THE LETTER BLACK: Self-titled

The Letter Black: Self Titled

This will not be as of an in depth review that I usually do. I usually take a few days to digest an album, research the production, try to get some inside information from band members, and then give you all a cool story about what the band means to me, how I discovered them, etc. This is not that review. I just heard this album one day ago and wanted to get this review out ASAP. This is a band we should be very enthusiastically supporting.

Three weeks ago, I saw a Facebook video counting down to the release of The Letter Black’s fourth studio release. I had not really listened to them much in the past, not because of any distaste for them, they just kind of slipped under my radar. Not anymore. The Letter Black (both the band and the self-titled release) now appears on my radar screen as big as a B-52.

This album is huge. The production is powerful, punchy, and professional. The songwriting leaves the listener with hooks hanging out their ears. The lyrics are up front and unambiguous. The vocals are insanely good with Sarah Anthony using every technique in her arsenal to swing from sickening screams to sweet lyricism, sometimes in the same song. The guitars are brutal with their attack and the rhythm section assaults the tunes with a pitiless relentlessness.

I often cite other bands to describe a release. This can be good as this is an easy way to paint an aural picture, but it can also limit – as many bands rise above simple comparisons. The Letter Black is a mix of the best parts of Skillet, Flyleaf, Shinedown and Evanescence. But please do not pigeon-hole them by this simple description. They are their own entity bringing forth a potent, heavy, bright, brutal entry into the modern rock lexicon.

Please check this record out. 2021 continues to supply us with fantastic releases, and this is just the latest.

About Author

1 thought on “THE LETTER BLACK: Self-titled

Comments are closed.