DEBUT ON BILLBOARD TOP 200 ALBUMS CHART AT #29 WITH ‘THE ANTI MOTHER,’ COMMERCIAL RADIO BUZZ FOR FIRST SINGLE ‘ROBOTS 3, HUMANS 0,’ ALBUM #1 MOST ADDED AT FMQB LAST WEEK

August 19, 2008

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Interested in writing for us? Click here. Also join us at for contests and further news. Thanks for visiting!

Richard = Tanana

CT = COMMUNICATIONS

OPERATORS = OF:

<= /span>

=A0

NORMA = JEAN

‘THE ANTI = MOTHER“ROBOTS 3, HUMANS = 0,”

=A0

ALBUM #1 MOST ADDED FMQB LAST = WEEK

=A0
=A0

NORMA=A0=A0have entered the=A0Billboard=A0Top 200 Album Chart at #29 by = selling over 16,000 copies of their much-anticipated new album=A0THE ANTI MOTHER=A0in its first week of = release. The CD also debuted at #2 on the=A0Billboard=A0Top Christian Albums Chart and = #4 on the=A0Billboard=A0Hard Music = Chart.

“THE ANTI MOTHER=A0is finally out, it’s almost = unreal to us. We worked so hard from AM to PM writing…and PM to AM = recording,” says lead singer CORY BRANDAN. “We’re ecstatic so many = people bought the record, we’re already seeing a great response to these = songs live and can’t wait till our fall headlining tour to play this = album more. Buy records, support southern = rock.”

THE ANTI = MOTHER–the group’s = fourth full-length offering–marks the highest CD debut for NORMA JEAN = as well as an artistic and creative high point for=A0the Atlanta = based five-piece.

In early radio news,=A0THE ANTI MOTHER=A0was #1 most added at FMQB last = week. The buzz is now building at commercial radio for NORMA JEAN’s = first single “Robots 3, Humans 0,” as well as the standout tracks “Birth = of The Anti Mother” and “Vipers Snakes and Actors” with adds at: KDLD = “Indie=A0103.1″ (Los Angeles, CA), WZOR = (WI), KHBZ (OK), WKGB (NY), KFLY (OR), KROX (TX), KJML (MO), KFTE (LA), = WOBX (NC), KDJE (AR), WCPR (MS), WCHZ (GA) and WYBB (SC),=A0as well as Sirius Satellite, = XM=A0Satellite and Music = Choice. Check out some early reaction for=A0THE ANTI MOTHER=A0from radio = programmers:

“This = band is a perfect example of positive growth. They always manage to = reinvent themselves while maintaining a sound that belongs entirely to = them. They kick so much ass.”

–Kevin Manno, Q101, Chicago (Crash = Test Radio)

“The Anti Mother=A0is the ‘redeemer’ for Norma = Jean. This album has an abundance of vocal and instrumental melodies = which were previously unheard in the band’s other works, while = delivering the unrelenting beatings we’ve come to expect from metal’s = ‘Slam of the South’.”

–Full Metal Jackie, = KDLD Indie 103.1, Los Angeles

“With the=A0evolving = songwriting skills on=A0their latest album,=A0The Anti Mother, Norma = Jean are poised to conquer an entire new = audience.”

–Lacey, = WOBX (NC), Music Director

“Another = refreshing dose of metal, Norma Jean is back with more infectious = grooves that will have you screaming along from first = listen!”

– Scott Crynock, SIRIUS SATELLITE = RADIO

“Norma Jean takes a huge, brutal step forward with = the release of=A0The = Anti Mother. The heaviness you love from Norma Jean with a new, = melodic vocal direction. Let the neck breaking = begin!”

–Scott Less, = KXFX=A0(Santa Rosa, = CA)

“Norma Jean returns with a disc that promises to = wake the neighbors.=A0The = Anti Mother=A0is = definitely their hardest record yet. The best is yet to come from this = group.”

– Troy = Bradley,=A0WCHZ (Augusta, = GA)

=A0

“Every artist attempts to step up and push = the boundaries with each new work… NJ is no exception… Sh*t is = through the Roof!”

–Gary Susalis, = MUSIC CHOICE

“It’s been about two years in the waiting for the = new Norma Jean release…and it was well worth the wait! These bros know = how to smoke!”

