Named after the chilling 1838 short story by Edgar Allan Poe, Ligeia is a product of the same western Massachusetts hardcore scene that in the 1980s birthed Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh, but in keeping with the times, this young act's sound is heavily influenced by its metalcore brethren. Not to be confused with the British goth rockers of the same name, Ligeia was formed in Springfield, MA, in 2003 with the original lineup of singer Keith Holuk, guitarists Ryan Ober and Chris Keane, bassist Matthew Bennett, and drummer Phil Fonseca. Signed to the New Jersey-based metalcore imprint Ferret Records (Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, etc.), the band released their debut album, Your Ghost Is a Gift, in the spring of 2006. Following the album's release, Bennett and Fonseca were replaced by new bassist Bryan Forbes and drummer Ryan Irizarry. ~ Stewart Mason