Revelation by Third Day

Revelation is the ninth studio album by American Christian rock band Third Day, released on July 29, 2008. The album was produced by Howard Benson, who had decided to work with the band after rock singer Chris Daughtry drew attention to lead singer Mac Powell's vocal ability. Although they were initially uncomfortable working with Benson, Third Day achieved a positive working relationship with Benson, who felt that their different religious beliefs made them challenge each other in a way reflected in the record. In recording Revelation, Third Day aimed to produce a southern rock album while being more creative musically; the band felt the end result was their best record to date. As a whole, the album is noted as adopting a heavier and edgier rock sound than Third Day's previous adult contemporary-projects such as Wherever You Are (2005), while the album's lyrics reflect Christian themes. The album features guest appearances from Chris Daughtry, Lacey Mosley of alternative metal band Flyleaf, and pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph. Revelation received positive reviews from music critics. Although some expressed minor concerns about the short length of the album's songs and the quality of the record's second half as compared to its first, many critics regarded it as one of Third Day's best studio albums while others praised the guest appearances on the album. It won several awards at the 40th GMA Dove Awards while the song "Born Again" received multiple nominations at the 52nd Grammy Awards. Revelation debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, number two on the Rock Albums chart, and number one on the Christian Albums chart, selling a total of 75,000 copies in its first week. The album's four singles all performed successfully on Christian radio, three of them topping at least one Christian chart format. Revelation has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), signifying shipments of over 500,000 copies.