Norma Jean has been like a long standing statue in hardcore, metalcore, and really in heavy music, in general. The band has seen their share of line-up changes in about every position. They also have a body of work that at times reminds you of why they became popular and at other times gets a little more experimental with their formula. “1,000,000 Watts” is the first single from the band's upcoming album,
Polar Similar. I think it caught my attention right at first listen. I think it's refined Norma Jean in a lot of ways. It is, in ways, a reminder that time doesn't tame everything. The song has the intense heaviness that Norma Jean has been known for over time. The throaty screams of Cory Brandan are pretty intense. It also has some of the clean vocals and alternative rock edges that we've heard on later releases that really sound very Chino Moreno-ish (Deftones). I really enjoy the guitar work on the song. It's heavy, but it has some really catchy sounding riffs. I think if you are a fan of past and present hardcore or metalcore then you're probably going to enjoy this song. It may not venture too far from what we've come to expect from Norma Jean, but it's exactly what I wanted to hear. For a band this deep into their career they have so much energy on this track that it rivals that of bands ten or fifteen years younger than them. Norma Jean's last album was probably my favorite release of theirs since
Redeemer and this first single from
Polar Similar is really solid and I'm enjoying it a lot. If the album continues this trend the band should have another good album in their discography. In the meantime you can't go wrong listening to this first single!
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