# Anberlin
**Anberlin** (アンバーリン) is an American alternative rock band formed in [Winter Haven, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/winter-haven-florida), in 2002, active from 2002 to 2014 and again from 2018 to the present. The band signed to the Seattle-based label Tooth & Nail after a five-song demo, moved to Universal Republic for its major-label years, and now records for Equal Vision Records. Since 2023 it has been fronted by Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire, following Stephen Christian's decision to stop touring full-time.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335) • [2](https://equalvision.com/collections/anberlin)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formed | Winter Haven, Florida, 2002; signed to Tooth & Nail in 2002 after a five-song demo[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335) |
| Current lineup | Matty Mullins (vocals), Joey Milligan and Christian McAlhaney (guitars), Deon Rexroat (bass), Nate Young (drums)[2](https://equalvision.com/collections/anberlin) |
| Sales and radio | Over 1.5 million albums sold in the U.S.; "Feel Good Drag" reached No. 1 on Alternative Radio[2](https://equalvision.com/collections/anberlin) |
| Chart peaks | Cities No. 19, New Surrender No. 13, Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place top 10, Vital top 20, Lowborn No. 10 on the Billboard 200[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335) |
| Christian Albums chart | Four albums topped the Christian Albums chart, though the band never officially claimed the Christian rock label[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335) |
| Streaming | About 1,006,870 monthly Spotify listeners; "Paperthin Hymn" has 36,735,255 streams[3](https://open.spotify.com/artist/5v61OSg53KaQxGMpErkBNp) |
| Recent output | Vega (2024), Nevertake (2025), and the ninth studio album Currency (2026), the first full-length with Mullins on lead vocals[4](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/c648509e-9916-4c56-ab63-652a03da16dd) • [5](https://blabbermouth.net/news/anberlin-announces-new-album-currency-shares-neverafter-single) |
## History
Anberlin formed in 2002 out of earlier local Florida projects, with Stephen Christian on vocals, Joseph Milligan on guitar, [Nathan Young](https://www.edgepedia.org/nathan-young) on drums, Joey Bruce on guitar, and Deon Rexroat on bass. A five-song demo brought the band to the attention of Tooth & Nail, which signed them in 2002.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335)
**Tooth & Nail years.** The debut album *Blueprints for the Black Market* arrived in May 2003, and the band supported it on shows alongside [Fall Out Boy](https://www.edgepedia.org/fall-out-boy) and [Story of the Year](https://www.edgepedia.org/story-of-the-year), placing them on the mid-2000s touring circuit of Tooth & Nail-adjacent acts.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335) *Never Take Friendship Personal* followed in February 2005. *Cities* (2007) debuted at number 19 on the [Billboard charts](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-charts); Universal Music Japan's biography records first-week sales of 34,000 copies for the album.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335) • [6](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/anberlin/biography/)
**Major-label years.** After approaches from several major labels, the band signed with Universal and worked with producer Neal Avron on *New Surrender* (2008), which reached number 13 on the Billboard 200 and number five on the Rock Albums chart. Brendan O'Brien produced *Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place* (2010), which cracked the Billboard 200 top 10 on the strength of the single "Impossible". *Vital* (2012) was the band's fourth consecutive top-20 album, and *Lowborn* (2014) hit number ten on the Billboard 200 and number two on Rock Albums.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335) • [6](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/anberlin/biography/)
**Disbanding and reunion.** The band parted ways soon after *Lowborn* in 2014 and reunited for a series of lockdown-era livestreams; by 2018 it was active again.[2](https://equalvision.com/collections/anberlin) • [1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335) The reunion era produced the EP *Silverline* (2022) and *Convinced* (2023), with McAlhaney singing lead on the single "Lacerate".[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335)
## Members and lineup changes
The original five were Christian, Milligan, Young, Bruce, and Rexroat. Nathan Strayer, who had taken the second guitar slot, was replaced after *Cities* by Christian McAlhaney, formerly of [Acceptance](https://www.edgepedia.org/acceptance).[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335)
**The vocalist change.** In 2023 Christian went on indefinite hiatus from the band, announcing that he would no longer tour full-time, and Matty Mullins of the [Denton, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/denton-texas) metalcore outfit [Memphis May Fire](https://www.edgepedia.org/memphis-may-fire) came on board as lead vocalist. The current lineup is Mullins, Milligan, McAlhaney, Rexroat, and Young.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335) • [2](https://equalvision.com/collections/anberlin)
## Musical style and production
Equal Vision has described Anberlin as an alternative outfit. The band's recent work has broadened the palette: *Vega* is a twelve-track album deliberately free-flowing in sequence, encompassing heavier tracks, industrial exploration, and mellow vibes.[7](https://equalvision.com/blogs/news/anberlin-release-reimagined-version-of-original-never-take-friendship-personal-album-titled-nevertake) • [2](https://equalvision.com/collections/anberlin)
