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Anberlin plans 2009 dates around 'Surrender'

Alt-rockers Anberlin will launch a US and Canadian headlining tour early next year to support their latest album, September's "New Surrender."

First, though, the Florida-based group will tackle a slate of radio-promoted holiday shows, kicking off with a Dec. 6 appearance in West Palm Beach, FL, that also includes Jack's Mannequin, Avenged Sevenfold and other acts. The headlining outing kicks off Jan. 7 in Nashville, TN, focusing on Canadian venues and "US cities we haven't been to in a while," according to a press release. Details are below.

The band is currently in England completing a UK outing. Those dates can be found at the group's website.

Produced by Neal Avron (Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory), "New Surrender" is Anberlin's first release for Universal/Republic and the fourth studio album overall for the group, which released its previous records--including last year's "Cities"--on the Christian Rock-oriented Tooth & Nail label. The band members themselves decry the group's categorization as a "Christian band," however.

"If you don't like the music, don't listen to it," frontman Stephen Christian told LiveDaily recently. "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.

"When people hear 'Christian band,' I feel like they don't even listen to the music. They don't even give it a chance," he added.