Alan Higgins
Upon A Burning Body along with Norma Jean stopped into the alien capital Roswell New Mexico bring their rock to shake things up with the Southern Domination Tour. They were joined by two well-known local bands, Fragment and Mission 7 all performing at the legendary The Liberty, a ballroom turned music venue with fancy chandeliers and tablecloths.
Fragment opened the night; they are a 4-member metal band with lots of energy from the Roswell area, and they had a solid local fan base that joined them as they perform at The Liberty once again and clearly owned the stage.
https://www.instagram.com/fragment.nm
Mission 7 another Roswell local band I got to capture their show earlier in the year so already knew what to expect, and this 4-piece metal/hardcore band brought it to the stage. They got the crowd moving and, on their feet, cranking up the mush pit as each song was performed. Clearly these two bands were friends as they supported each other and getting the fans hyped up for each other.
https://www.instagram.com/mission.7.nm
Norma Jean from Douglasville, GA just outside of Atlanta. This metalcore band started in 1997 as Luti-Kriss. The band has gone through many changes over the years and none of the original members of the band still perform with the band but after 9 albums and have been nominated for a Grammy Award, Best Recoding Package for their second album O’ God the Aftermath. They have held strong on the original concepts and sound of Norma Jean. I captured Norma Jean in 2011 at the famous Masquerade in Atlanta where they performed on the top floor stage known as Heaven.
They took the stage owning it in seconds as they performed “The Planet” from their 2016 Polar Similar album that was followed by “Blueprints from Future Homes” from their Redeemer album and then “Anthem of the Angry Bride” their 2010 Meridional album. They wrapped up with 6 more songs from albums across their collection, and the crowd kept asking for more as they left the stage. To me, Norma Jean in 2026 sounded just as good or better than in 2011.
You want to follow the band, check out these links.
https://www.facebook.com/normajean
https://www.instagram.com/normajeanband
Upon A Burning Body, a metalcore band from Texas that started in 2005 in the middle of the metalcore scene, they have 7 albums out with their recent in 2025, Blood of the Bull. The band’s vocalist Danny Leal and guitarist Ruben Alvarez are currently the only original members of the band. Their second studio album, Red. White. Green., which debuted at No. 105 on the Billboard 200 in 2012. Their third studio album The World Is My Enemy Now, released on August 12, 2014, debuting at No. 39 on the Billboard 200 of that year. They have toured with bands like Five Finger Death Punch, Mushroomhead, and Born of Osirus. They have created their own unique fan base that follows them wherever they go. At The Liberty the place was almost full while the band pushed out song after song.
They opened with “Killshot” followed by “All Pride No Pain” a crowd favorite as they sang along and then “Extermination” and after 6 or 7 more songs they ended the show with “Texas Blood Money” The crowd was cheering and horns were thrown the noise of the crowd almost drown out the musicians it was clear that Upon A Burning Body was everyone’s favorite.
As the band wraps up its Southern Domination Tour it doesn’t mean you cannot hear Upon A Burning Body you can also go to these links and follow them.
https://www.facebook.com/uponaburningbody
https://www.instagram.com/uponaburningbodyofficial
