Album Review: Anberlin - 'Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place'

The album that many Anberlin fans have been waiting for does not disappoint, although it may have seemed that their 2008 release 'New Surrender' took forever to get started, 'Dark Is A City, Light Is a Place' does not make you wait, with less pop and more rock with some darker, edgier songs. Don’t get me wrong, they still have their signature rock ballads and are still the Anberlin we all know but they have brought us a fresh sounding kind of Anberlin for this newest offering.

The album kicks off with ‘ We Owe It To Our Selves’ a great opening track to get things started with its edgy guitar riffs bottom heavy drums and Stephen Christian ever so powerful voice. Following this is 1st single ‘Impossible’ a familiar sound from the five piece and defiantly a lot more commercial then its predecessor, this heavy rock sound that the album started off with kicks off again with ‘To The Wolves’.

This is Anberlin’s 5th studio album but their 1st produced by Brendon O’Brian who has also worked with the likes of Papa Roach, Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam. This whole album flows really well with no dull parts and with every song making a valid contribution to the overall great album this is definitely one to listen to from start from finish. Anberlin’s growth over the last couple of years has shown in this album, the lyrics are crisper, the music is heavier and more defined and they sound a lot more relaxed doing it, they definitely have matured musically. Their hard work has really paid off with ‘Dark Is a City, Light Is a Place’.

It seems that the Florida based band has learnt and grown since their last offering with this new album although it still sounds like the Anberlin we all know, they have brought to the table an exciting freshness that makes this album great, with any band there is always room to grow further but being a sucker for this kind of music I could defiantly see myself singing along to these songs at their next concert.

1. "We Owe This to Ourselves"

2. "Impossible"

3. "Take Me (As You Found Me)"

4. "Closer"

5. "You Belong Here"

6. "Pray Tell"

7. "The Art of War"

8. "To the Wolves"

9. "Down"

10. "Depraved"