Back in 2003, Evanescence exploded onto the scene and redefined pop-metal by fronting the band with a strong female vocalist. Bands and record labels have been trying to recapture that lightning in a bottle ever since.

 

Out of the Christian music scene, there’s Plumb, who sort of repositioned herself into Evanescence’s goth-rock sound, but she’s not nearly as loud—and besides, she influenced them. There’s Fireflight, except they sound far too soft and lightweight by comparison. And there’s Flyleaf, not quite as catchy a band, but certainly a loud enough successor.

 

Those begging for more can now add The Letter Black to that list. The band from Uniontown, Pennsylvania was originally called Breaking the Silence for a few years before signing with Tooth & Nail and discovering they needed to change their name. Rechristening themselves with the release of their EP Breaking the Silence (naturally) in late 2009, The Letter Black now makes their full-length national debut with Hanging by a Thread, which shares three of the songs from the EP.

 

With production by Toby Wright (Korn, 3 Doors Down), at least The Letter Black demonstrates some punch to their sound, and even some teeth. As far as pop-metal goes, this is done fairly well, with some blazing electric guitars and hefty rhythm on a few tracks—check out the pounding drums and opening riff to “Invisible.”

 

But now that we’re seven years past the debut of Evanescence, The Letter Black also sounds Passé with a capital P. It’s not that they sound completely out of style with the aforementioned bands still milling about, but there’s not much to set them apart either. With thirteen songs, the album becomes a tedious onslaught of predictable noise by the halfway mark as the instruments all dutifully hit their cues. Oh look, there’s some strings punctuating “Believe,” just like Skillet and Red. Power ballads? You betcha—The Letter Black offers three of them, all much too pop sounding compared to the heavier rockers.

 

And then there’s Sarah Anthony, whose vocals sound too girlish for this genre. Compared to the attitude sported by Dawn Michele (Fireflight) and the angst of Lacey Mosley (Flyleaf), Anthony sounds like she’d be more at home with BarlowGirl or Superchick. She can sing, and quite boldly, but there’s no variation to her voice—with such consistently loud singing, it sounds like she’s over-emoting in one song and under-emoting the next. Adding to the band’s formulaic approach is Sarah’s husband Mark Anthony (no, not Mr. J. Lo) playing off his wife’s vocals with an occasional pre-chorus.

 

The songs themselves are just as predictable, dealing with the usual themes of loneliness, hurt, and alienation found in this genre. Doesn’t every band like this have a song titled like “My Disease”? And having two songs about ending a harmful relationship (“Moving On” and “I’m Just Fine”) is at least one too many. Of course the pop ballads are more hopeful, pointing listeners towards the healing found through Jesus. In “More to This,” Sarah sings “I believe there’s more to this … do you?” Ask a vague and cheesy question, expect a vague and cheesy response.

 

Strange how context elevates a song like “Best of Me,” a decent enough pop ballad that would work just as well if it were sung by Kelly Clarkson or Krystal Meyers—maybe it stands out because it’s a rare diversion from The Letter Black’s tiresome formula. Conversely, “All I Want” catches attention because it’s one of the heavier sounding tracks on the album, with a stronger push by the band and even some screaming on Sarah’s part.

 

I would argue that The Letter Black at least outshines the more tepid and overproduced sounding Fireflight, which too heavily favors the pop side of their sound. This band does at least rock, but that becomes less meaningful as Hanging by a Thread progresses. With no sense of dynamic range or varied arrangements, The Letter Black merely plays it safe by going through the motions.

 

Standouts: “Best of Me,” “All I Want,” “Invisible”