Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Goodbyes are always difficult and when the Florida-based hitmakers announced they were calling it a day and began work on this, their final album, the difficulty was increased in that each band member recorded his contribution in a different studio. The fact then that the Anberlin swansong has such a cohesive feel is a tribute to the band members' skills. The move into an electronic-tinged heavy metal infused sound which began with 2009's 'Dark Is The Way, Light Is The Place' continues and very powerful it is too while songsmith Stephen Christian has written some of his best ever songs for this set. The lead single "Stranger Ways" begins with some sparse guitar picking before slowly building with crescendos of rhythm and some new wave-style synths emerging on the track's surface. The surprise cut on this album is "Dissenter", with Stephen going for all-out screaming while "Velvet Covered Brick" and "Hearing Voices" are full of impactful guitars and synths interlocking behind Christian's soaring vocals. As any Anberlin fan will attest, Christian is also no average lyricist. "Atonement" is clearly a comment on Anberlin ending their tenure: "I found peace in a foreign atonement/I've lost myself in the tides of a moment/But my heart's where I'm going." My favourite tracks are "Armageddon" with its doomy atmosphere and the wistfully melodic closer "Harbinger". All in all, this is a fitting farewell to a great rock band.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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