Epic pop-rock trailblazers Anberlin may have titled their new CD New Surrender, but the Florida rockers have established a take-no-prisoners trajectory when it comes to storming the gates of Billboard’s Top 200, snagging one of the more solid new entry positions this week with their major label debut coming in at #13. The band also snatched the #5 spot the Top Current Rock chart selling over 36,000 copies its first week. The CD is a dynamic and dexterous follow-up to the band’s previous album, Cities, which debuted on the Billboard Album chart at #19.
The group has also launched their own Fall Tour, a 30 city tour which features fellow Alt rockers Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Straylight Run and There for Tomorrow. The full-out rock assault kicked off October 2nd in Houston and zig zags across the U.S., winding down on November 7th in the band’s homebase of Orlando, FLA. Anberlin added to their magnetic live rep this summer, as well, recently wrapping a successful main-stage deployment on this year’s Van Warped Tour, appearing alongside acts like Gym Class Heroes, Say Anything, The Color Fred and Angels and Airwaves.
The band continues to win over legions of new fans and critics with their first release on Universal Republic Records (they released 3 previous gems on the indie imprint Tooth & Nail), with USA Today raving in a 3 star review “a more tuneful, dynamic piece” and absolutepunk.net crowing: ‘This is a band primed to finally see the audience it has longed deserved.’ Produced by acclaimed studio workhorse Neal Avron (Yellowcard, New Found Glory, Fall Out Boy,) it’s the first Anberlin album not helmed by longtime collaborator Aaron Sprinkle, a resounding group effort that saw the determined rockers add the songwriting acumen of most recent member guitarist Christian McAlhaney (he joined in early ’07) to frontman Stephen Christian’s soaring vocals, vexing wordplay and hi-precision songcraft.
Never afraid to work the edges, Anberlin recorded the new album in Los Angles less than a year after releasing the acclaimed Cities. The group worked on more than 25 songs, carving out more additional time for pre-production than previous efforts, carefully honing the mesmerizing selections that make the final lineup on New Surrender. Songs include “Blame Me! Blame Me!,” the introspective “Retrace,” and a newly recorded version of an Anberlin fan-favorite, “Feel Good Drag,” (the original first showed up on their 2005 release Never Take Friendship Personal.) Buoyed by their growing reputation as a thoughtful, expansive rock force, the band has melded the underground chops seeded by their first two albums with the breakthrough pace of Cities. That 2007 release also crossed the coveted 100,000 indie-sales milestone, thanks to the strong support at radio for the band’s churning single “Godspeed.” Their 2008 Universal Republic launch has been cited as another key component in what many music industry watchers are calling one of the more exciting and authentic artist development narratives in rock.
