The Letter Black

Since their launch in 2006, the Letter Black have ranked among the most relentless acts on the Christian hard-rock circuit, routinely logging up to 150 concerts annually. The ensemble originated inside a Uniontown, Pennsylvania church, where vocalist Sarah Anthony and her husband assembled a praise team that eventually expanded into a complete rock outfit. Under Sarah’s direction the sound took on the dramatic, hook-driven character associated with Evanescence and Paramore. Mark Anthony, her husband, took the guitar chair while co-guitarist Terry Johnson, bassist Matt Beal, and drummer Mat Slagle completed the five-piece roster. After building momentum through constant touring, the musicians secured a deal with Tooth & Nail and entered the studio under producer Toby Wright, whose résumé includes Korn and Alice in Chains.

A six-song EP titled Breaking the Silence appeared in 2009. That same year Johnson departed, prompting the temporary addition of touring guitarist Ty Dietzler for a national run supporting Skillet. Upon returning home the band reduced to a quartet and tracked its first full-length album, Hanging on by a Thread, issued by Tooth & Nail in 2010. The record climbed to number ten on Billboard’s Christian albums chart. Three years afterward the group delivered Rebuild, its final release for the label. In 2016 the members turned to Kickstarter to finance a third album; the resulting self-released effort, Pain, reached stores in May 2017.