Meridional (album)
Encyclopedia
Meridional is the fifth studio album by American metalcore
band Norma Jean
. The album was released on July 12, 2010, and is also the band's first release through Razor & Tie
since leaving Solid State Records
in 2009. After recording their two previous studio albums, The Anti Mother
and Redeemer
, with producer Ross Robinson
, Norma Jean selected Jeremy Griffith to produce Meridional in order to expand their sound. The first single off the album, "Leaderless and Self Enlisted," was released on May 6, 2010.
. In April 2009, the band dropped off a tour with Silverstein
, Blessthefall
and Before Their Eyes
due to a number of undisclosed reasons. They announced that, upon returning to Atlanta, they would resume writing their fifth full-length. The music Norma Jean was writing was described as "something totally new" and something that would pay tribute to "how this band began by digging deep into our roots musically." The band later clarified that "roots" didn't necessarily mean that they would write a new album similar to their first record, Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child
. Instead, they were referring to their former mentality when the band members first started making music. The writing process continued throughout the remainder of 2009 and was officially completed in January 2010.
Norma Jean entered Glow in the Dark studios in Atlanta with record producer
Jeremy Griffith (Saosin
, Forever Changed
, Cool Hand Luke
) and Pro Tools
audio engineer Justin Chapman to record Meridional February 1, 2010. They spent the first three days in pre-production creating live recordings of all the songs for the record. Griffith suggested that the band track guitars before bass guitars, which is backwards from conventional recording methods. Vocalist Cory Brandan
stated that this switch was, "a great idea because we changed the chords and progressions on a lot of songs throughout recording, so we were able to have the bass follow the guitars and be a part of the rhythm section more accurately." Norma Jean welcomed Griffith's input on the album. During recording, he would occasionally record his own vocal tracks for songs to see how the band liked his ideas. Griffith contributed backing vocals to a number of songs, and also played piano
. The group used a wide array of instruments in addition to the piano from Glow in the Dark studios, including acoustic guitars, organs
, random percussion
, and a lap steel guitar
. Norma Jean also used a variety of guitar tunings
from "drop C#, to C and occasionally to super low B" in order to prevent "songs from blending in together" and help make "writing and recording more interesting." Recording and production was finished before the end of February. Meridional resulted in the largest number of tracks Norma Jean had recorded in one session to date, with 13 songs and three short interludes.
reference to Norma Jean's southern roots. The group is based the southern regions of the United States, specifically in Douglasville, Georgia. However, according to Cory Brandon, the title later fit together with the story and theme of Meridional, and also ties in with the artwork. The other three celestial directions: Septentrional
(northern), Oriental (eastern) and Occidental
(western) make up the album's three interlude tracks.
since they left Solid State Records
after seven years and four studio albums in 2009. Norma Jean also spent additional years with Solid State, and released one album entitled Throwing Myself
in 2001 through the label, under their original name Luti-Kriss. Some music news sites found the label choice odd as Razor & Tie is also home to the blue-eyed soul
singer Michael McDonald
, The Irish Tenors from PBS and the children's cover album series Kidz Bop
.
Norma Jean toured with The Chariot
, Horse the Band
and Arsonists Get All the Girls
during the "Explosions 2009" tour in November and December of that year. On select dates of the tour, the band performed their debut album Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child
in its entirety and also debuted the new song "Kill More Presidents". Fans were encouraged to bring video cameras to the concerts and submit their recordings of "Kill More Presidents" to the band online. Video clips from various recordings were compiled into one video with a demo recording of the new song used as the audio. Fans could download the video for free by subscribing to the band's e-mailing list. The song "Kill More Presidents" did not make the final cut for the album. It was the first track that Norma Jean had demoed for Meridional, and the band had grown tired of it. A newer version of the song with an entirely new ending had been recorded with the intent to release it at a later time.
