Cities

Few times have I ever come across an album and been able to call it amazing. In fact, most music being put out today - at least in my opinion - is all too often the work of artists (if you could call them that) with little to no talent. There are seemingly endless crowds who want nothing more than to hear more songs from overproduced pop princesses, sex-crazed rappers, or the post-grunge parade still riding the coat tails of the "Creed" sound... but for those willing to break free from said crowd and listen to a work of what could only be called art, look no further. The opening intro slowly pulls you into the theme of the album, as a quiet but intense urgency launches you headlong into the first song, "Godspeed." Frantic guitars give way to a sheer wall of anthemic sound, perfectly driving home the deep and desperate lyrics. Following is "Adelaide," a decidedly more upbeat, punkish style of song - classic Anberlin. There is not a single bad song on this album. From harder tracks like the heavy and fast-paced "A Whisper And A Clamor" and hard-hitting "Hello Alone" to delicate but heartrending ballads like the intelligently layered "The Unwinding Cable Car" and sensitive and romantic "Inevitable," this album is groundbreaking musically, and offers little less than lyrical genius. In fact, the almagamation is the closest thing to perfection I have ever seen on an album - the instrumentation, vocal delivery, and lyrical musings fit together unquestionably, and - along with the loose but evident context of a concept album - makes listening to this CD in its entirety more than just enjoyable... it's an experience. Of course, I would be remiss not to mention the two songs that are, essentially, Anberlin's greatest. The penultimate number, "Dismantle. Repair." is masterfully performed. Wistful in tone and melancholy in message, the song glides softly through the speakers, taking its time as it suddenly breaks forth into its melodic and utterly unforgettable chorus that can only be described as pure catharsis. As the last chord fades out, we are treated to a song that is so astounding, it can barely be described, and I would encourage you not to bother reading anymore and simply click the "Add To Cart" icon immediately. "(*fin)" is, in a word, epic. Jaw-droppingly so. Opening with a chill-inducing acoustic guitar, "fin" is more than a song, it is a story - a heartbreaking and breathtaking tale that slowly but powerfully builds into a musical maelstrom, complete with wailing guitars and a haunting children's choir. I literally couldn't explain it anymore; it truly has to be heard to be believed. Anberlin has proved themselves to be a great band with their previous two releases. But with Cities, the band has established themselves a musical tour-de-force. To not purchase this album would be to miss out on something amazing. This is my personal favorite album of all time, and I whole-heartedly give it my highest recommendation.

I was new to Anberlin when I picked up "Vital" and that album got under my skin. I had to try some of their back catalog. "Cities" is my next venture into the adventure known as Anberlin."Cities" is a decent alternative rock effort, combining a thoughtful approach in how they lay out their tracks to keep the listener engaged with purposeful building tension and bursts of energy. Those high energy bursts permeate throughout the album with lead vocalist Stephen Christian doing a good job of placing urgency within his vocals while keeping them smooth. I also like how they will give you different sounds throughout (the buzzy synth on "There Is No Mathematics To Love And Loss" follows from the previous mellow and thoughtful "The Unwinding Cable Car" which was preceded by the punkish "A Whisper & A Clamor"); organizing an album's tracks to smartly balance out and provide diversity to the songs instead of running similar songs into each other is not something that a lot of bands have learned or managed.It also again doesn't hurt them in the least to have the excellent Aaron Sprinkle and his talented ear producing them. There's certainly not a song on the album that I dislike but I admit to having some trouble picking my favorites from this disc (maybe the romantic "Inevitable"?). It's all very enjoyable though no song quite blows me away. Again, "Vital" spoiled me in this way. Still, I'll be checking out more of their albums. This is a good band.

