* En anglais uniquement
Since forming in 2006,
the Letter Black have proven to be one of the hardest working bands in Christian hard rock, often playing as many as 150 shows a year. The group first took shape at a local church in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where vocalist
Sarah Anthony formed a praise team with her husband. Named Breaking the Silence, the duo eventually grew into a full-fledged rock band, with
Sarah steering the band's sound in a manner reminiscent of
Evanescence and
Paramore. Husband Mark Anthony handled guitar duties, and rounding out the five-piece lineup were co-guitarist Terry Johnson, bassist Matt Beal, and drummer Mat Slagle. After proving their merit on the road, the bandmates signed with Tooth & Nail and went into the studio to work with producer
Toby Wright, known for his work with artists like
Korn and
Alice in Chains.
The band released a six-song EP, Breaking the Silence, in 2009. Johnson left the lineup that same year and was temporarily replaced by touring guitarist Ty Dietzler, who played with the group during a nationwide tour opening for
Skillet. After returning home,
the Letter Black slimmed down to a quartet for the recording of
Hanging on by a Thread, which marked their full-length debut in 2010. Released on Tooth & Nail,
Hanging on by a Thread peaked at ten on Billboard's Christian charts. Three years later, the group released
Rebuild, which was their last for Tooth & Nail. During 2016, the group launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the recording and release of their third album. Entitled
Pain, the self-released record appeared in May 2017. ~ Gregory Heaney & Andrew Leahey