Also..can we stop using ‘era’ so much. Not a grind with Anberlin per se but using this thread to whine.
I think there’s a parallel to be made between Matty Mullins taking over one of my favorite bands of all time to the internet being completely overrun with AI slop but I don’t know how to phrase it exactly
I’m big Anberlin fan…like since the beginning and Stephen is definitely the main reason, so Anberlin without Stephen is not Anberlin just like blink are not blink without Tom but… This song is so much fun and definitely NOT mediocre how someone said. I honestly played the shit out of it this morning on my 2 hour drive. And that video made me smile even more. I think they made the best out of it.
Still think Matty’s voice is antithetical to what the band do best, and it’s not the most exciting song, but I will say that chorus is pretty darn catchy. For better or worse it reminds me of the better days of ADTR.
Their email about it definitely reads as him not being a member of the band, oddly enough. "Plus 2 more songs that we wrote and recorded with our deep homie Matty Mullins"
Made a playlist with the eps and the new song this weekend. I dig it and hope it gives Anberlin a bump in visibility. Only gripe is an EP that’s all Matty and one song with Stephen and Matty trading vocals for this new record.
Saw them live yesterday and Matty definitely seemed like he was emphasizing that he is just filling in. That being said, it was still a fun show and he did a pretty good job. It was a pretty fun setlist.
I am saying I’d love if before they release this album if they had one more EP with a couple more Matty songs on it.
So, if this is being framed as a fill in for a tour or two, I am fine with that. I also know bands like to release singles before tours these days, so it makes sense to do one or two with Matty before they go on tour. Also, Matty seems super pumped to be doing it. I saw an IG reel where he showed a pic of him in high school wearing an Anberlin shirt, called them his favorite band, then played the new one and was singing along to it. He seemed so excited, so I guess I should be stoked for them to find someone who is just so pumped to be filling in, and someone who probably wants to hear Stephen back on recordings and tours as much as we do.
I do find Matty’s excitement about getting sing for Anberlin somewhat endearing. I just wish I liked his work more. Maybe I’ll like the other track he did better.
Well yeah, his excitement is obviously cool and endearing, but it would be just as exiting if I was singing for Anberlin, probably even MORE endearing you got to see me get the chance to sing for them. But you do not want that
Not massively into the new song, it feels very generic? Matty's excitement is however endearing given his early love for the band.
I had no idea Matty had the least punchable face in MMF. Also before I read the headline I thought this was Stephen's new praise and worship band.
Maaaaaan, Devotion is so good I don't know how people feel about it versus Vital, but where Vital is lean and concise, Devotion is almost overbearing in comparison. I LOVE a lot of the bonus tracks, and I like the rest well enough. Vital artwork is better though haha
i always considered Devotion to be Vital's director's cut. both are great experiences, but Devotion feels like the complete picture - weaving in all the bonus tracks into their most logical places in the album's sequencing, while also adding some new material that gave a sign of what was to come on Lowborn. it's my preferred listening experience and i love it so much. the standard Devotion artwork is kinda boring, but the deluxe version artwork is much better - a nice deviation on Vital's artwork.