letlive. The Blackest Beautiful

From the streets of Inglewood CA come letlive. Their self-produced and released debut Fake History was picked up by Epitaph in 2011, and quickly established the band as a force to be reckoned with, inheritors of that uncategorizable blend that made bands like the Deftones, Mars Volta and Rage Against the Machine so crucial. Such was the rapt reception for the album that by end of year frontman Jason Aalon Butler was being named the #1 rock star in the world by Kerrang (yes, #1, that’s not a typo). Mixing hardcore punk, metalcore, and even jazz and R&B influences in their sound (Jason’s dad was a well-known LA bandleader who pioneered rock/soul crossover with Eric Burdon), letlive.’s melting pot of influences reflects the meltingpot Los Angeles neighborhood in which the band came together. Now with their proper debut on the label, The Blackest Beautiful, the band comes fully prepared with a mammoth sonic attack, produced by longtime co-conspirator Kit Walters and mixed by pop guru Stephen George (Britney Spears, Michael Jackson). Opening salvo “Banshee (Ghost Frame)” announces a band that has remained loyal to their hardcore origins, while tracks like “Younger” and “Pheromone Cvlt” display a new melodic sophistication. With their biggest US tour yet this summer on the full Warped Tour, and coming off an Australian tour with the Deftones, letlive. are headed for world domination.

1 Banshee (Ghost Fame)
2 Empty Elvis
3 White America's Beautiful Black Market
4 Dreamers Disease
5 That Fear Fever
6 Virgin Dirt
7 Younger
8 The Dope Beat
9 The Priest And Used Cars
10 Pheromone Cvlt
11 27 Club