Convinced By Anberlin

By Phil Hawkins

It’s been just under a year since Anberlin returned and released their Silverline EP after a lengthy hiatus (see our review here). Convinced is a worthy and solid follow up to its predecessor, however, it also manages to stand alone without needing Silverline to bridge the gap between it and Lowborn.

During their initial tenure Anberlin were mainstays in the scene that they helped cultivate in their earlier days. When they decided to call it quits in 2014 it left a hole to many who kept trying to find a band that came close to the energy and gravitas that Anberlin carried. After their hiatus fans were unsure what it meant going forward.

Convinced opens with “Lacerate” which was the lead single and the band’s way of announcing the EP. It is a solid track that feels like a strong departure from the material on Silverline and seems to rely less on Stephen’s distinct vocals in the opening verse and powerfully pushes in to the chorus while carrying some electronic elements that might have been found more on Lowborn. “Decoder” follows and feels like a bit of an homage to the Blueprints For Black Markets days. It finds the band recovering their roots and then moving forward into new and exciting territory.

“Banshee” falls smack in the middle of the EP and starts in a semi familiar tempo that truly showcases some of Stephen’s range and vocal delivery. It keeps things in a familiar territory throughout the duration and feels like it could have been born from the Lowborn sessions as there are elements that fit with that album’s overall aesthetic. “Animals” opens with a slow build that throws a bit of a curve about a minute in making you think that this is going to fall more on the “crooning” side of things but at a minute twenty it drops low and has an intriguing ebb and flow through the two forty mark before culminating in a dark toned soundscape.

“Nothing More” closes out the EP in a solid opus like fashion (clocking at seven minutes and forty-five seconds). It is a much more dreamesque track that feels minorly cinematic in scope. Given the lengthy time on the track it manages to not feel like it is droning out without intent. It manages to utilize the overall space it has created and throws in a saxophone to boot for the full experience.

Overall, Convinced is a worthy follow up to Silverline and finds Anberlin touching new grounds in an almost visceral way as the EP carries some of their heaviest moments across the span of their entire career.

Convinced is out now on Equal Vision Records and available on all major streaming and digital platforms with physical copies available here.