James Arden checks out the garage rockers latest album.
The Christian rock band from Brighton bring religion to the masses.
Recipe for modern R'n'B album: liberal helpings of guest rappers and an overdose of sexual euphemisms.
After having stood through two warm-up acts, The XCerts and Hawthorne Heights, that weren’t bad per se, both with a smattering of vaguely tuneful songs but nothing that really took the crowd by the scruff of the throat and shook it around till it started moshing, Anberlin took the crowd by storm. Propelled by an explosive, staccato drumming section, their songs filled the arena – the girls in front of me were crying they were so happy about it. The overlapping guitars complemented the urgency of the rhythm section and the songs moved at a frenetic pace.
By far the biggest cheers and screams were saved for Stephen Christian, the lead singer of the band, whose soaring vocals got the crowd moving, jumping and clapping. Storming in with favourite ‘Paperthin Hymn’ as the second song, the crowd heartily sang along. The songs sagged a little in the middle with new material going down uncertainly with the crowd but acoustic ‘The Unwinding Cable Car” got the whole place chanting again. Anberlin can do slow as well as fast and Christian’s vocals got even better on this slower song. They saved their best till last though, ‘The Feel Good Drag’ a song that showcased the band’s finest quality and created mosh pits so large a girl was swung into me with the force of a plane approaching Mach 2. They promised to be back in May – and on the basis of this performance I hope to see them again.
Want to know more? Come back tomorrow for the interview with lead singer Stephen Christian!
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