Following the release of 2002’s “Bless The Martyr and Kiss The Child,” Norma Jean were so hot, you could fry an egg on their collective ass. They had put out one of the most genre defining and, to this day, one of the most ripped off records to date. Chock full of E chords and breakdowns, it was heavy, it was dramatic, and at times it was a little spooky.

Shortly thereafter the band lost frontman and vocalist Josh Scogin and all of a sudden, their future seemed uncertain.

Fast-forward a couple years to 2004. Scogin and his new band, The Chariot, release one of the best records of the year and people are once again voicing concerns for Norma Jean. In the past two years, they have gone through yet another lead singer and have been touring with various replacements. Rumors began to circulate about a new album and music nerds everywhere were debating in hushed tones whether or not it will match up to the monster that was “Bless The Martyr and Kiss The Child.”

Fast-forward yet again to March 1, 2005. Today is the day “O, God, The Aftermath” is released.

In all probability, there will be a ton of people disappointed with this latest release, but at the same time, there will be as many people ecstatic with it. That’s just the nature of the beast; there will always be people who are waiting for another “Bless The Martyr…” and will not be satisfied with anything that doesn’t sound like it. Having said that, Norma Jean has released a good record that may or may not live up to the hype, depending on who is doing the hyping.

Produced by Matt Bayle, who has worked with heavyweights such as Isis, Botch, and Mastodon, this record sounds like it could jump through your speakers and beat you so bad your Mama would feel it.

Ultimately, the vocals will probably be under the most scrutiny on this record, and they hold up remarkably well. The band enlisted the former Eso-Charis singer Cory Putman for the vocal duties, and while Josh Scogin has set the bar pretty high, Putman definitely holds his own. He retains all the brutality of the band’s previous releases and even adds some singing to the mix.

Like a lot of hardcore/metal records these days, “O, God, The Aftermath” can begin to wear on the listener. Despite all it’s good points, it’s the kind of record that is fully enjoyed if you’re in the right mood for it. This probably isn’t the best record to go to sleep to or write a paper to. If you were in a street fight, however, this would be an excellent choice to have playing in your head.

While it may not be Earth-shattering, “O, God, The Aftermath” is worth picking up.

People need to realize that this isn’t really the same band that released “Bless The Martyr and Kiss The Child,” but that’s not to say it’s unimpressive. I believe Willy Nelson said it best: “It’s not bad, it’s just different.”