Explosions II Part Deux feat Norma Jean – REVIEW

The Explosions II Part Deux featuring Norma Jean, came to Mojoes in Joilet, Illinois. With them came supporting acts, After The Burial, Motionless In While, For The Fallen Dreams, and Stray From The Path. You can check out our review after the break.

With an enormous amount of energy, Stray From The Path started the show on the right note. With motivation screamed at the crowd, everyone responded like they were going to die if they didn’t! Such great crowd control for an opener on a tour. The locals who opened up the show should take notes from this band. With every song their stage presence and energy grew. The vocalist loved to get into kids faces and let them be a part of the show. For such an aggressive, energetic and chaotic band, they were very well put together on stage and never missed a note!

What a great thing to see kids immediately throwing their hands in the air and jumping within the first few seconds. For The Fallen Dreams surely didn’t need to introduce themselves to anyone. The pit opened wide and resembled a bunch of blind men swatting at invisible bees stinging them. Let me tell you, this band is full of great musicians. With a great mix of melodies and breakdowns, they really kept the crowd interested throughout each song. From sing alongs, to moshing, to fist pumping and jumping, they had it all.

With a image that may intimidate some, don’t let that turn you away because you will be missing out on a good time! Motionless In White comes with darkness but opens kids eyes like they had just seen the light with crushing melodies and heavily dark attributes. Their stage presence is almost like the Backstreet Boys at times with their synchronized moves, but I can’t help but enjoy how intense it looks! The vocalist was amazed and extremely grateful for how amazing the crowd’s response was during their set. With the announcing of the last song, the crowd yelled “noooo!” and “keep playing!” They had of the best set endings that I’ve ever seen, the vocalist jumped into the crowd and continued to scream his last words of the set as the kids carried him back to the stage.

Being distracted by the bright green and orange guitars coming onto stage, After The Burial made their entrance and started pummeling their heavy signature 8 string guitar sound into the ears of the eager crowd. During the first solo, the crowd put their spirit fingers into the air while the band shredded, but soon after the vocalist brought everyone back to a heavy bouncing groove and the crowd went wild! Their musicianship is flawless and the heaviness/intricacy of their music is something that should be witnessed.  The whole crowd banged their heads as if they were trying to give themselves brain damage throughout the set! “This could all be over for us tomorrow if it wasn’t for you guys” said the vocalist, showing his appreciation to their adoring before the band’s last song. I think fans need to be reminded that they are the reason why their favorite bands grace the stage every night.

A bright flash like Jesus opened the heavens and a piercing high scream that sounded like the slaughtering of an animal, Norma Jean made their opening to the crowd that anxiously awaited. The light-show would have put an epileptic person to death in a second, which was almost as entertaining as the music being played. I was constantly blinded, but entertained at the same time. It is one of those extras that make the show worth paying for. Also, the vocalist’s energy was amazing. He was constantly going and making a scene anytime he possibly could. In the middle of a song, the bass player got girls sunglasses thrown at him and he played the rest of the song with them on. At times it felt like a spiritual place to be in having all the fog and lights creating a eerie mood. Just as they announced they have 2 more songs left, the fire alarms go off and their power stopped, but the show is still going on and everything got fixed thankfully!
The end of their set was insane and epic because they closed with “Memphis Will Be Laid To Waste”!

Information about the review…
Tour: Explosions II Part Deux feat Norma Jean
Artists: Norma Jean (Razor & Tie Records), After The Burial (Sumerian Records), Motionless In White (Fearless Records), For The Fallen Dreams (Rise Records) and Stray From The Path (Sumerian Records)
Date: May 26, 2011
Venue: Mojoes in Joliet, IL