Norma Jean


Mark your calendars and make notes for July 13 in whatever PDA/handheld/smart phone you use. Because that's when Norma Jean will release their fifth album and Razor & Tie debut, 'Meridional.' The official word on 'Meridional' is that it's a return to the band's abrasive, chaotic roots all the while heading down a darker, more experimental path. If that description turns out to hold even a kernel of truth, we're in! We're down.

Norma Jean recorded 'Meridional' in February at Glow in the Dark Studios in their native Atlanta with producer Jeremy Griffith. And no, the irony of a darker album being recorded at a studio called Glow in the Dark is not lost on us. The album will boast 11 official tracks, even though the band put a few bonus tracks and B-sides to tape, which we're guessing will undoubtedly end up on the reissue or deluxe edition that should come down the pike a few months after the initial release on July 13. Just sayin'.

In a statement issued through Razor & Tie, vocalist Cory Brandan described 'Meridional' as "a heavy record, multifaceted with epic-sounding, experimental songs, some fast, chaotic songs and some melodic, commanding interludes. Any track we didn't think had reached its utmost sonic prowess was given a second look, revised to be as powerful as possible." Hey, the best writers always claim to rewrite better than they write, so there's no reason why songwriters don't take the same approach.

The album will be released in conjunction with the band's appearance on this summer's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. The band will also play two weeks of club dates with Every Time I Die and Cancer Bats, kicking off May 11, where they will be premiering brand new tracks from 'Meridional.' Of this tour, Brandan said, "If we had to choose any band to be stuck with on tour, it would be Every Time I Die. They're one of our favorite bands, full of musicians that we respect. We only wish it was longer or could be liquefied so I could mainline it."



Norma Jean tour dates


5/11 -- Columbus, OH -- Newport Music Hall *

5/12 -- Jermyn, PA -- Eleanor Rigby's *

5/14 -- Lexington, KY -- Buster's *

5/15 -- Birmingham, AL -- Zydeco *

5/16 -- Asheville, NC -- The Orange Peel *

5/17 -- Nashville, TN -- Rocketown *

5/18 -- Columbia, MO -- Mojos *

5/19 -- Springfield, MO -- Remington's Downtown *

5/21 -- Little Rock, AR -- The Village *

5/22 -- New Orleans, LA -- House of Blues *

5/23 -- Jacksonville, FL -- Freebird Live *

5/24 -- Charleston, SC -- Music Farm *

5/25 -- Wilmington, NC -- Soapbox *

7/10 -- San Bernardino, CA -- San Manual Amphitheater #

7/11 -- View, CA -- Shoreline Amphitheater #

7/13 -- Auburn, WA -- White River Amphitheater #

7/14 -- Nampa, ID -- Idaho Center Amphitheater #

7/16 -- Phoenix, AZ -- Cricket Wireless Pavilion #

7/17 -- Albuquerque, NM -- Journal Pavilion #

7/18 -- Englewood, CO -- Comfort Dental Amphitheater #

7/20 -- Maryland Heights, MO -- Verizon Wireless Amphitheater #

7/21 -- Cincinnati, OH -- Riverbend Music Center #

7/23 -- Camden, NJ -- Susquehanna Bank Center #

7/24 -- Hartford, CT -- The Comcast Theatre #

7/25 -- Montreal, Quebec -- Parc Jean Drapeau #

7/27 -- Mansfield, MA -- Comcast Center #

7/28 -- Holmdel, NJ -- PNC Bank Arts Center #

7/30 -- Tinley Park, IL -- First Midwest Bank Amphitheater #

7/31 -- Noblesville, IN -- Verizon Wireless Music Center #

8/1 -- Atlanta, GA -- Lakewood Amphitheater #

8/3 -- Raleigh, NC -- Time Warner Pavilion/Walnut Creek #

8/4 -- Virginia Beach, VA -- Virginia Beach Amphitheater #

8/6 -- Clarkston, MI -- DTE Energy Music Theatre #

8/7 -- Burgettstown, PA -- First Niagara Pavilion #

8/8 -- Bristow, VA -- Jiffy Lube Live #

8/10 -- Tampa, FL -- Ford Amphitheatre #

8/11 -- West Palm Beach, FL -- Cruzan Amphitheater #

8/13 -- Dallas, TX -- Superpages.com Center #

8/14 -- Oklahoma City, OK -- Zoo Amphitheatre #

* With Every Time I Die and Cancer Bats

# Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival

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