With a career that spans over a decade and beyond, Anberlin have managed to tour the world and have provided an impressive back catalogue of records to see them through their years as a band. Now, though its time for the final chapter in the band’s story as they deliver their final album ‘Lowborn’.
Introducing us into their last goodbye is ‘We Are Destroyer’. From the outset you can hear how this record is going to differentiate from the others, building with an electronic melody that wouldn’t sound out of place in the eighties. Before then being thrust into the full-bodied chorus that takes the pace up to another level.
Anberlin have certainly followed a slightly more electronic route with ‘Lowborn’. With synth-based melodies prominent throughout many of the tracks, including ‘Birds of Prey’ and ‘Atonement’, it just about works but at times lets the record down slightly.
‘Dissenter’ and ‘Velvet Covered Brick’ are the tracks which really provide a glimpse of the old Anberlin, the band who write feisty rock songs that were powerful and fast in pace. The guitars are heavily distorted and Christian’s voice screeches out at us, hitting you with an urgency and intensity that draws the listener in.
‘Hearing Voices’ brings back that distorted synth sound from earlier tracks, the melody and rhythm of the track are slightly unusual, there’s twists and turns throughout, which at first listen aren’t too pleasing, but there’s something about it that draws us in.
The finale of the album comes in the form of ‘Harbinger’. A mellow, electro-rock ballad. Disappointing really, it’s not the triumphant goodbye that would have been preferred. Instead we’re left with a track that you want to turn off before you get to the end.
‘Lowborn’ is certainly different to what we’d initially expect from Anberlin; when comparing this to their early records such as ‘Cities’ and ‘Never Take Friendship Personal’, it’s easy to see how the band have matured and where they’ve drawn their influences from. It’s a grown up record, it’s not the spectacle we wanted them to exit with, but there’s some strong tracks throughout which will leave an imprint on their history as a band, and that’s enough. Farewell Anberlin.
TAMSYN WILCE