| Written by Alex Stojanovic TRACK LISTING Dominate Apologies Mayday Kill Me Fast In Waves Alienation Never Ordinary Deathwish Don't Wanna Go Home Tonight In Cold Blood The Power Another Relapse Release Date: August 22, 2025 Label: RCA Records Website: threedaysgrace.com |  |
A major part of every band's iconic sound and identity is the vocals, especially the one that sang on all the band's signature songs and albums, and when that singer leaves, a big portion of that identity is gone. However, if that singer can come back, and that identity is restored, it's massive. That's exactly the case for a band like Three Days Grace, with songs like "I Hate Everything About You", "Just Like You", "Home", "Animal I Have Become", "Pain" and "Never Too Late". Aside from being musically powerful songs, it was the iconic voice and vulnerable lyrics of Adam Gontier that resonated with millions of fans. In 2013, fans were shocked when Adam announced that he was leaving the band, and in came Matt Walst, brother of bassist Brad Walst. The addition of Matt created huge division amongst fans, very much akin to bands like Sepultura and Accept when the original voices of those bands left. You had fans with the nervous attachment to Adam who refused to accept the change, and fans who embraced the change and went along for the ride. Matt definitely deserves so much credit, because for as much heat as he got, he stepped in, planted his feet firmly in place, stood his ground and kept the band alive and going.
As we also know, time always heals wounds, and it was definitely evident when Adam started appearing in pics with his old bandmates, and also making a couple of appearances on stage with them, leading to immediate speculation that a reunion was looming around the corner. It was in late 2024 when the news that everyone was hoping for broke, when Adam officially rejoined the band, while Matt remained in his position as well, and the hype was off the charts. Festival and tour offers were coming in left, right and center, and new music was already in the works. The band's much anticipated new album Alienation, their first with Adam since Transit Of Venus in 2012, and their first as a quintet, sees Three Days Grace releasing their finest album since One X. For me, as someone who has been a fan of the band since the first two records, it was so nostalgic to hear new music from the band, especially with Adam on vocals again.
People were quick to compare the album's lead single "Mayday" to pieces of the band's past, with the bass intro being a nod to "Animal I Have Become" and the riff itself also giving a nod to "Move Your Body" from Matt's original band My Darkest Days. When it comes to all the tracks, this one is definitely one of the leaders of the pack. When it comes to giving nods to the past, One X seems to be the one getting the most nods, because the title track gives a nod to the "Riot" riff with the triplet feel, and "Deathwish" pays homage to "Time Of Dying". At the same time, there's several other heavy slammers dominating this record like "Dominate" (pun intended, there), "In Waves" However, if you wanna talk heavy, "In Cold Blood" is definitely the heaviest song here and one of the heaviest the band ever wrote. Barry Stock tuned his guitar down for this one, and the slamming breakdown gives off metalcore vibes, and will no doubt get the pits going in a live setting that Matt is always asking for. It feels like a lost child of the first album and it found its place on Alienation.
Of course, we can't forget about the more emotional and uplifting melodic tracks like "Apologies", "Kill Me Fast", "Never Ordinary", which features Lindsey Sterling on guest vocals, and "The Power". To me, "Never Ordinary" joins the ranks of "Never Too Late" and "Pain" as one of the best emotional Three Days Grace songs they've ever crafted, while "The Power" definitely belongs in the more grooving hard rock territory. "Don't Wanna Go Home Tonight" tackles the subject of nostalgia as the band reflects on their younger years of partying with their friends in high school and college. Every song on here doesn't reach over the 4-minute mark, except for closer "Another Relapse", which clocks in at 5 minutes, creating an intense song that will undoubtedly resonate with those struggling or have struggled with addiction.
