"Colors" was recorded in April through May 2007 at the Basement Studios with Jamie King as the chosen producer for it. Prior to its release, it received great praise and sold 12,600 copies in its first week of release, reaching 57th on the "Billboard" 200, which was the first time the band reached the top 100 on the list. Mike Portnoy, formerly of Dream Theater, one of Between the Buried and Me's main influences, named "Colors" his favorite album of the year. PopMatters wrote, "A true marvel, this challenging but ultimately highly rewarding album is an example of a young band just discovering what it’s capable of. At the rate they’re going, the modern metal pantheon awaits," while "Ultimate Guitar" also named it "Best Album of the Year" in their annual "This Year in Metal".