The Black Market by Rise Against

The Black Market is the seventh studio album by American rock band Rise Against, released on July 15, 2014 through Interscope Records. A melodic hardcore album, The Black Market comprises twelve songs that focus on mid-tempo rhythm, vocal hooks, and strong bridge sections. The album's thematically introspective lyrics are a departure from the band's typical social and political topics, and revolve around dark subject matters. After touring in support of their 2011 album Endgame, Rise Against took a year-long hiatus, and began recording The Black Market in January 2014 at the Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado. The band members employed new recording techniques, such as greater usage of analog signals on a Kemper amplifier, and an Evertune bridge to keep the guitars in tune. The Black Market debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, becoming Rise Against's fourth consecutive album to chart within the top ten. The album also charted highly in several other countries such as Canada, where it became Rise Against's third consecutive album to reach number one on the Canadian Albums Chart. Critics praised the more introspective lyrics on The Black Market, but were divided in their opinions on the music; some found the music to be formulaic and stale, while others felt it was more nuanced than previous Rise Against material, and that it complemented the lyrics. To promote the album, Rise Against toured throughout 2014 and 2015 with several other rock bands, such as Touché Amoré, Pennywise, and Killswitch Engage.