebellion is marching to its disarray.
It talks in circles and it's words are burning in hell.
You are every inch of neutral. So avert your senses from my dedication.
Wash my skin down to my stubborn and proud skeleton hands. Yeah...
It's just another case of you with your formless sense of importance.
You're breathing fire and your words are burning in hell.
This rebellion is marching to its disarray.
It talks in circles and it's words are burning in hell.
You're not getting under my skin! Yeah... You're not getting under my skin!
You're not getting under my skin! You're not getting under my skin!
You're not getting under my skin! You're not getting under my skin... under my skin!
3. Deathbed Atheist
Watch it all change and watch it go away.
Watch it all never be the same again.
Watch it all all be nothing like we thought before.
Watch it all. Watch it.
Watch it all be lies, damned lies, statistics.
Lie to me. Lie to me. Lie to me.
Take it all in and take it all from me.
Take it all and bury it deep inside of you.
Take it all and run away.
Take it all forever.
Take it all.
Take it all.
Take it all.
Take it all.
Take it all.
Bury your hands in the sand.
You'll never use them on me again.
Bury your hands in the sand.
You'll never use them on me again.
Lie, take it all.
Take it. Take it all. Take it.
Lie, take it all.
Take it. Take it all. Take it.
Bury your hands in the sand.
You'll never use them on me again.
Bury your hands in the sand.
You'll never use them on me again.
I'm exhausted from shaking hands with your meat hook fingers.
This is my nightmare [x12]
Lie to me, this is my nightmare.
Lie, this is my nightmare, to me.
This is my nightmare.
This is my nightmare.
Bury your hands in the sand.
You'll never use them on me again.
Bury your hands in the sand.
You'll never use them on me again.
And I'm exhausted from shaking hands with your meat hook fingers.
Lies, damned lies, statistics.
Lie to me. Lie to me. Lie to me.
Lie, bury your hands in the sand.
Lie, you'll never use them on me again.
Lie.
4. Bastardizer
Someday you'll pass with relief from the tossing sea of despair onto the solid ground of truth.
Nothing you can say will prove me a bastard.
I'm left with everything, still stray to question "why?”... "why?"... "why?", "why?", "why?"...
Our hands were on the same spear that drove into His side,
and we're the ones that wound up paralyzed, paralyzed and loved.
Endlessly we drift inside your distractions and no one is safe.
Nothing is safe from you... from you. Nothing you can say will prove me a bastard.
I'm left with everything, still stray to question "why?”... "why?"... "why?"...
Our hands were on the same spear that drove into His side, and we're the ones that wound up paralyzed, paralyzed and loved.
You're like a never-ending soap opera, and we're ready to find out who kills J.R.
We found a better way! We found a better way! We found a better way!
We found a better way!
We found a better way! We found a better way! Yeah...
We found a better way! We found a better way!
5. A Media Friendly Turn For The Worse
They provide their nectar and then I am released.
I am a grain of sand underneath the floor and so far out of reach, but I am safe from harm.
Against this shelter they are always hammering, against these ears they are always deafening.
I too know an angry language. Our pain is always accurate and striving to evade its only design.
It wants to strike you down to fall into its arms again.
Blood is thicker than water, but which one did you drink?
Oh...
What I know was divided and broken down by the ignorance of others.
Spoken from their lips, but with the lungs of another.
Sounds great but tastes like blood.
These rumor sessions are assembled by us all... by us all.
They are the earth and we are the breath of life.
Your pain is always accurate and striving to evade its only design.
I want to strike you down to fall into my arms again.
Blood is thicker than water, but which one did you drink... did you drink?
Put down that retribution. I don't need your absolution. Yeah...
Put down that retribution. I don't need your absolution.
Put down that retribution. I don't need your absolution... No... No... No...
6. Septentrional
[Instrumental]
7. Blood Burner
It's been years of waiting here for you (you) and I'm not waiting anymore here for you (you), here they burn for murder.
So now I want to see the world burn in flames (flames), and I'll light the match, till you respect me... till you respect me... until you respect me.
Burn... for...
