Album Review: letlive. - 'The Blackest Beautiful'

If you pay any attention at all to the 'goings on' in the post-hardcore music scene, you'll know that letlive.'s latest album, 'The Blackest Beautiful' is one of the most anticipated releases. Heck, chances are it was probably at the top of your list. After the monumental achievement that was 2010's 'Fake History', the hype surrounding a new release from letlive. has been absolutely colossal. The band don't disappoint either, delivering what is one of the finest releases of this year so far.

'The Blackest Beautiful' is an expansion on everything that has been done before by the group. There is more aggression, more passion, more diversity, and a higher level of musical skill displayed on this album. Of particular note, would be the drumming on the album, which includes a far more diverse range of grooves used throughout just about every track (particular examples include 'Banshee – Ghost Fame,' 'Dreamer's Disease,' and 'The Dope Beat') and some interesting, but effective choice of percussion instruments ('White America's Beautiful Black Market,' 'The Priest and Used Cars'), which really bring out the best in the rhythm section on the album. One can't enter into the rhythm section of the full-length without complimenting the work of bassist Ryan Ray Johnson, who both provides a solid backbone to the texture of the piece, while also taking front and centre in very strong fashion for a couple of very brief moments on the record, in particular on 'That Fear Fever.'

Lyrically, the album is a step up from already strong previous releases. Not only that, but the delivery of the lyrics contains more passion, rebellion, and aggression, which makes for music that is, emotionally, far more resonant with the listener. The hard hitting delivery of lyrics such as, “love is just a cancer, and sex is just a pill” ('The Virgin Dirt') or the spoken word ending of '27 Club,' “we've got an army for us versus them, and I'm not afraid, but look, it's not us versus them. It's just us” is something that really separates vocalist Jason Aalon Butler from the rest.

letlive. are, quite frankly, one of, if not the best post-hardcore band around in the entire world right now, and The Blackest Beautiful is just another place where the band proves that, well and truly earning the respect of their fans and peers. This album is a masterpiece. If it's not already, make getting your hands on a copy of The Blackest Beautiful a priority.