Production has shaped the band's sound at each stage. Neal Avron produced *New Surrender* after the band signed with Universal, and Brendan O'Brien produced *Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place*.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335) • [6](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/anberlin/biography/) The 2024 album *Vega* was self-produced at Tampa's Feral Sound Studios after songs were built in McAlhaney's garage, and *Currency* was produced by the band alongside Kellen McGregor of Memphis May Fire.[2](https://equalvision.com/collections/anberlin) • [5](https://blabbermouth.net/news/anberlin-announces-new-album-currency-shares-neverafter-single)
**Faith and the "Christian band" label.** The members' faith underpins their work, and they signed to the Seattle-based label Tooth & Nail, yet they have never officially claimed the [Christian rock](https://www.edgepedia.org/christian-rock) label despite consistently topping the Christian Albums chart.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335)
## Discography
MusicBrainz lists the following album releases:[4](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/c648509e-9916-4c56-ab63-652a03da16dd)
1. *Blueprints for the Black Market* (2003)
2. *Never Take Friendship Personal* (2005)
3. *Cities* (2007)
4. *New Surrender* (2008)
5. *Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place* (2010)
6. *Vital* (2012)
7. *Lowborn* (2014)
8. *Vega* (2024)
9. *Nevertake* (2025, credited to Anberlin & Matty Mullins)
10. *CURRENCY* (2026)
*Nevertake* is a reimagined version of *Never Take Friendship Personal* released for that album's twentieth anniversary, featuring Mullins on vocals.[7](https://equalvision.com/blogs/news/anberlin-release-reimagined-version-of-original-never-take-friendship-personal-album-titled-nevertake) *Currency* is an eleven-track album including "Neverafter", "Highstakes", and "Trenches" featuring [Switchfoot](https://www.edgepedia.org/switchfoot).[5](https://blabbermouth.net/news/anberlin-announces-new-album-currency-shares-neverafter-single)
## By the numbers
- Over 1.5 million albums sold in the U.S.[2](https://equalvision.com/collections/anberlin)
- Billboard 200 peaks: *Cities* No. 19, *New Surrender* No. 13, *Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place* top 10, *Vital* top 20 (fourth consecutive top-20), *Lowborn* No. 10.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335)
- *Cities* sold 34,000 copies in its release week.[6](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/anberlin/biography/)
- Four albums topped the Christian Albums chart.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335)
- "Feel Good Drag" reached No. 1 on Alternative Radio.[2](https://equalvision.com/collections/anberlin)
- About 1,006,870 monthly Spotify listeners, with "Feel Good Drag", a cover of "Enjoy the Silence", and "Paperthin Hymn" (36,735,255 streams) among the top tracks.[3](https://open.spotify.com/artist/5v61OSg53KaQxGMpErkBNp)
## Place in the scene and recent activity
Early on the band shared bills with Fall Out Boy and Story of the Year, and [Universal Music Japan](https://www.edgepedia.org/universal-music-japan)'s biography also notes promotion tours with Fall Out Boy and [My Chemical Romance](https://www.edgepedia.org/my-chemical-romance).[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335) • [6](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/anberlin/biography/) In the reunion era the band has toured with Switchfoot, described in coverage of *Currency* as longtime friends and alternative rock mainstays, and its twentieth-anniversary tour for *Never Take Friendship Personal* featured Copeland performing *In Motion* in full, with support from The Dangerous Summer, Spitalfield, and Madina Lake on select dates. That performance followed a When We Were Young Festival set that included a surprise on-stage collaboration with Stephen Christian.[5](https://blabbermouth.net/news/anberlin-announces-new-album-currency-shares-neverafter-single) • [7](https://equalvision.com/blogs/news/anberlin-release-reimagined-version-of-original-never-take-friendship-personal-album-titled-nevertake)
**2024 to 2026.** The band's official site currently promotes recent songs including "Under A Dying Sun", "Heavy Lies The Crown", "As You Found Me", "Paper Tigers", "More To Living Than Being Alive", "Tear Us Apart", and "We Are The Lost Ones".[8](https://www.anberlin.com/) *Currency* was announced with the "Neverafter" single in August 2026, and the band planned an extensive late-year tour with Switchfoot.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335) • [5](https://blabbermouth.net/news/anberlin-announces-new-album-currency-shares-neverafter-single)
**Vega.** *Vega* was released in 2024 and features Matty Mullins; AllMusic describes it as a compilation combining the *Silverline* and *Convinced* EPs with the singles "Walk Alone" and "Seven".[2](https://equalvision.com/collections/anberlin) • [1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335)
## References
1. [Anberlin — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/anberlin-mn0000749335)
2. [Anberlin — Equal Vision Records (artist page)](https://equalvision.com/collections/anberlin)
3. [Anberlin — Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/5v61OSg53KaQxGMpErkBNp)
4. [Anberlin — MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/c648509e-9916-4c56-ab63-652a03da16dd)
5. [Anberlin Announces New Album 'Currency', Shares 'Neverafter' Single — Blabbermouth.net](https://blabbermouth.net/news/anberlin-announces-new-album-currency-shares-neverafter-single)
6. [BIOGRAPHY - ANBERLIN ｜ アンバーリン — Universal Music Japan](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/anberlin/biography/)
7. [Anberlin Release Reimagined Version of Original 'Never Take Friendship Personal' Album Titled 'Nevertake' — Equal Vision Records](https://equalvision.com/blogs/news/anberlin-release-reimagined-version-of-original-never-take-friendship-personal-album-titled-nevertake)
8. [Anberlin — Official Band Website](https://www.anberlin.com/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Ensembles and groups › Rock, pop, and metal bands › Rock, indie, and pop groups › Indie and alternative bands › Noise and experimental rock bands*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license