"O' God, the guitars"

Independent-label metal acts have a stiff barrier to overcome to create distance between them and the thousands of bands around the country trying to attain the status of "underground sensation."

The release of "O' God, the Aftermath" is going to kick down that barrier in manner of a bull with its balls in a knot for Norma Jean.

The group's first album, "Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child," sold more than 50,000 copies, almost unheard of for an independent artist. Lead singer Josh Scogin left the group soon after the album's release.

Scogin's departure and the subsequent formation of his new group, The Chariot, are sure to produce some sort of rivalry between the two groups, friendly or not. The Chariot released its debut a couple months ago, to mixed reviews.

"O' God, the Aftermath" is notably better.

Scogin has a talent for provocative writing that new vocalist Cory Brandan lacks. Brandan certainly is not a sub-par writer. He is capable of creepy imagery without resorting to crudity. But repeating "Watch me burn, come on," just doesn't have the same effect as Scogin's "Like bringing a knife to a gunfight."

While losing Scogin was a severe blow to the band's appeal, guitarists Scott Henry and Chris Day more than pick up the slack. They grab the rope and rip the cleat it's tied to off the dock.

Since "Bless the Martyr," these two have gone from crunch artists with an ear for the right chord progression to technical masters comparable to Botch's David Knudson. Their dual guitars actually work better on "O' God, the Aftermath" than Knudson's did on "We Are the Romans." His was the only guitar on that album, so his songwriting had to be better to compensate. But with two guitarists, the Norma Jean record just sounds better.

The riffs are more packed in and equally superfluous in number and difficulty. They mix slides, dissonant chugs and badass southern single-stringers in such a way that, on the best tracks, every 15 seconds affords a new pleasure.

"O' God, the Aftermath" is a definite step for Norma Jean, a little forward, but mostly lateral. It's still metal, just a different type. They've taken on a different dialect in the same language and have articulated themselves fluently.

Standout tracks: "Vertebraille: Choke that Thief Called Dependence," "Bayonetwork: Vultures in Vivid Color," and "Pretendeavor: In Reference to a Sinking Ship"