This is a very good listen. All of the songs flow very well together. I really enjoyed listening to all the different ideas that flowed from this album. It would have to be my favorite Anberlin album up to this point. I need to listen to it a bunch more before it would make it into my all time favorites. Its close though.5 star - Favorite Album****4 star - Good Album****3 star - Average Album2 star - Needs work1 star - Not a fan

On their third release, Anberlin has more than come of age. Once again teamed with super-producer Aaron Sprinkle (Kutless, Hawk Nelson), the band delivers arguably their best work yet. Lead singer Stephen Christian has one of the best voices in rock, in my opinion. On this disc he also delivers very introspective musings in the lyrics. The album kicks off with the frenetic, hard-rocking track "Godspeed." Pop-friendly cuts include "A Whisper And A Clamor", and "Adelaide." The band slows it down a bit on "Inevitable", and on the acoustic gem "The Unwinding Cable Car." Another highlight is the powerful chorus of "Dismantle.Repair.", one of the album's strongest cuts. The last song, "Fin", gives the album a rousing ending, starting slow and speeding up to an emphatic conclusion. If you buy the special edition, there are three bonus tracks and a DVD documenting the making of the album. The three songs alone make it worth the extra money. Also, if you download the single for "Godspeed" on iTunes, it comes with a bonus track "Haunting", which is amazing-worth the $1.98, and should have been included on the album. The band is very entertaining live as well.

Ich bin jetzt schon eine ganze Weile Fan von Anberlin und kann sagen, dass das neue Album das Beste von allen bisherigen dreien ist.Einerseits wird auf der Scheibe richtig heftig gerockt, aber andererseits beweisen die Jungs auch viel Gefühl in ihren Balladen.Anspieltipps wären in jedem Fall Godspeed, The Unwinding Cable Car, Dismantle.Repair sowie There is no mathematic to love and loss.Wer die Band noch nicht kennt, und da muss ich mich meinem Vorredner anschließen, sollte unbedingt mal reinhören, aber meiner Meinung nach kann jeder, der gerne Rockmusik hört, dieses Album bedenkenlos kaufen, denn es ist sein Geld wirklich wert!

Prodotto perfetto (ottimo album inoltre) e nessun problema nell'acquistoL'unica pecca forse la posso riscontrare nei contenuti del dvd, ma sono un extra e non c'è di che lamentarsi :D

いやー、買って損はしない内容だと思います。少なくとも僕は大満足でした。2ndに比べると電子音が多くなったのかな？しかし、いやいや、それが嫌味になっているかっいうと、そんなわけがなく、上手くコーラスやボーカルに絡み、強さの中にも繊細さが出て、すんばらしい事になっています。結構前にリリースされたにも関わらず、全然色褪せた感がありません。オススメです。…しかし、ココだけの話、最近のone ok ro○kは、ドラムの感じとか、電子音の使い方が、このアーティストさんのパクリに思えてならな(ry

Amberlinの曲はずっと愛聴してきましたが、このアルバムが一番気に入っています。･･･でこの３rdですが、「Godspeed」「Adelaide」「Uncanny」「Dismantle、Repair」何度聴いてもいいわぁ･･･「Hello　Alone」「The　Unwinding　Cable　Car」噛めば噛むほど味出るわぁ･･･他の曲も･･･あぁっ！やっぱいいわぁ･･･とか思ってしまった。中身はどうなの！とつこむ人がいると思うので簡潔に言うと･･･２ndの爽やかさよりちょっとダークな印象を受けたのが今作の違いかな。でもAmberlinのロックだという所は聴いた人全員が思うはず！やっぱいい！！

いいっすわ〜。最高ですね。前作にはなかったアコースティックな感じの曲とか渋いですよ。これ聴くとなぜか2ndも聴きたくなるんですよね。夜、聴きながら寝ようと思ったら良すぎて、口ずさんだりしちゃって眠れず、さらに2nd聴きたくなって、また良すぎて眠れず・・・って感じです。3rd、2nd、1stと聴いていくと彼らの成長ぶりがよくわかりますね。いいね。いいよ!ANBERLIN!今のところ、僕にとってこのアルバムは今年最高の作品です。