In April 2010, Cory Brandon created and released a promotional video for Meridional. The video features glimpses of the album's cover art with a clip of the song "The Anthem of the Angry Brides" as the audio. The artwork was created by Jason Oda (Congregation of the Damned
, Hide Nothing
) of StarvingEyes, an artist of which Brandon has been a fan of "for years." Commenting on the artwork, Brandon stated, "We take a lot of pride in all the art we use. Every record has a certain vibe, and we always want the artwork to represent that same energy. This record has a very specific, very dark feel throughout and I know that of any record we've ever released, this is definitely the best artwork we've ever had." The full album cover was later released in May 2010.
On May 6, 2010, Norma Jean released the song "Leaderless and Self Enlisted" for free to anyone that signed up for their online mailing list. It was later sold through digital media sources such as iTunes
or Amazon.com
, and became the band's first single
released separately from one of their albums. Musically, the song was considered similar to Norma Jean's 2008 album The Anti Mother
, despite previously claiming that Meridional would be a return to the group's roots.
Meridional was made available for pre-order
in June 2010 with a few different packages available containing various assortments of band merchandise. The album is available on both CD
and double disc 12" vinyl
formats. All pre-order packages included a free and instant download of the song "Deathbed Atheist" off of the album. During the three weeks leading up to the release of Meridional, the band held a contest giving away their instruments used to record the album. One grand prize winner, chosen at random from their online mailing list per week, was awarded a drum kit, electric guitar or bass guitar. A runner-up was also chosen and awarded various autographed Norma Jean merchandise.
featuring Norma Jean and headlined by Korn
and Rob Zombie
.
During the week of release for Meridional, Norma Jean/Razor & Tie released a promotional television advertisement
for the album. The ad used clips from the music video for "Deathbed Atheist" in addition to quotes from various professional reviews praising the album. The full music video for "Deathbed Atheist" was officially released on July 21, 2010. It was directed by Linus Johansson of Popcore Film.
Norma Jean recorded a total of 13 songs and three interludes during the Meridional sessions. The band planned on using eleven songs for the album, and release the rest as B-sides
for "other things down the road." The previously released demo song "Kill More Presidents" was re-recorded with a new ending, and was intended to be officially released at some point. It was later added to the Best Buy version of the album as a bonus track. Originally revealed in an April 2010 studio blog post, the B-side "Distance to Planets" was released as an iTunes Meridional bonus track.
In its first week of sales, Meridional sold 9,800 copies in the US and opened at number 45 on the Billboard 200
. Norma Jean's previous studio album, The Anti Mother, sold over 16,000 copies and debuted at number 29 on the Billboard 200 in 2008.
The Christian Metalcore band received the No. 3 spot in Exclaim!
's 2010 Metal Album's of the Year.
and Napster
version
Hot Topic
and ShockHound
version
iTunes
version
Production and recording
Additional musicians
Artwork and layout
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band Norma Jean
Norma Jean (band)
Norma Jean is an American metalcore band from Douglasville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Since their inception in 1997 and replacement of members throughout the years, the band's only original member is the guitarist, Chris Day...
. The album was released on July 12, 2010, and is also the band's first release through Razor & Tie
Razor & Tie
Razor & Tie is a New York-based corporation founded in 1990 by Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam. The company encompasses a record label with major label distribution , a home video company, a media buying company, a music publishing business, a marketing, promotion and sales team, and a direct...
since leaving Solid State Records
Solid State Records
Solid State Records is a Christian record label, a division of Tooth & Nail Records. Unlike Tooth & Nail, Solid State signs hardcore and metal bands. Like Tooth & Nail, Solid State is primarily a Christian label. However, they have signed several bands that don't label themselves as Christian,...
in 2009. After recording their two previous studio albums, The Anti Mother
The Anti Mother
- Personnel :Norma Jean*Cory Brandan – lead vocals, guitars*Scottie Henry – guitars*Jake Schultz – bass*Chris Day – guitars*Chris Raines – drums, percussionGuest personnel*Chino Moreno – writing, guitars, vocals...
and Redeemer
Redeemer (Norma Jean album)
Redeemer is Norma Jean's third studio album. It was released on September 12, 2006 in the United States, and on October 3, 2006 in Canada. The album sold more than 21,000 records in its first week. It is the last album to feature drummer Daniel Davison...
, with producer Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
, Norma Jean selected Jeremy Griffith to produce Meridional in order to expand their sound. The first single off the album, "Leaderless and Self Enlisted," was released on May 6, 2010.
