Ypsilanti, Michigan, though a wholly unfamiliar city to most, is home to a band which loves it enough to title their sophomore full length release after it. With the release of Bloodlined Calligraphy's Ypsilanti comes more of the fierce brand of metallic hardcore their fans have come to respect.
Propelled to the front of the metalcore pack by fearsome riffs and gut-wrenching vocals, Bloodlined Calligraphy have earned a place on stage alongside Walls of Jericho, Underoath and Zao among others. Bloodlined Calligraphy brings more to the table than just female-fronted, axe grinding hardcore: the band converges the different styles and sounds of bands like Lamb Of God, Metallica, Hatebreed, and Exodus creating a sound reminiscent of old thrash and new school hardcore, yet incredibly refreshing.
Bloodlined Calligraphy has built their fanbase in a grassroots fashion by playing shows with bands like Kittie and Winter Solstice and festivals like New England Metal Fest, Facedown Fest and Cornerstone where their devastatingly brutal live show won crowds over on a nightly basis. Newcomer vocalist Ellen Hoffman has the moxie to get the job done right at the bands live shows while the intensely tight rhythm section (headed up by another newcomer, Robbie Coran) pummels the crowd. And dont be distracted by the female vocalist theres much more to Bloodlined Calligraphy than that. Ellen being a girl may be what draws the crowd in, but the thrash/mosh prowess of the band keeps them there, said Eric.
The band was signed to Facedown Records in 2004 when label owner Jason Dunn saw Bloodlined Calligraphy in Michigan on a show with Sinai Beach and the rest, as they say, is history. Bloodlined Calligraphy counts on a lifes worth of difficult experiences to feed their creative frenzy. Their 2005 full length debut, They Want You Silent, was so-named for all the people, personal and professional, who have ever tried to hold them back. Smashing through barriers, both gender and genre, with some of the most crushing breakdowns ever heard, every song from Bloodlined Calligraphy is an exercise in destruction.
Ypsilanti was recorded in South Dakota with Mike Dresch at Cathouse Studios. [Mike] got us to sound like we always wanted to sound. The recording process was amazing, very relaxing. We got to go to South Dakota and just focus on the record I cant wait to do it again, said bassist Eric. Ypsilanti is full of songs about the members beliefs, relationships, society in general, and dealing with loss and rising up from that. Eric said, "We lost a dear part of the BLC family while we were writing the new record. Our drummers father passed away and that loss can be felt in the way the new record came out." Ypsilanti is a dearly personal, emotional and striking sophomore effort from Bloodlined Calligraphy and the band has honed their sound to be one of the most talked about bands in the heavy music scene today.
When asked to describe Bloodlined Calligraphy, Eric said it best: "The main focus of our band is to be the best band we can be. We want people leaving our shows completely drained and wiped out, but saying
I've never had that much fun in my life. We also understand that we have to use the platform we were granted to be a positive influence.
We will always have a message of positivity."
BC is currently putting finishing touches on their latest album with new vocalist Nina. On April 20th, 2010, founding member/bassist Eric Cargile passed away in his sleep. He was 30 years old.
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