Calico System

Despite a name that might imply connections to either felines or antique textiles, the Calico System actually functions as a conventional metalcore outfit based in St. Louis, MO. Drawing primary inspiration from Pantera and Helloween, the band originated in 1998 and spent its early years performing regional shows while cutting demos across shifting personnel until a stable configuration locked in during 2001. Frontman Mark Owens, guitarist Shawn Keith, bassist Nick Schaflein, and drummer Erik Ramsier issued the self-released Calico System EP in 2002, then followed it with the spring 2003 release Love Will Kill All. Regional appearances plus national support tours alongside Hatebreed and Poison the Well elevated the group’s visibility, securing a deal with Eulogy Recordings, the same imprint that housed Low End Theory and Evergreen Terrace. The Duplicated Memory, the band’s first full-length, arrived in fall 2003. Shortly afterward, the quartet welcomed second guitarist Rick Giordano. Their sophomore album, They Live, surfaced in November 2005.