SONG: "Norse Truth"
ARTIST: Against Me!
ALBUM: "Shape Shift With Me"
YEAR: 2016
PLACE OF ORIGIN: Naples, Florida
YEARS ACTIVE: 1997 - present
WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:
Here's what Against Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace had to say about "Norse Truth". "‘Norse Truth’ was the first song on the record that was written for the record. Cody sent me a demo of it and I had a notebook full of things written down and went in and spat out all the lyrics in one go. I wanted to have each song on the record be representative of a state of emotion that you go through with relationships. So, there’s the really happy light moments and then there’s the dark moments where love turns into anger, love turns into hate, you know, and that’s the end of the spectrum that ‘Norse Truth’ is on."
AGAINST ME! DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
2002 - Reinventing Axl Rose (No Idea Records)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2003 - The Eternal Cowboy (Fat Wreck Chords)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2005 - Searching For A Former Clarity (Fat Wreck Chords)
* peaked at #114 on the Billboard 200 on 9-6-05
2006 - Americans Abroad! Against Me! Live In London! (Fat Wreck Chords)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2007 - New Wave (Sire Records)
* peaked at #57 on the Billboard 200 on 7-10-07
2010 - White Crosses (Sire Records)
* peaked at #34 on the Billboard 200 on 6-8-10
2011 - Total Clarity (Fat Wreck Chords)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2011 - Black Crosses (Total Trebel Music)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2014 - Transgender Dysphoria Blues (Total Trebel Music)
* peaked at #23 on the Billboard 200 on 1-21-14
2015 - 23 Live Sex Acts (Total Trebel Music)
* did not chart on the Billboard 200
2016 - Shape Shift With Me (Total Treble Music)
* peaked at #80 on the Billboard 200 on 9-16-16
MY THOUGHTS ON AGAINST ME!:
Against Me! formed as a band back in 1997, hailing from Naples, Florida. Early on, even though Against Me! was a band name, it was really just a vehicle for singer/songwriter Tom Gabel (at the time) to release acoustic demo's and EP's. It wasn't until around 2002 that Against Me! became a full fledged, four piece punk band. That year the band dropped it's debut full length album, "Reinventing Axl Rose". Very early on, the band caught the ear of Fat Mike from NOFX who quickly signed the band to his Fat Wreck Chords label. Against Me! released two albums through Fat, 2003's "The Eternal Cowboy" and 2005's "Searching For A Former Clarity". The success of the latter album helped Against Me! ink a deal with major label Sire Records. For whatever reason, Against Me! started catching a lot of shit for their move to a major even though throughout the years, punk bands have released albums through majors. Not sure what, if anything, Against Me! did wrong. Anyway, the band dropped 2007's "New Wave" and 2010's "White Crosses" through Sire. In 2012, Tom Gabel came out as transgender and began his transition, changing his/her name to Laura Jane Grace. Against Me! released their first album after her transition in 2014 through their own label, Total Trebel Music. That album was the super personal "Transgender Dysphoria Blues", their highest charting album on the Billboard 200, peaking at #23. The band's most recent full length was released in 2016, called "Shape Shift With Me". Their most recent recording was a cover of "People Who Died" by The Jim Carroll Band in 2018. When the covid pandemic hit in 2020, the band went on a hiatus and in 2022, Laura Jane Grace confirmed the band was still on a hiatus, even though their was word that they had been working on a new album around 2019/2020. Against Me! is a top notch band. Their style is punk rock with a keen sense of melody. I always felt that had a unique sound though. I don't know if it's Grace's vocals or her delivery, the sound just seems fresh to me. It makes the band stand out for sure. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm not quite sure why Against Me! got so much shit when they went to a major. A lot of people called them sell outs and all that dumb shit. You didn't hear people say that about bands like Rancid or Bad Religion when they signed with majors. I guess Green Day caught some of that flack for a while. I don't know. I love all those bands, whether they release shit through indie labels or if they release stuff through majors. Don't really matter to me. All that being said, Against Me! is a total kick ass band and I hope this hiatus thing is just temporary. We need more music from this band!
SIMILAR ARTISTS:
The Menzingers
The Lawrence Arms
The Gaslight Anthem
Alkaline Trio
Off With Their Heads
TEN AGAINST ME! SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
1. I Was A Teenage Anarchist
2. Don't Lose Touch
3. Black Me Out
4. Baby, I'm An Anarchist!
5. Because Of The Shame (acoustic version)
6. Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show cover)
7. Thrash Unreal
8. 333
9. Sink, Florida, Sink
10. Lost And Searching In America
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