Nora
Save Yourself
4.5/5

Who It’s For: The hardcore kids that still believe there is goodness out there
Sounds Like: Every Time I Die, Poison The Well, He Is Legend

More unexpected than a mid-summer snowstorm, Nora is back, and are they ever in a big way! With four years passing since their last album, the re-defining Dreamers And Deadmen, Nora has expanded and added to that sound with Save Yourself.

The caustic vocal delivery of frontman Carl Severson is his signature dry and punchy scream that simply cannot be denied as he slightly stands out (in a good way) in the vocal kingdom that’s overripe with growlers and barkers. Also, Save Yourself marks the return of former Nora guitarist, Mike Olender – also vocalist of the questionably active Burnt By The Sun – on bass, which solidifies this New Jersey five-piece as being stronger than ever, despite their absence in recent times. The drum-driven, atmospheric intro of “The Moment, The Sound, The Fury” has Nora bringing a new element to their sound, one of down tempo and chunky grooves, which slightly reminds of Black Sabbath. This is a sharp contrast to the speedy bounce of the previous track “Just Like Johnny”. This is the album in a nutshell- the sound goes back and forth but keeps your interest the whole time.

Could Nora have saved hardcore? Who knows? Time may in fact tell. Arguably the band’s best effort, Save Yourself’s technical grooves, punk rock mosh, occasional southern rock swagger, newly infused doomy deliciousness, and scathing, yet tasteful, ferocity make Nora better than most of the wannabes out there today. Although slightly monotonous to the untrained ear, this is Nora’s sound. Really the album is just over much too quickly. Bottom line is that the last time Nora had an album out, well, you were four years younger, and your tastes might have changed slightly since then. Maybe you didn’t even like or know of Nora then. Regardless, Nora has shown some staying power by just being original enough. If you didn’t know it yet, Nora is the reason you probably like Every Time I Die right now.

Track Listing:

1. Somebody Call Somebody
2. Scum.
3. Broken
4. Save Yourself
5. Famous Last Words
6. Have You Ever Really Had a Bad Day?
7. Just Like Johnny
8. The Moment, The Sounds, The Fury
9. Chances Aren’t
10. The Ending

- Michael Kopko Posted Aug. 25/07