For most people, change isn't easy. And for music fans, it can be the hardest pill to swallow. Anberlin fans saw the band end in 2014 when they released their farewell studio album, Lowborn, on Tooth & Nail Records. However, just before a global pandemic halted just about everything, the band reunited in 2019 and soon started playing through all of their albums on livestreams, recording each one and releasing them digitally and on vinyl. It was also in the midst of this that fans heard the news of brand new music coming from the band, and 2022 and 2023 saw the release of two new studio EP's. Last year, those EPs came together to form a full-length release titled Vega, which the band also used to transition original vocalist Stephen Christian out of the band, welcoming in his replacement Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire.

At first, it sounded as if Matty would only be filling in for Stephen on the road, but it quickly became apparent that Stephen was retiring from the band entirely. This became a tough adjustment for fans - especially since Mullins carries with him a very different style of singing. The two new songs fronted by Mullins for Vega - "Seven" and "Walk Alone" - both showcased different strengths of Mullins (and both have grown on me considerably). "Seven" proved he had what it takes to rock hard with Anberlin, while "Walk Alone" captured the more poppy fast-rock of Anberlin's earlier days. But Mullins' vocal style is the big hurtle for fans to vault. I've long felt that Matty's voice sounds like there's a heavy reliance on auto-tune (something that was only confirmed when my teenage son heard "Walk Alone" and excitedly thought it was Owl City), and often sounds - to me at least - kind of synthetic. Mullins has a voice straight out of the emo-rock era of the mid 00's, while Stephen has proven time and time again that his range is incredible. He has the ability to sing some seemingly mundane lyrics and inject them with such feeling. It may be hard to ever imagine another vocalist singing the songs he sings.

Well, until now, that is.

To celebrate two decades of Never Take Friendship Personal, Anberlin has decided to completely re-record the album for a new age -- this time, with Matty at the mic. Nevertake is the result, and as one can imagine, it's a mixed experience. If you're already sold on Matty as the new vocalist for Anberlin, Nevertake is a gift. But for those struggling with the idea of Anberlin without Stephen, Nevertake may more so feel like salt to the wound.

Anberlin fans have the choice to either get on board with Anberlin 2025, or keep their memories of a different time and carry on with their lives. Both decisions are ultimately fine, too, and I find myself falling somewhere in between. It's hard to consider an Anberlin with anyone but Stephen singing their songs. So for longtime fans, there's a good chance Nevertake is more bitter than sweet, as hearing Mullins perform songs like "(The Symphony of) Blasé" arguably just doesn't work. Never Take Friendship Personal has that mid 00's rock sound that Matty's voice seems born for, so it's in the faster, more rock-driven songs that we can hear how Matty can probably make this transition work. In fact, I'd argue that Matty shines brightest on the tracks that aren't necessarily Anberlin staples -- at least, to me. "The Runaways" may be the best example here, as Matty seems able to totally make it his own, causing a track that never really stood out much to me sound like it was made especially for him. At the same time, it's soon followed by "A Feel Good Drag," which just kind of sounds wrong without Stephen - although it's clear that Mullins totally nails the song's signature screams. The album improves in those last few tracks as the trio of closing songs suddenly start to make sense. Maybe by this point in the listening experience, we're just used to hearing Mullins at the mic, but for me, they kind of work. (Although, to be fair, I think I do still struggle with the closer, "Dance, Dance Christa Paffgen," being sung with a different voice). The real gem of Nevertake, though? The expanded version of "A Heavy Hearted Work of Staggering Genius," which actually features no vocals at all. The original version of the track, which always seemed to end before making much of an impression to me, clocked in at just two minutes. This new version adds an extra three-and-a-half minutes, making it much harder to ignore. It's a tasty track that even fans who don't want to accept Matty on vocals should definitely check out.

Nevertake is an album that really is more of a discussion starter for Anberlin fans than anything else. Newer fans with no attachment to Stephen's time as the band's vocalist should eat this thing up as something new and the first full-length Anberlin album with Matty Mullins. It's a solid production with crisp instrumentation and a hearty dose of 2005 nostalgia. The only issue, really, is that it has 20 years of history. (Even after listening to Nevertake, I only hear these songs in my head with Stephen Christian singing. In fact, with each listen to Nevertake, I expect Stephen's voice as each track begins!)

Openminded fans should give it a try to see if they like where the band is headed, but I think the band (who, sadly, has actually trolled fans on social media for having trouble with this transition) needs to understand that music can often mean a great deal to listeners and some of us just won't be able to make the jump to a different version of something so close to our hearts. (20 years is a long time, and a lot of life, to live with a batch of songs.) But for those okay with something else - a change, albeit a big one, Nevertake is the plea of a band trying to carry on without their fearless leader to see that, with or without their original voice, there's still gas left in this group of guys' tank.