Writing and recording
Norma Jean began writing music for Meridional in January 2009 in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. In April 2009, the band dropped off a tour with Silverstein
Silverstein (band)
Silverstein is a Canadian post-hardcore band from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 2000. Their band name is a reference to the famous children's author Shel Silverstein, whom the band had admired and read the stories of as children. They have released a total of five studio albums, three EP's, a...
, Blessthefall
Blessthefall
Blessthefall is an American metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona, currently signed to Fearless Records. The band was founded in 2003 by guitarist Mike Frisby, drummer Matt Traynor, and bassist Jared Warth. Their debut album, His Last Walk, with original vocalist Craig Mabbitt, was released April...
and Before Their Eyes
Before Their Eyes
Before Their Eyes is a post-hardcore band from Findlay, Ohio. The band is currently signed to InVogue Records. Founded by vocalist Nick Moore and former guitarist James Nahorny, the name of the band is taken from the New Testament verse Romans 3:18: "There is no fear of God before their eyes." As...
due to a number of undisclosed reasons. They announced that, upon returning to Atlanta, they would resume writing their fifth full-length. The music Norma Jean was writing was described as "something totally new" and something that would pay tribute to "how this band began by digging deep into our roots musically." The band later clarified that "roots" didn't necessarily mean that they would write a new album similar to their first record, Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child
Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child
- Personnel :* Josh Scogin – Vocals* Christopher Day – Guitar* Scottie Henry – Guitar* Joshua Doolittle – Bass* Daniel Davison – Drums* Produced by Adam Dutkiewicz and Norma Jean* Mastered by Alan Douches...
. Instead, they were referring to their former mentality when the band members first started making music. The writing process continued throughout the remainder of 2009 and was officially completed in January 2010.
Norma Jean entered Glow in the Dark studios in Atlanta with record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Jeremy Griffith (Saosin
Saosin
Saosin is an American rock band originally hailing from Newport Beach, California. The band was formed in 2003 and recorded its first EP, Translating the Name, that same year with original singer Anthony Green. Green left Saosin following the band's decision to sign with a commercial label,...
, Forever Changed
Forever Changed
Forever Changed was a Christian Rock band from Tallahassee and Orlando, Florida. They came together in 1999 and broke up in 2006. Dan Cole was the lead singer, a guitarist, and a pianist. Ben O'Rear was the lead guitarist, Tom Gustafson played bass, and Nathan Lee played the drums.-Albums:-Demos...
, Cool Hand Luke
Cool Hand Luke (band)
Cool Hand Luke is a Nashville-based Christian band variously classified as alternative rock, progressive pop, indie, and emo and signed to Lujo Records on March 16, 2008.-History:...
) and Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
audio engineer Justin Chapman to record Meridional February 1, 2010. They spent the first three days in pre-production creating live recordings of all the songs for the record. Griffith suggested that the band track guitars before bass guitars, which is backwards from conventional recording methods. Vocalist Cory Brandan
Cory Brandan Putman
Cory Brandan is the current lead vocalist for the metalcore band Norma Jean. Despite near constant touring with the band, he still manages to maintain his role as both a dedicated father to his two children, 11 and 16, and an affectionate boyfriend to his longtime girlfriend and fellow artist,...
stated that this switch was, "a great idea because we changed the chords and progressions on a lot of songs throughout recording, so we were able to have the bass follow the guitars and be a part of the rhythm section more accurately." Norma Jean welcomed Griffith's input on the album. During recording, he would occasionally record his own vocal tracks for songs to see how the band liked his ideas. Griffith contributed backing vocals to a number of songs, and also played piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. The group used a wide array of instruments in addition to the piano from Glow in the Dark studios, including acoustic guitars, organs
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, random percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, and a lap steel guitar
Lap steel guitar
The lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
. Norma Jean also used a variety of guitar tunings
Guitar tunings
Guitar tunings almost always refers to the pitch of the open string, though some tunings may only realistically be attained by the use of a capo on an unmodified instrument....
from "drop C#, to C and occasionally to super low B" in order to prevent "songs from blending in together" and help make "writing and recording more interesting." Recording and production was finished before the end of February. Meridional resulted in the largest number of tracks Norma Jean had recorded in one session to date, with 13 songs and three short interludes.
