Revelation (Third Day Album)

''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 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.

Background and recording

Third Day, intending to "shake things up", made some significant changes to its management prior to the production of ''Revelation''. The band left Creative Trust Management and signed with Red Light, which represented such artists as Dave Matthews Band, Switchfoot, and Rodney Atkins. They also chose to work with mainstream producer Howard Benson, who had worked on projects with other bands that Third Day had enjoyed. Benson decided he wanted to work with Third Day after Chris Daughtry drew his attention to Mac Powell's vocal ability. Benson, who is Jewish, said that he enjoys working with Christian artists such as Third Day because they believe in something. He added that their different religious beliefs prompted discussions about faith between himself and the band, which Benson said "comes out in the record because of the way I challenge them and they challenge me". Third Day were initially uncomfortable at first working with Benson, as the band's achievements in the Christian music realm meant nothing in the world of mainstream record production. Despite the band's insecurity at the start, they appreciated the experience the end of the process. The decision to use Benson led to the band recording the album in Los Angeles instead of Atlanta, Georgia.

During production, Benson felt one recording session with Lacey Mosley of Flyleaf went beyond the ordinary to the point where he left the recording room and told Powell "You have to go out there, and you and her do this because you're coming to God right now in front of my eyes. You guys handle it". According to Benson, both he and Mosley were moved to tears by the session and Benson felt that something like that does not happen often in a recording studio. In a separate session with Mosley, bassist Tai Anderson said that, after recording the end of the song "Run to You", Mosley said she could not believe she was recording with the band. Concerned that Mosley might have been pressured by her management team into doing the collaboration, Anderson said they told Mosley that she didn't have to do the recording. Mosley assuaged their concerns by telling the band that she was actually excited to be able to perform on their album as the band's music had helped her during a difficult period in her teenage years.

With ''Revelation'', Third Day aimed to give their fans a record with their southern rock sound while being more creative. The band said they pushed themselves hard for the record, pushing the album's release date back so they could work on lyrics and songs despite pressure from their label for a finished product. They ultimately felt the album was among their best lyrically and "more than what fans were expecting usically. The band's drummer, David Carr, acknowledged the cliche of a band member calling their latest effort their best one, but was confident that ''Revelation'' would be the best if all the band's previous efforts were compared. Tai Anderson, the group's bassist, said they did not intend the album to be a mainstream record, pointing to the cross on the album's cover. However, he said that they didn't rule out the possibility of mainstream exposure. After the album was complete, guitarist Brad Avery left the band.

''Revelation'' was produced by Howard Benson. Recording was handled by Mike Plontikoff at Bay 7 Studios in Valley Village and at Sparky Dark Studio in Calabasas, California

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