It's been years of waiting here for you (you) and I'm not waiting anymore here for you (you), 'cause here they burn for murder.
So now I want to see the world burn in flames (flames), and I'll light the match, till you respect me... till you respect me... till you respect me... till you respect me.
'Cause I will not speak until you respect me.
'Cause I will not speak until you respect me... till you respect me.
Yeah... Yeah...
Fiction is me and I'm my own apathy.
I have done nothing with my pistols.
They say it just takes a second to die, but I was set up to be knocked down.
Well, it's all over now.
Somewhere a violin plays as I watch this ship capsize.
But I am a long mean streak of independence, and between you and I, there's no difference... no difference... no difference... there's no difference.
8. High Noise Low Output
Yeah...
And I sat through a thousand suns, much sooner than you arrived, and I know what you're thinking:
"Just pull the ripcord and let's descend."
You put your parachutes on parade and you left the pilots on the ground,
but if you're calling me in, then you better believe I'm gonna call you out.
If you're calling me in, I'm gonna call you out.
Who knows the cost and what may escape you and I,
'cause it's a long way down from here.
I have a feeling that we won't be landing soon.
Parachutes on parade and you left the pilots on the ground,
but if you're calling me in, then you better believe I'm gonna call you out.
We're standing at these doors, whether cowards or conquerors.
They make no promises, they just provide an opening.
And your speech is a thunderous noise, and my ears are catching a dreadful static.
You put your parachutes on parade and you left the pilots on the ground,
but if you're calling me in, then you better believe I'm gonna call you out...
out... out... out... out... out.. out.
Yeah... If you're calling me in, I'm gonna call you out.
9. Falling From The Sky: Day Seven
You have never taken any inspiration in a direction that won't end up with the death of you.
Do you really think all the saints are just lying... just lying... just lying in their graves?
Where are we supposed to go? I want you to remember this.
Just because I understand, doesn't mean I really care.
Have you become smarter than your own father?
Are you ready to lead with no lesson?
Your death will bring you all the answers that you've been looking for.
How does it feel to kill?
Where are we supposed to go?
I want you to remember this.
Just because I understand, doesn't really mean I care.
The fruit has been tasted and their blood is on your hands.
You won't know the truth soon enough my friend.
Did you think that ended it? Do you really think it's over?
You will have all of the answers soon enough my friend.
You're standing near the edge.
Falling from the sky, day one. You never learned to fly.
Falling into the ocean, day seven. You never learned to swim.
Sinking to the bottom of the ocean, day twenty. How could you see the bottom?
Sinking to the bottom of the ocean, day one hundred... day one hundred... day one hundred.
Why can‘t you see the bottom? Why can‘t you see the bottom?
Why can‘t you see?
Why can‘t you see the bottom? Why can‘t you see the bottom?
Why can‘t you see? Why can‘t you see?
Why can‘t you see? Why can‘t you see? Why can‘t you see?
Why can‘t you see? Why can‘t you see?
10. Everlasting Tapeworm
The countless times we fall to ruin. These myriad days are so relentless.
It isn't everyone's frailty to stop functioning and stop breathing.
Sway with the waves, with the waves change, and we'll find our way back to the shore when it's over.
The never content sensation of a tapeworm drug looking for its angry fix.
Will mutual fear bring us peace? Is ruining your day ruining your life?
Sway with the waves, with the waves change, and we'll find our way back to the shore when it's over.
Sway with the waves, with the waves change, and we'll find our way back to the shore when it's over.
What happened to my noisy planet? When did the sun go nova?
In dim light I can tell by the hollow look in your eyes.
Using technology to live on this slow night.
I'm starting to realize I'll die long before.
The sun will do all of it's interesting end-of-the-world things.
Crunch the numbers till we become sick.
Sway with the waves, with the waves change,
And we'll find our way back to the shore when it's over.
Sway with the waves, with the waves change,
And we'll find our way back to the shore when it's over.
11. Occidental
[Instrumental]
12. The People That Surround You On A Regular Basis
This is pain draped in excellence, and there's no way to bury it.
I awake resolute and numb, climbing 15 stories just to fall asleep at the edge, and I'm praying for a sleepless night.
