Did You Know Norma Jean Started Out as a Nu-Metal Band?

Norma Jean started their music career as a nu-metal band called Luti-Kriss.

Soon after forming in 1997, the group initially "went with a rap-metal approach" before evolving to make the more hardcore-leaning music that most fans would recognize as Norma Jean today. Such is the information preserved on an old band bio found at the website of Orange Amplifiers.

It states that Luti-Kriss were "often described as the Christian equivalent of Limp Bizkit, Korn, (hed) p.e., Methods of Mayhem or Rage Against the Machine" before they changed their name. Of course, that's all ancient history compared to the band's eight studio albums under their current moniker.

Luti-Kriss didn't release much music. By the time they released their only album under the name, 2001's Throwing Myself, the band was already beginning to change its sound. The following year, Norma Jean debuted with the inaugural release under their new banner, Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child.

As longtime listeners know, that was the beginning of a lasting tenure in metalcore. Norma Jean have since released the albums O' God, The Aftermath (2005), Redeemer (2006), The Anti Mother (2008), Meridonal (2010), Wrongdoers (2013), Polar Similar (2016) and All Hail (2019).

But it just goes to show how a music success story can come from any corner. Even if one is in a nu-metal band that starts out sounding like Limp Bizkit or Korn, the sky's the limit for how far a performer's originality can take them. Dare to dream, and step up to the microphone with some big ideas.

Luti-Kriss, Live in 2000

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