Bloodjinn

North Carolina metallic hardcore outfit Bloodjinn, whose name is pronounced “blood-gin,” originated in 1999 when brothers Joel on vocals and Justin Collins on drums assembled the initial roster. Guitarists Carter Pennington and B.J. Stevens plus bassist Justin Keatts soon rounded out the group that cut its first EP, To Bleed the Demon, for the independent imprint Flatline Records. That release secured a full-length contract with Tribunal Records, the former home of Atreyu and Scarlet among others, resulting in the 2000 album Murder Eternal: Seven Short Stories for the Slightly Psychotic. By the time the band issued Leave This World Breathing in 2003 on Goodfellow Records, repeated lineup shifts had occurred, leaving only vocalist Joel Collins from the founding configuration when This Machine Runs on Empty appeared on Pluto Records in 2007. The latter record displayed a pronounced stylistic debt to Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall while showcasing guitarists Kyle Rakes and McKenzie Bell, formerly of He Is Legend, along with bassist Justin Carter and drummer Brian Lewis.