Anberlin Band • Page 226

I’ve thought about it for months, but finally settled on Jeff Schneeweis from Number One Gun. Stephen is featured on NOG’s song “Disappear” and sometimes I have trouble telling their vocals apart on that song.

 

another great choice that came to mind

 

I love that song so much. Great choice!

 

this EP got a lot of play time in my college years. vocals are kinda cringe tho lol

ok this is Matty's account

 

If I remember correctly, Jeff swindled a bunch of fans out of money from unfulfilled backer rewards

 

You’re so funny!

 

Matt Who? Matty, beloved singer of the band Anberlin.

 

Ehh, I can acknowledge it has gotten a little negative/echo chambery in here. The “Marty” thing, while silly, can probably be interpreted as a bit flippant and disrespectful.

I think people (including me) are more disappointed at the lack of communication and clarity with fans.

I think it’s also paired with just feeling totally bummed out on the direction of one of our favorite bands (while also understanding that a band owes us nothing and needs to make make their own decisions for their financial and artistic needs).

 

I mean, every single post they make has people asking who will be singing. Fans care about this stuff, especially if you're doing a nostalgia tour without the voice of your band.

I do not care that they're doing it, but the messaging – and their attitude toward fans – has been shitty from the jump. I was already quite on the fence with them toward the end of Stephen's time given some of the noise around his beliefs and associations, and this has just pushed me further away.

 

If they were touring on the new album and Matty material, I get the negative reactions being a tad over the top. But paying for Anberlin karaoke just seems weird. I dunno. Just seems like setting themselves up for some disappointed fans when they come out and don't sound at all like the album they came to see. That's the gist from the negative comments I've seen on their social posts too.

 

While my post served more to explain why I don’t want Matty’s voice specifically as singer rather than as an expression of nobody-but-Stephen (inaccurate, for me)/frustrating lack of transparency/mattys personality/etc, I acknowledge it was indeed a bit over the top and I regret contributing to the harsh tone of the thread. Not an excuse, but fwiw I find it frustrating when bands misrepresent or group together various concerns to dismiss them. Granted, I don’t expect the band to counter every point, and we’re not entitled to anything, but it does make this group of us feel unheard and like we’re screaming to the void when the band is fixating on “get over Stephen.” You’re missing my important point, man.

but also I agree with Jason’s point above. Weird move, especially without transparency.

 

Their most recent post promoting the tour has Matty on vocals for Paperthin Hymn and sounds like a studio recording. Makes me think it's possible they re-recorded NTFP with Matty to coincide with this tour? Not sure how that works out royalty-wise with Stephen or with their record company. Also possible I'm looking way too hard into it.

 

Sorry for the double post, but now revisiting NTFP and it stacks up SO WELL against my favorites in Cities and Vital. Packs such a punch I don't know why this album isn't one I first turn to when throwing on Anberlin.

Cities
Vital
NTFP
EP's
New Surrender
DITW
Blueprints
Lowborn

Am I missing one?

 

Lowborn at the bottom?! I love that album!

Anberlin is kind of like mwy, each person can have a different ranking and there's no obvious consensus on top/bottom

 

I actually forgot about it in my initial ranking. I definitely need to go back and give it a listen for sure. It probably sits above Blueprints but I can't remember anything that struck me on that album at the moment.

 

honestly wouldn't be surprising, and would be a (somewhat) good move on their part if presented the right way.

 

Funny you compare the two. Anberlin and mwY are my favorite bands of all-time and I realized a few years ago my ranking and thoughts on each of their records and their artistic trajectory is identical.

7. LP4 - Mid career oddball. Solid, brilliant in places, but uneven.

6. LP1 - Great debut. But bands got better on future records.

5. LP5 - Return to form from #4 with a few caveats.

4. LP2 - Band's arrival. Not a reinvention, but a level up from LP1 in every single way.

3. LP6 - Late-career peak. Band firing on every cylinder and mastering their sound.

2. LP7 - Final album. More experimental/divisive, but worked for me in every single way.

1. LP3 - Band's magnum opus. Level up from the level up and complete realization of their sound up to this point and going forward.

I will listen to the entirety of both Anberlin and mwY's discographies until the day I die.

 

That is crazy (LP4 pun intended) how those line up. I need to do a side by side with that.

I do a similar thing but with track order between a band's albums. Like Relient K - track 2 is their big song from Anatomy and Mmhmm (Pressing On and Be My Escape). Song 4 is the underrated but one of my favorites (I So Hate Consequences, Forward Motion, Down in Flames)

 

Ha this is pretty wild. I'm more familiar with Anberlin's catalog than MWY, but I know the general consensus on their stuff, and that does line up well. I like [Untitled] much more than lowborn though, and feel like lowborn sounds like a burnout, while [Untitled] sounds like a band reaching a pinnacle and being totally content with going out on top.

 

Yeah, I think [Untitled] is genuinely mwY's second masterpiece after Brother, Sister. I don't necessarily think Lowborn is better than Vital or NTFP, but it just so happens that every risk they took on it worked for me. If I took out the sentimental value it'd probably be #4.

Vega is probably #6 in their discography for me when all is said and done.

 

I've never seen this video before, and it is so good

 

Memphis May Fire has a new album coming out in March so maybe Matty will be too busy to front Anberlin.

 

i'd count on a brief period of inactivity before i would Stephen filling in

 

Stephen will actually be singing on the MMF album as he is filling in for Matty who will be filling in for Stephen

 

Asking is so fucking good