began recording Appeal to Reason

McIlrath and Principe had been writing songs for a new album throughout The Sufferer & Witness tour, and in December 2007, the band members went to the Blasting Room to record their fifth studio album Appeal to Reason . This was the third Rise Against album to be produced by Stevenson and Livermore, and the band members had grown accustomed to the duo’s work style. According to McIlrath: “[Stevenson’s] got such a work ethic, just an amazing work ethic, and Livermore too, and the whole studio, all the people that work there.” Blair went into the album with the goal to fit in seamlessly with the other band members, or as he put it “If you listen to every record this band had out, you could tell that Zach Blair played on this record”. He took influence from how Nels Cline sounded on the album Sky Blue Sky when he joined Wilco . Blair was already well acquainted with Stevenson before joining Rise Against, as he and Stevenson were in Only Crime. Stevenson helped Blair replicate the sound of past Rise Against guitarists.