Album title
Meridional is the term used historically in astronomy, generally by countries whose language is rooted in Latin, to describe a southern direction on the celestial globe. The title, when it was originally thought up by the band, was intended to be a tongue-in-cheekTongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
reference to Norma Jean's southern roots. The group is based the southern regions of the United States, specifically in Douglasville, Georgia. However, according to Cory Brandon, the title later fit together with the story and theme of Meridional, and also ties in with the artwork. The other three celestial directions: Septentrional
Septentrional
Septentrional is a word that means "of the north", rarely used in English but commonly used in Latin and in the Romance languages. Early maps of North America, mostly those before 1700, often refer to the northern- or northwestern-most unexplored areas of the continent at "Septentrional" or...
(northern), Oriental (eastern) and Occidental
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
(western) make up the album's three interlude tracks.
Pre-release
Meridional will be the first release from the band through Razor & TieRazor & Tie
Razor & Tie is a New York-based corporation founded in 1990 by Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam. The company encompasses a record label with major label distribution , a home video company, a media buying company, a music publishing business, a marketing, promotion and sales team, and a direct...
since they left Solid State Records
Solid State Records
Solid State Records is a Christian record label, a division of Tooth & Nail Records. Unlike Tooth & Nail, Solid State signs hardcore and metal bands. Like Tooth & Nail, Solid State is primarily a Christian label. However, they have signed several bands that don't label themselves as Christian,...
after seven years and four studio albums in 2009. Norma Jean also spent additional years with Solid State, and released one album entitled Throwing Myself
Throwing Myself
Throwing Myself is the first full-length album by Luti-Kriss. It was released in 2001 on Solid State Records. After the release of this album, the band changed their name to Norma Jean.-Track listing:# "Local 1145" – 1:11...
in 2001 through the label, under their original name Luti-Kriss. Some music news sites found the label choice odd as Razor & Tie is also home to the blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul is a media term that was used to describe rhythm and blues and soul music performed by white artists, with a strong pop music influence. The term was first used in the mid-1960s to describe white artists who performed soul and R&B that was similar to the music of the Motown and...
singer Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald (singer)
Michael McDonald is a five-time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter. McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan...
, The Irish Tenors from PBS and the children's cover album series Kidz Bop
Kidz Bop
Kidz Bop is a brand of compilation albums featuring child session musicians performing contemporary music. The series was developed by Razor & Tie co-founders Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam in 2001...
.
Norma Jean toured with The Chariot
The Chariot (band)
The Chariot is an American mathcore band from Douglasville, Georgia, formed in 2003. The current lineup consists of drummer David Kennedy, bassist Jon "KC Wolf" Kindler, vocalist and bandleader Josh Scogin, and guitarists Brandon Henderson and Stephen Harrison. The band has experienced frequent...
, Horse the Band
HORSE the band
Horse the Band is a band from Lake Forest, California who are best known for their 8-bit Nintendo-influenced sound combined with metalcore. Frontman Nathan Winneke once described their sound as "Nintendocore".-Biography:...
and Arsonists Get All the Girls
Arsonists Get All the Girls
Arsonists Get All the Girls is an American deathcore band from Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 2005, they are currently signed to Century Media Records and have recorded and released four full-length studio albums, Hits from the Bow, The Game of Life, Portals and Motherland.-Biography:Arsonists...
during the "Explosions 2009" tour in November and December of that year. On select dates of the tour, the band performed their debut album Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child
Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child
- Personnel :* Josh Scogin – Vocals* Christopher Day – Guitar* Scottie Henry – Guitar* Joshua Doolittle – Bass* Daniel Davison – Drums* Produced by Adam Dutkiewicz and Norma Jean* Mastered by Alan Douches...
in its entirety and also debuted the new song "Kill More Presidents". Fans were encouraged to bring video cameras to the concerts and submit their recordings of "Kill More Presidents" to the band online. Video clips from various recordings were compiled into one video with a demo recording of the new song used as the audio. Fans could download the video for free by subscribing to the band's e-mailing list. The song "Kill More Presidents" did not make the final cut for the album. It was the first track that Norma Jean had demoed for Meridional, and the band had grown tired of it. A newer version of the song with an entirely new ending had been recorded with the intent to release it at a later time.
