Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	77/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Alternative Press
CCM Magazine
Christianity Today
Cross Rhythms
HM Magazine
Indie Vision Music
Jesus Freak Hideout
New Release Tuesday
Melodic
Sputnikmusic

Vital is the sixth studio album by American alternative rock band Anberlin which was released on October 16, 2012. In interviews, vocalist Stephen Christian has stated the album has a youthful, energetic energy and features new influences for the band. Upon release, the album was met with favorable reviews from critics and fans alike. The album was re-released in 2013 as Devotion, adding the deluxe tracks from various retailers, new remixes, and a full live album.

Vital garnered generally positive reception from music critics. The review aggregator website Metacritic gives a weighted average rating to an album based upon the selected independent mainstream reviews it utilizes, and the album has a Metascore of a 77 out of 100 based on five reviews.

At Alternative Press, Evan Lucy stating that "Vital [is] the most well-rounded Anberlin album to date." Matt Collar of AllMusic saying that "Ultimately, while Vital is Anberlin's most challenging album to date, as the title implies, it is perhaps the band's most rewarding album." At AbsolutePunk, Jack Appleby writing that "Calling Vital a career-defining record isn't a stretch in the least", which it "is the best record in Anberlin’s 10 year career, bar none." SowingSeason of Sputnikmusic remarking that "Even if it isn’t the best album they’ve ever made, Vital is perhaps the smartest", that contains some "otherworldly vocals." At Melodic, Johan Wippsson commenting that "the band has kept the energy that characterizes their sound and overall it’s an album that shows that the band is in the right direction."

At CCM Magazine, Andy Argyrakis saying that "Not only does the collection boast unbridled energy and spiritually-infused emotion, but it also serves as an official bookend to the group's crown jewel Cities" Stephen Luff of Cross Rhythms writing that "there are some truly outstanding tracks here", and that is why he states Anberlin "have delivered a gem of an album." At HM Magazine, Doug Van Pelt stating that "Vital has progressively shown the band churning out polished, melodic yet aggressive tunes that ever so slightly expand on the band's trademark sound", and that they "avoiding anything stale." Jeremy V. Jones of Christianity Today remarking that "Vital is enhanced by female backing vocals and, more significantly, washed with big, splashy synthesizer."

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