Reviewed by Greg Sammons

The band's promotion from Strikefirst to Facedown is evident in more than a simple nametag. Everything has gone up at least one level since their EP last year: the vocals, musicianship, production, energy . everything. What allows Bloodlined Calligraphy to stand out from the crowd is not just the fact they have a female lead vocalist but her vocal capabilities. She can grunt as well as any other male (or female) vocalist but is able to give us extra nuances that a male vocalist simply cannot do, and, even better, can pull them off with aplomb. This really is a jump up from their previous release, which I struggled to get into and simply did not allow for their then new vocalist to take advantage of her abilities, whereas this album does. The lyrics are packed full of life affirming and positive messages that the hardcore community are so good at but there is no shirking away from the fact that this band are advocating this all from an overtly Christian standpoint. As for the music itself, it's a magnificent blend of hardcore and metal. There are some awesome breakdowns, which will appeal to all fans of metalcore and hardcore (think As I Lay Dying). There is something about this band that keeps them fresh and original. Facedown Records are gonna have a serious fight on their hands to keep hold of these guys, 'cause this band is going places. This may well end up being the best hardcore release of 2005.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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