Appeal to Reason by Rise Against

Appeal to Reason is the fifth studio album by American rock band Rise Against. It was released on October 7, 2008. A melodic hardcore album, Appeal to Reason marked a musical shift from the gritty punk sound that had previously defined the band's career to a more radio-friendly sound, with greater emphasis on production. The album's lyrics primarily focus on political issues in the United States, such as the Iraq War and the Bush administration. Rise Against began recording Appeal to Reason in January 2008 at the Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado. Producers Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore incorporated soft tones into many of the songs to elicit a darker feel to the music. It is the band's first album with guitarist Zach Blair. Appeal to Reason debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, and was Rise Against's highest charting album until the release of Endgame in 2011. The album sold 64,700 copies in its first week of release, and was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting shipments of 500,000 copies. Critics were divided in their opinions of Appeal to Reason. Some critics commended the album's more radio-friendly sound, while other critics found the music to be stale, and bemoaned Rise Against's abandonment of its punk roots. The album produced three singles: "Re-Education (Through Labor)", "Audience of One", and "Savior". All three songs charted highly on the Modern Rock Tracks chart; "Savior" in particular, held the record for the most consecutive weeks spent on both the Hot Rock Songs and Modern Rock Tracks charts, with sixty-three and sixty-five weeks respectively.