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Album Review: Norma Jean ‘Meridional’

Published

16 years ago

on

‘Meridional’, the fifth studio album from Norma Jean, is a musical journey: There isn’t really any other way to put it. It’s also an album that needs to be listened to in it’s entirety as the start and the end of the album do not exactly see eye to eye. But is this necessarily a negative aspect? Well, read on to find out!

normajeanmeridionalcover

The album starts off with ‘Leaderless and Self Enlisted’, a ‘in-your-face’ attack of aggressive guitars and intricate riffage that ends with screaming, intense vocals and a full on musical assault. Subtly mixing in melody that will become more and more apparent as the album progresses with tight songwriting, ‘Leaderless and Self Enlisted’ is perhaps the best way to start off an album that grows and matures with each track. 
The production of the album is near impeccable. My only real complaint was that the vocals were just ever so slightly buried in the mix, but minutely so. The vocal harmonies are very neatly mixed. The drums have a sharp attack and the bass drum cuts through the mix at just the right volume. The cymbals could have a slight bit more ‘sparkle’ to them, but otherwise were fine. The guitars are panned to create a thick guitar tone that is articulate yet heavy. The bass is an interesting creature as it shifts subtly from a round, deep tone that holds down the low end to a sharp, almost Motorhead-esque sound that is easily heard at the beginning of ‘The Anthem Of The Angry Brides’. Extra little effects, such as manipulation of the tones of instruments by software methods, add spice and zest to many of the tracks. And yet, the moment where I truly loved the production and engineering of this album was at the end of the penultimate track, ‘Innocent Bystanders United’: The piano is recorded beautifully and the listener can hear the creaks of the pedals and the key lid being closed. These little things add an atmosphere to the album that helps make it stand above other releases.
Two tracks that stood out to me as being especially fun to listen to are ‘A Media Friendly Turn For The Worse’ and ‘Falling From The Sky: Day Seven’. However, the bonus track, ‘Oriental’, seems more like an afterthought that was thrown on for shits and giggles. It doesn’t exactly serve much purpose in connection with the album or as a standalone for that matter. After almost 15 minutes of silence, I don’t feel that it adds anything. 
I have to take a second to write about the artwork of the album, as it really is something beautiful to look at. The cover perhaps is a bit too busy but the booklet has some gorgeous art inside. The only thing is that it as a bit too dark for me. If it were brightened up a little, more details would have emerged and I would have been able to appreciate the intricacies all the more. 
In conclusion, Norma Jean’s ‘Meridional’ is an amazing album that demonstrates the band’s growth not only over the years, but also in the space of one album. This is an album that will not easily be leaving my car stereo for quite a while and is something that I highly recommend. 
4.5 out of 5 skulls
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Movies

‘The Lost Boys’ Musical Extends Broadway Run With North American Tour Set for Spring 2028

Published

1 week ago

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May 28, 2026

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The Lost Boys: A New Musical officially kicked off on Broadway last month, and Deadline now reports that the show’s Broadway run has been extended into next year.

The show was originally set to run through November, but Deadline reports that The Lost Boys: A New Musical “has released a block of tickets through Sunday, March 7, 2027.”

The news comes in the wake of The Lost Boys: A New Musical becoming the most Tony-nominated musical of the season with twelve nominations including Best Musical.

Additionally, “The Lost Boys will launch a North American National Tour in Spring 2028, at Playhouse Square in Cleveland. Additional cities and tour dates will be announced later.”

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is of course an adaptation of the 1987 horror classic from director Joel Schumacher, with the cast including Ali Louis Bourzgui as lead vampire David (originally played by Kiefer Sutherland), Maria Wirries as Star (originally played by Jami Gertz), and LJ Benet as the soon-to-be-turned Michael (originally played by Jason Patric).

The horror musical’s cast also includes Shoshana Bean as Lucy Emerson, Benjamin Pajak as Sam Emerson, Paul Alexander Nolan as Max, Jennifer Duka as Alan Frog, Miguel Gil as Edgar Frog, Brian Flores as Marko, Sean Grandillo as Dwayne, and Dean Maupin as Paul.

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is Directed by Michael Arden, featuring Music and Lyrics by The Rescues, Book by David Hornsby & Chris Hoch, Story by James Jeremias & Janice Fischer, and Produced by James Carpinello, Marcus Chait & Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring) by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.

When a mother and her two teenage sons move to Santa Carla in desperate need of a fresh start, they soon uncover the darker side of this sunny coastal community. While Lucy tries to piece her family’s life back together, Michael keeps pulling away in search of belonging.

As he finds connection with a local rock band and its charismatic leader, his younger brother Sam comes face-to-face with a terrifying reality: When night falls, Michael’s new friends are even more dangerous than they first appeared.

Joel Schumacher directed the original The Lost Boys vampire movie in 1987, wherein two brothers move to a new town and discover that the area is a haven for vampires.

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