Whoah. Thirteen years into a vast and varied career, Georgia metal band Norma Jean have released — by some good distance — their strongest record. Alarmingly inventive, volcanic, unpredictable and mostly just brutal, Meridional combines cockeyed song structures, whiplash percussion and punishing volume, making the kind of record that, refreshingly, eschews mere boilerplate riffing for something infinitely more challenging. "Falling From the Sky: Day Seven" is a small odyssey, a song that moves from intricate fingerpicking to sledgehammer wallop to sensitive bridge, each part meticulously constructed and perfectly executed. "The Anthem of Angry Brides" does its title proud, 16th notes flying from its center like angry hornets from a busted nest. And "A Media Friendly Turn for the Worse" is a grim, groove-based grinder, vocalist Cory Bandan Putman bellowing and wailing over stomach-churning riff. The record is a revelation, an invigorating new direction from a still-vital band.