Mention the label "Christian rock" to affable Anberlin frontman Stephen Christian and you're liable to be on the receiving end of a speech about the pitfalls of genres.

"I think Bob Dylan said it best," Christian said during a recent phone interview. "Everybody's out to give you a genre. Everybody's out to give you a tag because it makes it easier for you to consume the music. Instead of trying to fight the box, I let people just put me in any box they want. I would just hope at the end of the day that everyone would give my band a chance.

"If you don't like the music, don't listen to it. But just because someone's tagged us this way or that, I don't feel that you should not give the music a chance. I don't care what religion one or two people in the band subscribe to. I don't care what race, or color or creed or political view [the band has]. If it's good music, it's good music. If not, don't listen to it. It's not gonna hurt my feelings."

Christian explained he doesn't "enjoy" or "despise" the Christian rock tag. It did bother him during the Anberlin's fledgling years, however.

"During the first two years as a band, I felt like it really rubbed me the wrong way. When people hear 'Christian band,' I feel like they don't even listen to the music. They don't even give it a chance.

"The funny thing is, just because I'm a Christian, it doesn't make everybody in the band a Christian. It doesn't make the music a Christian. I don't know how a CD could get its soul saved. It's kind of illogical, when you think about it. But whatever."

These days, Anberlin wants fans to give its new CD, "New Surrender," a chance. Produced by Neal Avron (Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory), "New Surrender," Anberlin's first release for Universal/Republic, embodies a philosophy Christian holds about personal development.

"In everybody's life, there's something they know they have to give up," Christian said while explaining the new album's title. "There's something they have to change or take care of in their lives to progress to the next step. I think it's a motivational speech, in two words. I don't know if it's drugs, alcohol, or fear--fear being an enabler to get where you have to go in life--I just think that [everyone] in life has something they need to give up. Hopefully, ['New Surrender'] is that motivational speech in 40 minutes."

Through Nov. 7, Anberlin--which also includes guitarist Joseph Milligan, bassist Deon Rexroat, guitarist Christian McAlhaney and drummer Nathan Young--will spread that message with the help of Scary Kids Scaring Kids, There For Tomorrow and Straylight Run. (See below for the itinerary.)

"There For Tomorrow is very new indie rock in the vein of We the Kings or All Time Low," Christian said. "Straylight Run, they're very much a slower band, a very keyboard-driven indie rock. We have Metal/hardcore/screamo in Scary Kids Scaring Kids. I think we have a diverse line-up. You're not going to be bored. It'll be like a festival."

At the time of the interview, Christian was working with a lighting director to discuss possibilities for the show. The two went over stage props in the hopes that the show will be "massive."

"I'm not talking about the size of the rooms," Christian said. "I want it to have an epic feel. I want people to walk away absolutely happy. I think we're gonna play half new and half old songs. I don't want to go to a show where they just play their new music. I don't even know that music yet. I think we're going to do a lot of old songs and a couple new songs. Hopefully, it's a greatest-hits set. I love when people sing along. That gets me going and that gets me off. I just love it I think we're going to be doing a lot more old than new songs, just for that matter."