Vital

Personnel: Aaron Sprinkle (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming).Audio Mixer: John O'Mahony.Recording information: Compound Recording, Seattle, WA; Electric Thunder Studios, Nashville, TN; SOund Kitchen, Franklin, TN.Photographers: Jordan Butcher; Bliss Broaudakis.Moving on from the breakthrough emo-pop sound the band showcased on 2010's Brendan O'Brien-produced Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place, Anberlin's 2012 effort, Vital, features a heavier metal and electronica-infused sound. Once again centered around the passionate, resonant vocals of Stephen Christian and paired with longtime producer Aaron Sprinkle, this is an ambitious, arena-ready album that, while still reflecting the band's knack for melody, reveals a bent toward bombastic, electronic-tinged hard rock. Although Anberlin have never shied away from angular sounds, much of the band's previous work revealed a mix of sparkling, U2-style uplift and plaintive, Paramore-style emo. On Vital, Anberlin amp it up, bring