Quick sidestreet. I've always said that it's always amazing to see a huge band reunite with their original singer while his successor also remains in place, which you don't see too often. It's also a lesson that many bands could learn. If bands like Three Days Grace and Helloween can do it, so can many others. It really all comes down to the easy ability to man up and put aside differences, and at least talking it out. If nothing comes of it, fine, but leave your egos at the door, amigos! The only acceptable excuse for not bothering with it is if there was something truly unforgiveable that one party did.
In this day and age, it's a rarity to find a rock album that doesn't deliver a single dud, even if certain songs hit a bit harder than others. With that being said, just when we thought we wouldn't get another Three Days Grace album as good as the first two, regardless if Adam was on it or not, Alienation sees the band swinging back harder with an absolute vengeance, reminding everyone once again why they're one of rock's best bands of the 2000s, and combining their two eras with both vocalists.
As we also know, time always heals wounds, and it was definitely evident when Adam started appearing in pics with his old bandmates, and also making a couple of appearances on stage with them, leading to immediate speculation that a reunion was looming around the corner. It was in late 2024 when the news that everyone was hoping for broke, when Adam officially rejoined the band, while Matt remained in his position as well, and the hype was off the charts. Festival and tour offers were coming in left, right and center, and new music was already in the works. The band's much anticipated new album Alienation, their first with Adam since Transit Of Venus in 2012, and their first as a quintet, sees Three Days Grace releasing their finest album since One X. For me, as someone who has been a fan of the band since the first two records, it was so nostalgic to hear new music from the band, especially with Adam on vocals again.
People were quick to compare the album's lead single "Mayday" to pieces of the band's past, with the bass intro being a nod to "Animal I Have Become" and the riff itself also giving a nod to "Move Your Body" from Matt's original band My Darkest Days. When it comes to all the tracks, this one is definitely one of the leaders of the pack. When it comes to giving nods to the past, One X seems to be the one getting the most nods, because the title track gives a nod to the "Riot" riff with the triplet feel, and "Deathwish" pays homage to "Time Of Dying". At the same time, there's several other heavy slammers dominating this record like "Dominate" (pun intended, there), "In Waves" However, if you wanna talk heavy, "In Cold Blood" is definitely the heaviest song here and one of the heaviest the band ever wrote. Barry Stock tuned his guitar down for this one, and the slamming breakdown gives off metalcore vibes, and will no doubt get the pits going in a live setting that Matt is always asking for. It feels like a lost child of the first album and it found its place on Alienation.
Of course, we can't forget about the more emotional and uplifting melodic tracks like "Apologies", "Kill Me Fast", "Never Ordinary", which features Lindsey Sterling on guest vocals, and "The Power". To me, "Never Ordinary" joins the ranks of "Never Too Late" and "Pain" as one of the best emotional Three Days Grace songs they've ever crafted, while "The Power" definitely belongs in the more grooving hard rock territory. "Don't Wanna Go Home Tonight" tackles the subject of nostalgia as the band reflects on their younger years of partying with their friends in high school and college. Every song on here doesn't reach over the 4-minute mark, except for closer "Another Relapse", which clocks in at 5 minutes, creating an intense song that will undoubtedly resonate with those struggling or have struggled with addiction.
Quick sidestreet. I've always said that it's always amazing to see a huge band reunite with their original singer while his successor also remains in place, which you don't see too often. It's also a lesson that many bands could learn. If bands like Three Days Grace and Helloween can do it, so can many others. It really all comes down to the easy ability to man up and put aside differences, and at least talking it out. If nothing comes of it, fine, but leave your egos at the door, amigos! The only acceptable excuse for not bothering with it is if there was something truly unforgiveable that one party did.
In this day and age, it's a rarity to find a rock album that doesn't deliver a single dud, even if certain songs hit a bit harder than others. With that being said, just when we thought we wouldn't get another Three Days Grace album as good as the first two, regardless if Adam was on it or not, Alienation sees the band swinging back harder with an absolute vengeance, reminding everyone once again why they're one of rock's best bands of the 2000s, and combining their two eras with both vocalists.
FINAL RATING
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