Reviewed by Graeme Crawford

Norma Jean have always come across with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Brutal, crushing guitar riffs, thunderous rhythms and blistering vocals are the Norma Jean trademark. These elements remain in 'Redeemer' but the band have made subtle changes to their sound which has strongly divided opinion. The band provoked a backlash on their myspace site with the posting of "Blueprints For Future Homes" as the first track from the new album. Many fans were upset as the song clocks in at less than three minutes and features some proper singing. However the band have forged on and produced a belter of an album. Shorter songs, some singing and more melodies there may be, but the band have lost nothing of their trademark aggression. Having learnt to temper their sound in places, the heavier sections stand out and become more effective. Some fans of the band will unfortunately be pushed away by this evolution, but the band are gaining more of an acceptance from mainstream rock press. "We're not going backwards," screams vocalist Corey Brandan on "A Temperamental Widower", and on the evidence of this album it's very hard to disagree.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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