The Letter Black - They're Born For This Posted August 18, 2021 By RyanAdams_NRT, Staff Reviewer
What You Need To Know The Letter Black'sself-titled offering, the first with the Rockfest Records label, is definitely a 2021 rock standout. It comes with two singles released ahead of time, "Rise" and "Born For This." The Letter Black is the band's fourth album, the first in four years.
What It Sounds Like There are a few surprises to an otherwise straight forward rock album. Rapper Blake Whiteley brings some heat to a track and Trevor McNevan from Thousand Foot Krutch offers melody on another. The band added some electronic elements as well. Leaning more towards modern hard rock, there are some expected screaming vocals and lower-tuned guitars leaning toward heavier sounds, though more clean singing than their previous album, Pain.
Spiritual Highlights The Letter Black is filled with songs that encourage the listener to overcome the struggles in their lives and to take charge of changing for the better. "Tomorrow's" sends a message of hope, declaring, "I will not go under (I will not go under)/Because the One who made me/Holds all of my tomorrows." "Let You Go" is a comforting reminder that we're not alone--whether with God or a friend. "Throwing Darts" seems out of place though with a more revenge-aimed message.
Best Song It's not often that the best song is one with a guest vocalist, but that is the case here. "Born For This," featuring Trevor McNevan, is high-energy and catchy. The Letter Black aims to balance aggression with melody and this is a great example of how to do that.
Bottom Line The Letter Black's fourth album takes parts of each previous album and then carves its own path. It does well in moving forward in its sound, but overall loses the edge that seemed to be developing. The band has become confident in their own rock sound, and they use it as a vessel to deliver empowering and encouraging messages in their lyrics.