In April 2010, Cory Brandon created and released a promotional video for Meridional. The video features glimpses of the album's cover art with a clip of the song "The Anthem of the Angry Brides" as the audio. The artwork was created by Jason Oda (Congregation of the Damned
Congregation of the Damned
Congregation of the Damned is the fifth studio album by American metalcore band Atreyu, released through Hollywood Records on October 27, 2009.-Writing and recording:...
, Hide Nothing
Hide Nothing
Hide Nothing is the third and final studio album by the Pompano Beach, Florida rock band Further Seems Forever, released in 2004 by Tooth & Nail Records. It was the band's only studio album with vocalist Jon Bunch, formerly of Sense Field, who had replaced Jason Gleason when the latter left the...
) of StarvingEyes, an artist of which Brandon has been a fan of "for years." Commenting on the artwork, Brandon stated, "We take a lot of pride in all the art we use. Every record has a certain vibe, and we always want the artwork to represent that same energy. This record has a very specific, very dark feel throughout and I know that of any record we've ever released, this is definitely the best artwork we've ever had." The full album cover was later released in May 2010.
On May 6, 2010, Norma Jean released the song "Leaderless and Self Enlisted" for free to anyone that signed up for their online mailing list. It was later sold through digital media sources such as iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
or Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, and became the band's first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
released separately from one of their albums. Musically, the song was considered similar to Norma Jean's 2008 album The Anti Mother
The Anti Mother
- Personnel :Norma Jean*Cory Brandan – lead vocals, guitars*Scottie Henry – guitars*Jake Schultz – bass*Chris Day – guitars*Chris Raines – drums, percussionGuest personnel*Chino Moreno – writing, guitars, vocals...
, despite previously claiming that Meridional would be a return to the group's roots.
Meridional was made available for pre-order
Pre-order
A pre-order is an order placed for an item which has not yet been released. The idea for pre-orders came when people found it hard to get popular items in stores due to their popularity. Companies were then given the idea to allow people to reserve their own personal copy, before the release, ...
in June 2010 with a few different packages available containing various assortments of band merchandise. The album is available on both CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and double disc 12" vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
formats. All pre-order packages included a free and instant download of the song "Deathbed Atheist" off of the album. During the three weeks leading up to the release of Meridional, the band held a contest giving away their instruments used to record the album. One grand prize winner, chosen at random from their online mailing list per week, was awarded a drum kit, electric guitar or bass guitar. A runner-up was also chosen and awarded various autographed Norma Jean merchandise.
Post-release
Meridional will be released on July 12, 2010 in the UK and on July 13 in the US. The release date coincides with the start of the 2010 Mayhem FestivalMayhem Festival 2010
Mayhem Festival 2010 was the third annual Mayhem Festival created by Kevin Lyman. The 2010 edition of the festival was co-headlined by Korn and Rob Zombie. As in previous years, the main sponsor of the festival is Rockstar Energy drink, and each date had a different Battle of the Bands winner...
featuring Norma Jean and headlined by Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
and Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
.
During the week of release for Meridional, Norma Jean/Razor & Tie released a promotional television advertisement
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
for the album. The ad used clips from the music video for "Deathbed Atheist" in addition to quotes from various professional reviews praising the album. The full music video for "Deathbed Atheist" was officially released on July 21, 2010. It was directed by Linus Johansson of Popcore Film.
Norma Jean recorded a total of 13 songs and three interludes during the Meridional sessions. The band planned on using eleven songs for the album, and release the rest as B-sides
B-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
for "other things down the road." The previously released demo song "Kill More Presidents" was re-recorded with a new ending, and was intended to be officially released at some point. It was later added to the Best Buy version of the album as a bonus track. Originally revealed in an April 2010 studio blog post, the B-side "Distance to Planets" was released as an iTunes Meridional bonus track.
