Nothing has really changed about Anberlin over the years, except their haircuts, but with the upcoming release of their fifth album Dark is the Way, Light is a Place, they’re proving that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Recorded in the renowned Blackbird Studio with Grammy award winning producer Brendan O’ Brien and set for release September 7 via Universal Republic, Dark is the Way, Light is a Place is the follow-up to Anberlin’s 2008 breakthrough New Surrender.
The theme of the album is the battleground that is life and how it should be fought not with hate, but pure love, which is fully expressed on their track Art of War. Art of War kicks off with hypnotic instrumentals leading into the slow, lulling vocals of Stephen Christian as he questions whether he was just another conquest or real love.
The album kicks off with its anthem track: We Owe This. True conviction is present in the vocal performance and the pulsating drums and harsh guitar chords that permeate throughout the song. Being referred to as their call to action, We Owe This exemplifies Anberlin’s view that everyone is responsible for this world.
Impossible, the lead single off the album, has already become the #1 Most Added at Alternative Radio four weeks in a row. One of the most powerful songs on the album, Impossible features guitar picking, low back-up vocals and strong lyrics. Take Me (As You Found Me) is another one of these powerful songs. Christian doesn’t fail to impress on this number with his heart-wrenching cries for a lost love.
Later on the album is To the Wolves, the epitome of big arena rock in the best way possible. The vocals and loud and the harmonies are right on par. The anger of being “left to the wolves” by a supposed friend is backed perfectly by the booming instrumental performance.
Stepping away from big arena rock and into the realm of ballads, Depraved closes out this number with a somber outlook on the moral performance of much of mankind. The lyrics aim to inform the listener that they have the control, that they are “not a slave.” While We Owe This is being considered the anthem track of this album, I personally think Depraved is the most emotional and greatest call to action on Dark is the Way, Light is a Place. It comes to a close with thrashing guitar chords that seem to perfectly conclude both Anberlin’s lyrically portrayed woes and the album as a whole.
While this really isn’t any career altering, it is classic Anberlin. It’s a great product and a stellar follow-up to New Surrender’s hefty list of achievements. It manages to entertain no problem and it’s a solid listen all the way through (as long as you enjoy mainstream rock). For that, I’d give Dark is the Way, Light is a Place an 7.9.
