Photo via Anberlin - Facebook
Anberlin
Anberlin
Back in the early 2000s, Anberlin emerged out of Winter Haven, Fla., as alt-rockers with a conscience. Categorized as emo, the loud, energetic and super-melodic band also got slotted as Christian rock—thanks to select lyrics, a previous record label’s affiliation with the genre and appearances at major Christian music festivals. Anberlin’s 2008 album, Cities, also was nominated for a Dove Award (Christian music’s version of the Grammys), and several subsequent albums topped Billboard’s Christian Albums chart.
Anberlin members over the years repeatedly refuted the Christian classification while emphasizing that the band’s music is for anyone who enjoys it. And plenty of people did. For example, 2009’s New Surrender and 2010’s Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place performed well on the Billboard 200 album charts and launched big singles like “Feel Good Drag” and “Impossible,” respectively.
After a dozen years and seven albums, though, Anberlin broke up in 2014. Then, due to fan demand, the band reunited for a tour in 2019 and kept going—subsequently releasing two EPs that redefined Anberlin’s sound for a new generation.
“The pandemic kind of forced us to throw around ideas of what Anberlin would sound like in 2020,” drummer Nate Young told the Creative Loafing Tampa Bay website in 2022. “So much has evolved within our musical visions since 2014, so really we just started writing for fun and we all agreed that if it sounded like we were trying too hard or not sounding like us, we should just not do it. But it worked, and we were all really happy with the way it came together.”
So far, so good—although original frontman Stephen Christian announced in late 2023 an indefinite hiatus from live performing. He was replaced by touring vocalist Matty Mullins from metalcore band Memphis May Fire.
