NORMA JEAN will drop their ninth album Deathrattle Sing For Me on August 12 via Solid State Records. Today, they have shared the video for “Sleep Explosion.”
“Destruction is a variant of completion,” says Cory Brandan, vocals. “We were nearing the end of a tour in January 2022, after a series of house shows. It was a couple of months before we started writing Deathrattle Sing For Me when I first heard the demo for this song. [Guitarist] Grayson [Stewart] texted it to me. I looked at my phone and saw the mock title ‘Valentine’s Day Ass Beater.’ Immediately, I put on headphones and listened. Why hadn’t I heard this yet? It just got me so excited to start writing.”
He continues, “We were staying with a friend that night and I opted to sleep in the van so I could listen to this song over and over. I pretty much wrote all the vocals for it that night and not much of it changed. I think sometimes we might think that we’ve spent so much time on something that we have to continue on the same path. Behind the music, I believe that changing your mind is freeing and we should be prepared and excited to do it anytime we want. Changing my mind is one of my favorite super powers. 24 hours and a new beginning!”
Norma Jean — rounded out by Grayson Stewart [lead guitar], Clay Crenshaw [guitar/bass], Matt Marquez [drums], and Michael Palmquist [guitar/bass] — plunge into unparalleled emotional depths on the new album. The band unearthed a searing signature style on O’ God, the Aftermath in 2005.
They struck up a creative partnership with iconic producer Ross Robinson on the seminal Redeemer [2007] and The Anti Mother [2008]. The latter notably boasted appearances by Chino Moreno of Deftones and Page Hamilton of Helmet. Following the acclaimed Meridional [2010], Wrongdoers [2013] represented a critical high watermark with a 9-out-of-10 score from Rock Sound and 9-out-of-10 score from Outburn.
On the heels of Polar Similar [2016], they reached another level on All Hail [2019]. In a perfect 5-star review, New Noise Magazine raved, “All Hail is yet another momentous accomplishment on their part,” while Kerrang! attested, “All Hail’s ambition and execution is worthy of worship.”
Along the way, they toured with everyone from Rob Zombie and Korn to Mastodon, Lamb of God, and more. During 2021, they recorded what would become Deathrattle Sing For Me with longtime collaborator Jeremy SH Griffith. They nodded to inspirations as diverse as Alice In Chains’ Dirt, The Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream, and the sample-and-riff onslaught of White Zombie’s La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume 1.
NORMA JEAN ON TOUR WITH IDLE THREAT:
8/13 — Colorado Springs, CO — Black Sheep
8/14 — Salt Lake City, UT — Metro
WITH EMERY, AARON GILLESPIE, + MORE:
8/16 — San Francisco, CA — August Hall
8/17 — Reno, NV — Virginia St. Brewhouse
8/18 — Anaheim, CA — Chain Reaction
8/19 — Los Angeles, CA — Regent Theater
8/20 — San Diego, CA — House of Blues
8/21 — Phoenix, AZ — Marquee Theater
NORMA JEAN ONLY:
8/23 — Roswell, NM — Liberty Theater
WITH IDLE THREAT:
8/25 — Lincoln, NE — 1867
8/26 — Iowa City, IA — Gabes
8/27 — St. Louis, MO — Red Flag
FESTIVAL DATES:
8/28 — Louisville, KY — Irate Festival
9/8 — Danville, VA — Blue Ridge Rock Fest
WITH EMERY, OH, SLEEPER, AARON GILLESPIE, + MORE:
9/14 — Tulsa, OK — Vanguard
9/15 — Dallas, TX — Trees
9/16 — San Antonio, TX — Vibes Event Center
9/17 — Houston, TX — Scout Bar
9/18 — Austin, TX — Come and Take It Live
FESTIVAL DATE:
9/23 — Birmingham, AL — Furnace Fest
