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LETTER KILLS
"The
Bridge" (Island; 2004)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Letter Kills made a big splash on the recent Warped Tour and with good reason. This year's Warped Tour line-up was littered with tons of spongerock bands and not enough edgy, fresh meat. Although Letter Kills' "The Bridge" comes dangerously close to sounding like all that other modern rock out there (whether you call it "screamo," "emo," "melodic hardcore" or whatever), their music is different enough to stand out.
A lot of the band's limited uniqueness can be attributed to the guitar solos found here. Unlike too many new bands, Letterkills know the importance of a great guitar solo and makes room for them. The solos on "The Bridge" are fast, fiery and - most importantly - up front.
Take away the solos, however, and Letter Kills sound too much like too many other bands out there. The songwriting is solid if not explosively original and the musicianship above average. Still, you have to give the band credit for at least trying something different and that alone is worth giving them a listen.
Letter Kills: Matthew James Shelton - lead vocals; Dustin Loelis - guitar, backing vocals; Kyle Duckworth - bass, backing vocals; Timothy Cordova - lead guitar, backing vocals; Paul Remund - drums, backing vocals.
For more information, check out http://www.letterkills.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2004 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
18 Mar 2024 13:23:51 -0500.
