*Every Thursday from now until Chicago Open Air gets here we will be releasing an article about a band playing the festival to get you familiar with them.*
This week’s artist is Norma Jean.
On Sunday, July 16th, pioneer metalcore titans Norma Jean join a stacked lineup at Chicago Open Air at Toyota Park. Norma Jean is known for their melodic, heavy sound that is perfect for driving a crowd into a frenzy. The band formed all the way back in 1997 in Georgia and there are no original members left. Former vocalist Josh Scogin left the band in 2002 right after the first full length album ‘Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child’ featuring tracks like “Memphis Will Be Laid to Waste” and “Creating Something Out of Nothing, Only to Destroy It.” Scogin went on to form acts like The Chariot and ’68. Current vocalist Cory Brandan Putman joined in 2004 and has been in the band for the longest period.
When they take the stage on the same day as other well-known acts like DevilDriver, Demon Hunter, and Lamb of God, Norma Jean will be out with something to prove. I have heard nothing but positive things from many people about how much effort they put into their live performances. I will be catching them next week for the first time at Rock on the Range and personally can’t wait to see what all the hype about their live shows will show. You simply won’t be able to stand still during their set as their material is perfect for moshing and jumping. They have a very diverse catalogue with some material leaning towards noise rock while some of the recent material has a bit of a southern-fried metal bite to it. Their last two albums (‘Wrongdoers’ and ‘Polar Similar’) were received very well, containing some of their strongest songs to date. You can check out the epic, milk-infested video of “If You Got It At Five, You Got It At Fifty” below… this band has some of the most interesting song titles I’ve ever seen. It seems that they are only doing festival runs through this summer aside from their one headline date in New Orleans that can be seen in the photo above. Get your tickets to see Norma Jean live at Chicago Open Air here. Also be sure to follow the band and festival on Facebook for more updates on new music and any info on Chicago Open Air.
Norma Jean is:
Cory Brandan Putman – Vocals, Guitars
Jeff Hicket – Lead Guitar
Clayton Holyoak – Drums
John Finnegan – Bass
Phillip Farris – Rhythm Guitar
