Georgia, Atlanta’s metalcore pioneers Norma Jean are returning to the fray after the three-year hiatus with a new album, Deathrattle Sing For Me, due out in August, and they’re also releasing a new song today, Call For Today, along with an accompanying video.
Starting with a distorted scree of guitars, the stripped-down sound of Call For Today, nonetheless exemplifies the experimental nature the band have developed since their original incarnation as Luti-Kriss in 1997. Bringing in electronics, samples and atonal riffs while welding them to the sturdiest of grooves, its tinderbox fury perfectly suited to this glitchy, post-Code Orange age.
“Call For Today was one of the first songs where I felt like we were establishing a personality for the [forthcoming] album, says song composer and co-producer, Matthew Putman. “Even though it was constructed in the studio from manipulated ideas we captured during a 'riff vomiting' session with Grayson [Stewart, lead guitarist], it still has a very raw, live energy. The samples were all chosen in a very deliberate way for how they coloured the story behind the song (rebellious unity). There is nothing random about [the song]; every sound has meaning. This is one of my all-time favourite vocal performance from Cory [Brandon], where he proves once again why he's one of the best of his generation."
“The experimentation and the process behind this track was a major point of inspiration for many other things we ended up doing throughout Deathrattle Sing For Me,” says vocalist Cory. ”I feel like Matthew wrote this song with my voice in mind, and I wanted to do something very unique over it. Dangerous rock'n'roll! Blast it!"
Featuring 13 tracks, Deathrattle Sing For Me looks set to be the band's most expansive-sounding album yet. Integrating over 200 tracks with vocals, guitars, strings, and samples, it finds the band taking on the likes of Alice In Chains, The Smashing Pumpkins and White Zombie for inspiration, while still looking relentlessly ahead.
“It’s extremely dense,” says Cory. “I don’t know if we’ll ever do this to the same extent, but we really wanted to provide the experience of lying on the floor with headphones and absorbing those layers. You can listen to it with fresh ears and hopefully find something new each time.”
Deathrattle Sing For Me track listing:
1) 1994
2) Call For The Blood
3) Spearmint Revolt
4) Memorial Hoard
5) Aria Obscura
6) Any%
7) Parallella
8) W W A V V E
9) A Killing Word
10) Penny Margs
11) el-roi
12) Sleep Explosion
13) Heartache
Deathrattle Sing For Me is due to be released on August 12 via Solid State Records.
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