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Upon a Burning Body has seen multiple line up changes since its birth in 2005, but lead singer Danny Leal and guitarists Ruben Alvarez and Sal Dominquez have been constant members over the last decade.
Signed to Sumerian, the band has released an EP, “Genocide”, and three studio albums. The band’s debut album, 2010’s “The World is Ours” peaked at the number 28 spot on the US Heatseekers chart, generating extensive buzz and excitement for the group.
In 2010, the band saw their first massive hit with the album “Red. White. Green.” which climbed to the number one spot on the US Heatseekers chart; was a top 20 album on both the US Independent and US Hard Rock Charts; and even made it into the US Billboard 200 at the 105 spot.
Two years later, Upon a Burning Body bested this success with their 2014 album, “The World Is My Enemy Now”. This album shot to the number 39 spot on the US Billboard 200, making it the first mainstream top 40 hit for the band, and also climbed to the number three position on the US Hard Rock chart.
The band has tour extensively throughout the US and beyond to promote their work. Their dedication and energy wins them fans wherever they go, and the availability of their music online has won the group legions of foreign fans from every corner of the globe.
Taking their moniker - with tongue, you have to suspect, firmly in cheek - from the real name of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, Norma Jean have positioned themselves, over the course of nearly two decades and six albums to date, as one of the most influential and important bands currently playing metalcore. Admittedly, it hasn’t come without some internal turbulence, certainly in terms of their lineup, for which they appear to have operated something of an revolving door policy; lead guitarist Chris John Day is now their only remaining original member, with the rest of the current group completed by frontman Cory Brandan Putman, guitarist Jeff Hickey, bass played John Finnegan and Clayton ‘Goose’ Holyoak on drums.
They’ve even flirted with mainstream recognition over the years, having been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package for sophomore LP ‘O God, the Aftermath’ in 2005, but for the most part, their biggest achievement has been carving out a revered status within the metal community as a whole. having toured as part of Ozzfest and the Warped Tour. They’ve supported the likes of Architects and The Dillinger Escape Plan, too, and were handpicked by Rob Zombie to play the side stage at his Mayhem Festival back in 2010.
The kind of intensity that is conveyed by Upon a Burning Body’s name is exactly the kind of intensity that is presented in their live performances. The Texas based band draws some influence from southern rock, but they mainly present their material with a full fledged metal mentality. As soon as Upon a Burning Body steps onto the stage a blast of loud music penetrates the airwaves and doesn’t cease until they leave the stage. Their guitars are tuned down to low pitches and cranked up to the loudest volumes. Most of their songs sound like the guitarists tune their guitars down a whole step and then drop their lowest E string to a C tuning allowing for them to play the guitar more openly, which gives their sound a more forceful delivery. The guitars, drums, and bass often play in a unified rhythm giving a layered, and more powerful sound to their performance. Their guitarists will often break off from their style of heavy rhythmic playing and will transition into face melting solos that are performed at lighting fast speeds. The band’s vocalist, Danny Leal, presents his vocals with the strongest endurance by consistently bellowing his lyrics with the deepest growl imaginable. His lyrics better convey the band’s Texas outlaw image and also reference the band’s Latino heritage.
The band’s stage image also heavily defines their southern roots. They have large longhorn cattle skulls displayed in the background and layers of red lights often wash over the stage, which gives the impression that the band is playing in a red western desert. The band members all give every bit of energy they have into the performance. They are fiercely head banging to the music and the vocalist is jumping onto amps while screaming his lyrics into the audience. The vocalist also is inciting the audience to start up mosh pits, crowd surf up to the stage, and sing out the choruses to all of the songs, and the audience happily complies to all of his wishes.
Upon a Burning Body may dress like gentlemen by sporting fashionable suits on stage, but their music and live performances convey their unruly side that makes for one exciting show.
wjmcc
I was really looking forward to Norma Jean after being a fan for years and never seeing them live. They certainly brought their vibe to the live show, but I was disappointed to hear only one song from their new album - and probably three from their last three. I don’t know if that’s how all their shows are, but I vote for more of the new stuff!
uriah923
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