Anberlin and The Gladiator

Hey everyone, back again! Today I have another round of songs that could make my list of the top 5 songs that have changed my life. This first song is by one of my favorite bands of all time, Anberlin. Now what makes this song so special to me, is that this is the first song by them that I have ever heard. And it swept me off my feet and blew me to the moon. I mean this rendition was so beautiful, and listening to this song is what opened my mind to music. Without Anberlin, I would have no idea what is is like to really feel a song and I would have never gotten into music. Not many people listened to Anberlin at that age, and even now, a vast majority do not listen to them. In my eyes, that is such a loss for them. There is a musical genius with the band that cannot be heard by most other bands. I mean everything put out by Anberlin is immersed in feeling. Whether it is love or angst or frustration or loneliness, Anberlin writes those emotions into lyrics and music notes. My love for Anberlin came from this song, and only grew from there. While this song is not necessarily my absolute favorite by them, it was the first one my ears ever had the pleasure of hearing. And that is why this song has made my list. Because of how it changed my entire life, introducing me to the complete magic and enchantment that is music. I have a special place for this song in my heart because of how much it exposed me to the world music. The rock charts, the rock radio stations. Well they were everything to me! And even though my music taste has evolved and changed and has added new branches, Anberlin persisted through all of this and came back into my life. This song is so romantic and beautiful. There is not a haunting nature to the song, but something soft and vulnerable about it. Stephen Christian has one of the most beautiful voices I have heard, and he has this way of allowing his voice to have a gentle and loving sound to it. He has this gorgeously soft falsetto that he can switch into without hesitation. Stephen Christian seamlessly transitions from a delicate style of singing into something that coalesces into a wave of emotional power and passion. As the song crescendos from being an acoustic guitar piece into something that features violins and drums, Stephen Christian's voice surges with the tide. And it is a stunning work of art, one that has you close your eyes and imagine the person you love the most in the world. The top of that crescendo has you running into that person's arms, has you wanting to hold them and be with them and show them how much you care for them. Anberlin's music is the kind that asks your emotions to rush towards the surface, asks you to remember what it is like to really feel things in a world where that is seen as a weakness. And I love that so much about this band. Thank you Anberlin, for showing me that it is okay to love music and to live in a world where that music describes the words you want to say but cannot.Thank you Anberlin for being a band that has been part of my life for over 6 years now,and for being a band that has always understood my soul. Today's instrumental song is by one of my favorite composers ever. This again is one of my favorite and moving scores of all time. The Gladiator is one of the greatest movies I have ever seen, and the cultural accuracy of this movie is indescribably fantastic. But the score is something that cannot be unpublished. This score is one that has been so hauntingly beautiful, and tremendously moving. The sheer brilliance of Hans Zimmer is no longer something that is just impressive, but it is awe striking and intensely moving. The music in this film accurately describes every scene, every heart breaking moment, every moment that draws us in and holds us at the edge of our seats. This score is one of the most masterfully written that I have heard, and it takes a wealth of humanity to write something that is this divine. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!