And how does this darkness always find me?
This is the time for you to leave in peace or stay and die.
We're crashing down and burning out with every word you say.
We're burning through the atmosphere and we hope...
we hope you never find us... we hope you never find us anywhere.
We're crashing down and burning out with every word you say.
We're burning through the atmosphere and we hope...
we hope you never find us... we hope you never find us.
I have nothing left but to let you lay there and die for it.
So just give up and write it down.
If you're paying for it, yeah, you might as well wager it.
We're crashing down and burning out with every word you say.
We're burning through the atmosphere and we hope...
we hope you never find us... we hope you never find us anywhere.
We're crashing down and burning out with every word you say.
We're burning through the atmosphere and we hope...
we hope you never find us... we hope you never... No...
We hope you never find us, cover your shallow grave.
We hope you never find us, cover your shallow grave. We hope you never...
...anywhere.
We're crashing down and burning out with every word you say.
We're burning through the atmosphere and we...
we hope you never find us... we hope you never find us anywhere.
We're crashing down and burning out with every word you say.
We're burning through the atmosphere and we hope... we hope you never find us...
we hope you never find us anywhere... anywhere... anywhere...
and we hope... we hope you never find us... we hope you never find us.
13. Innocent Bystanders United
These tears are carving trenches in my skin.
Put down the microscope, rip off my scales and take a look inside,
'cause I feel like... like Jesus don't... don't come around much more these days.
Skeletons are falling out through every fracture.
Look away, look away. There's nothing to see here.
Lies and mistakes all know me by my name, and...
and now they refuse to leave me alone, haunting me with their mutiny.
But there's no future in... in being a dinosaur, and...
and there's no future in the way I have been living.
But there's a hell of a past, so pull up a chair and I'll give you a good story,
because I know you're not attracted to the truth.
Skeletons are falling out through every fracture.
Look away, look away. There's nothing to see here.
Skeletons are falling out through every fracture.
Look away, look away. There's nothing to see here.
There's a hell of a past, so pull up a chair and I'll give you a good story.
14. Oriental
[Instrumental]
15. Kill More Presidents
[Bonus Track]
I don't believe you can be troubled.
Another day, another customer paying for it.
I'll swallow every knife on this table.
Another day, another year with you would shake the ground in the sea.
Scarcity of lust, heartlessness prevails.
I guess we'll kill more presidents!
We'll need their faces for all the cash we'll get from selling our family.
Where are you now?
We've waited so long and our hearts will never be the same...
Our hearts never will be the same.
Remember, it's a buyer's market when you sell your soul, sell your soul.
Scarcity of lust, heartlessness prevails.
I guess we'll kill more presidents!
We'll need their faces for all the cash we'll get from selling our family.
Where are you now?
We've waited so long and our hearts will never be the same...
Our hearts never will be the same.
Our hearts will never... hearts will never... hearts will never... hearts will never....
Scarcity of lust, heartlessness prevails.
I guess we'll kill more presidents!
We'll need their faces for all the cash we'll get from selling our family.
Where are you now? (Where are you now?)
We've waited so long and our hearts will never be the same...
Our hearts never will be the same.
Where are you now?
We've waited so long and our hearts will never be the same...
Our hearts never will be the same...
The same...
The same...
16. Distance To Planets
[Bonus Track]
You're burning like a sun and it's safe to say that I can't look away.
These lights are calling out my name
And I want nothing more than to attach attach attach, then try and get away.
Can't we get in over our heads?
Can't I just try and breathe?
Can't we drive in the wrong direction?
Can't we erase this map and always stay away?
Dig around and rid this place of distractions
And we will wash our hands clean until it's over.
I'll clear away the miles and drain the sea,
Then jump on the next dragon to the center of nowhere and consume you.
Can't we get in over our heads?
Can't I just try and breathe?
Can't we drive in the wrong direction?
Can't we erase this map and always stay away?
Can't I just try and breathe?
Can't we get in over our heads?
Can't I just try and breathe?
Can't we drive in the wrong direction?
Can't we erase this map and always stay away?