Reception
Initial reception has been generally positive, with Norma Jean claiming on their myspace page that early-listen reviews from Decibel Magazine, Alternative Press, and Revolver have named "Meridional" one of the band's best albums to date.In its first week of sales, Meridional sold 9,800 copies in the US and opened at number 45 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Norma Jean's previous studio album, The Anti Mother, sold over 16,000 copies and debuted at number 29 on the Billboard 200 in 2008.
The Christian Metalcore band received the No. 3 spot in Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
's 2010 Metal Album's of the Year.
Track listing
All songs written by Norma Jean.- "Leaderless and Self Enlisted" – 3:19
- "The Anthem of the Angry Brides" – 2:32
- "Deathbed Atheist" – 5:06
- "Bastardizer" – 3:15
- "A Media Friendly Turn for the Worse" – 4:12
- "Septentrional" – 1:37
- "Blood Burner" – 4:02
- "High Noise Low Output" – 3:26
- "Falling from the Sky: Day Seven" – 6:17
- "Everlasting Tapeworm" – 3:14
- "Occidental" – 1:37
- "The People That Surround You on a Regular Basis" – 3:41
- "Innocent Bystanders United" (includes hidden trackHidden trackIn the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
"Oriental") – 25:03
Bonus tracks
Best BuyBest Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
and Napster
Napster (pay service)
Napster is an online music store and a Best Buy company. It was originally founded as a file sharing service. For more information about its founding mission as a free file sharing service, see Napster.-History:...
version
- "Kill More Presidents" – 4:27
- "Deathbed Atheist" (KC Blitz remix) – 4:45
Hot Topic
Hot Topic
Hot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
and ShockHound
ShockHound
ShockHound was an online music download site, retail store and social networking platform launched by Hot Topic in 2008. ShockHound music files are available for download in the MP3 format, making them compatible with most digital music players, and free from digital rights management software...
version
- "Deathbed Atheist" (The Juggernaut remix) – 3:22
iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
version
- "Distance to Planets" – 4:02
Personnel
Norma Jean- Cory BrandanCory Brandan PutmanCory Brandan is the current lead vocalist for the metalcore band Norma Jean. Despite near constant touring with the band, he still manages to maintain his role as both a dedicated father to his two children, 11 and 16, and an affectionate boyfriend to his longtime girlfriend and fellow artist,...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitars - Chris Day – guitars
- Scottie Henry – guitars
- Chris Raines – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion - Jake Schultz – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Production and recording
- Justin Chapman – assistant engineering, Pro ToolsPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
editing - Jeremy Griffith – productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineering, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
Additional musicians
- Shelby CincaShelby CincaShelby Serban-Alex Cinca is a Romania-born musician, one of the founding members of the DC post-punk band Frodus and the vaudevillian steampunk band, The Cassettes. He has also been a part of such bands as Frantic Mantis and Decahedron...
(FrodusFrodusFrodus was a 1990s Washington, D.C.-based post-hardcore band, described by critics as a mixture of math rock, hardcore punk, and alternative rock. Their songs were frequently dark and dissonant...
) – guest vocals on "Everlasting Tapeworm" - Jeremy Griffith – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on "Distance to Planets," organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
on "Falling from the Sky: Day Seven," guitars on "Innocent Bystanders United," backing vocals on "A Media Friendly Turn for the Worse," "The People That Surround You on a Regular Basis," "Falling from the Sky: Day Seven," and "Innocent Bystanders United" - Kyle Henderson – guitar technician
- Troy Stains – lap steel guitarLap steel guitarThe lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
on "Everlasting Tapeworm"
Artwork and layout
- Jason Oda (StarvingEyes) – album art
Chart performance
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
45 |
| Billboard Christian Albums | 2 |
| Billboard Hard Rock Albums | 6 |
| Billboard Rock Albums | 15 |
External links
- Meridional Press Release at Razor & TieRazor & TieRazor & Tie is a New York-based corporation founded in 1990 by Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam. The company encompasses a record label with major label distribution , a home video company, a media buying company, a music publishing business, a marketing, promotion and sales team, and a direct...
- StarvingEyes