–NORMA JEAN–CORY BRANDAN=A0(lead vocals, = guitars),=A0SCOTTIE HENRY=A0(guitars),=A0JAKE SCHULTZ=A0(bass),=A0CHRIS DAY(guitars) and=A0CHRIS RAINES=A0(drums)–=A0just = wrapped their mainstage run on this summer’s entire Vans Warped Tour = this past Sunday, August 17 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. The = group will announce a major nationwide headlining Fall U.S. tour = soon.
THE ANTI = MOTHERthe = follow-up=A0to their = 2006=A0critical= ly lauded=A0Redeemer–is already garnering major critical = praise:~~“The = backstory surrounding Norma Jean’s latest album is fraught with domestic = strife and great personal challenges. Not surprisingly, it’s also=A0the best record of their = career.”~~

–ALTERNATIVE PRESS, September = 2008

“…=A0THE ANTI MOTHER=A0is an unexpected record for = Norma Jean:It’s heavy without = being dense; melodic, but not basely so… “..the=A0=A0crunching “Opposite of = Left and Wrong” (with Page Hamilton) and the lush (Chino) Moreno = collaboration “Surrender Your Sons,” are not only musical firsts for the = band but two=A0signposts to their bright = future…”

–Andrew Kelham,=A0ALTERNATIVE PRESS=A0(FEATURE), September = 2008

heaping distortion, = drums and panicked/pained screams=A0together. …[The song ‘Robots 3, Humans 0′ employs] = shifting rhythms featuring frantic drumbeats that sound like a = frustrated writer banging on a = typewriter.

–CMJ=A0“Essential CDs”,=A0Tiffany = Kilfeather=A0(8/11/08)

=A0‘Self Employed Chemist,’=A0the Atlanta Christian = crew=A0unleash another scything blast of ragged = guitars and melodic vitriol to get their fans = salivating…”

–KERRANG! = (7/26/08)

=A0

=A0a swinging, furious = urgency…”

Tim Grierson,=A0REVOLVER=A0(FEATURE), (September = 2008)

=A0

“…THE ANTI MOTHER=A0offers up another batch of = cathartic, pummeling metal. Although the bandmates still flaunt an = ability to grind their audience’s eardrums into powder,=A0Norma Jean’s hidden strength lies in their dedication to melody, = which hides behind walls of sound and rears its head during key = moments.=A0‘Self Employed Chemist’ and ‘Robots 3 = Humans 0′ are prime examples, mixing distortion with melodic hooks and = vocal harmonies.=A0Norma Jean’s members aren’t = softening in their old age; rather,=A0they’ve learned to add variation to the metalcore pattern, = injecting bursts of melody=A0and offering cameo = spots to members of the Deftones, Mighty Six Ninety, Saosin, Helmet, and = others.=A0THE ANTI MOTHER=A0ultimately boasts the best of = both worlds: heavy riffage with manic, tortured shrieking, and = aggressive melodies sung with equal parts passion and = grit.”

–Andrew Leahey,=A0ALL MUSIC GUIDE=A0(August, = 2008)

=A0Norma Jean have transcended the metalcore scene = entirely with this epic monster…The album’s cuts = are=A0raw, melodic and extremely = angry…Rather than just mixing hardcore and metal = according to the current formula,=A0Norma Jean dissect = both genres and re-fashion the elements into a style all their = own…Each chord crunch rings like a shotgun, and the lyrics bleed = passion…–Rick Florino,=A0ARTIST DIRECT, = (8/6/08)“Hyping this album based on the guest appearances alone would = be easy. After all, Chino Moreno (Deftones) and Page Hamilton (Helmet) = don’t just play on the record, they helped write parts of it. But = there’s more to be excited about, namely the=A0huge artistic strides=A0Norma Jean have = made. On=A0THE ANTI = MOTHER, vocalist Cory Brandan stretches his pipes to sing = Thrice-style anthems (’Robots 3, Humans 0′), but still manages one of = noisy hardcore’s more convincing and dexterous screams for most of the = album.=A0‘Discipline Your Daughters’ is the new = gold standard for controlled vocal abuse. The rest of the band have = stepped it up on=A0THE = ANTI MOTHER=A0as well, = fine-tuning an already ridiculously tight engine.=A0Guitarist Scottie Henry has a = knack for finding chords between the chords and producer Ross Robinson = is the right hammer for getting more blood from this six-stringed = stone.”

–Oakland L. Childers,=A0ALTERNATIVE PRESS=A0(FOUR-OUT-OF-FIVE STARS, CD = REVIEW), September 2008

A few tracks have leaked = [from=A0THE ANTI = MOTHER] and they are devastating, including a collaboration with the = Deftones’ Chino Moreno. They’re this year’s DEP as=A0their shows are lively and wild and the band freakin brings = it.”

–Brian Krasman,=A0THE DAILY NEWS=A0(McKeepsort, PA), = (7/28/08)