THREE DAYS GRACE / VOLBEAT (Live)

at Rogers Place, Edmonton, Canada, June 10, 2025

July 10, 2025 Mike Scott Live Reviews, Reviews Leave a comment
A full-shot photo of Matt Walst and Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace performing live at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada. Matt Walst, on the left, is wearing a black jacket and pants, with his left hand on his knee, leaning into a microphone. Adam Gontier, on the right, is wearing a long black leather coat and dark pants, singing into a microphone. Both are illuminated by warm stage lights, with a drum kit visible in the background.
Photo: Mike Scott.

It was a triumphant return to Edmonton for both Three Days Grace and Volbeat with openers Wage War, a metalcore outfit from Florida.

Wage War’s set was too short, but quite powerful. Frontman, Briton Bond held court most of the set at the front of the thrust and slayed the crowd. Usually with openers, a sparse attendance is usual, but the arena was more than half full for their set showing that Edmonton is indeed a metal hungry crowd. And they were not disappointed. I’m looking forward to the day Wage War returns to a smaller venue so we can feel the full effect of their metal blast.

Next up was Volbeat. I for one was let down the last time they passed through Edmonton. As a major fan, I was expecting a great set when they came through with Halestorm in 2023 but left thinking they just mailed it in. This night was quite different. Considering it was a co-headlining tour with Three Days Grace, I think they had something to prove as they went on first. All Canadian shows had Three Days Grace going last. It seems only fitting, especially since we were witnessing the triumphant return of Adam Gontier who left over a decade ago to exorcise some personal demons. More on that later.

This night Volbeat brought the heat. Opening with, fittingly, “A Warriors Call”, they set the tone immediately and blew the roof off Rogers Place. Most bands wait a while before showcasing new material, but Volbeat jumped right into songs from their new album, God Of Angels Trust, by the third song with “Enlighten The Disorder (By A Monster’s Hand Part 2)” and “Demonic Depression” shortly thereafter. Fans surprised singer Michael Poulsen when they were singing along to the classics as well as the new material. My favourite new song was “In The Barn Of The Goat Giving Birth To Satan’s Spawn In A Dying World Of Doom”.

The crowd responded when Michael said, “Here we go, best crowd surfer gets a free Volbeat shirt,” as they ripped into “Seal The Deal”. There were some great surfers during that song. When they closed with “Still Counting”, they invited about eight young kids up on stage for a moment they will never forget. The mini bulletheads rocked out as Volbeat said good night to Edmonton. This was the show I was expecting back in 2023. This was classic Volbeat through and through.

Now on to the main event, at least for Canadian crowds. When Three Days Grace took the stage, it was obvious who the crowd was really there to see as the roar was loud when Adam Gontier came out and opened with “Animal I Have Become”. The chants of “Three Days Grace” were as loud as the chants for “Go Oilers Go” that had been heard in that same building just a few short nights prior. And there were plenty of those chants throughout the night switching between “Go Oilers Go” and “Three Days Grace.” When Adam said, “We are Leafs fans, but we made the switch. With 17 Canadians on the Oilers team, it’s hard not to cheer for them,” to which the crowd chanted, “We Want The Cup.”

It’s rare to see a band with two lead singers these days, but Adam and Matt Walst shared those duties well, trading off each other’s, and the crowd’s, energy. By the time they reached “I Hate Everything About You” there was no need for two vocalists let alone one as the crowd shined singing louder than either frontman. The moshing frenzy reached a peak when they debuted a new single called “Mayday” as the throngs in the general admission area were throbbing and swaying along.

A staple for every show on this tour, Three Days Grace brought a person up on stage to sing with them. Tonight, it was Mikayla from local band Red Line Riot. She absolutely slayed on “Just Like You”. She commanded the stage like a veteran.

This show was a highlight for 2025 so far as fans embraced both bands wholeheartedly and the energy returned by each band was on a different level. It’s good to see bands hit this area and not just mail it in or use our market for a primer for the bigger shows they have ahead.

  • A full-shot photo of Matt Walst and Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace performing live at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada. Matt Walst, on the left, is wearing a black jacket and pants, with his left hand on his knee, leaning into a microphone. Adam Gontier, on the right, is wearing a long black leather coat and dark pants, singing into a microphone. Both are illuminated by warm stage lights, with a drum kit visible in the background.
  • A close-up photo of Matt Walst and Brad Walst of Three Days Grace performing live. Matt Walst, on the left, with a mohawk, is leaning in towards Brad Walst, on the right, who is holding a bass guitar. Both are smiling broadly and appear to be interacting playfully during the concert. Matt is holding a microphone near Brad's ear. The background is dark, focusing attention on the two musicians.
  • A dynamic, low-angle photo of Brad Walst, the bassist for Three Days Grace, performing live on stage. He is looking upwards and to the right, intensely focused on his playing. Brad is wearing a dark hoodie and dark pants, and he is holding a reddish-black bass guitar with a light-colored neck. Bright white and blue stage lights illuminate the scene from behind and above him, creating a dramatic atmosphere, with a drum set partially visible in the background on the left.
  • A dynamic, mid-shot photo of Matt Walst, the co-lead vocalist of Three Days Grace, performing on stage. He is captured mid-action, leaning back with one leg bent and foot planted firmly, and his left arm extended, holding a microphone. Matt has a prominent red mohawk and is wearing a black t-shirt under a black jacket with red distressed or patterned accents on the sleeves and body. He is also wearing ripped black pants and dark boots. The stage is dimly lit with purplish-blue light in the background, creating a dramatic and energetic atmosphere.
  • A wide-angle, low-shot photo of Brad Walst, the bassist for Three Days Grace, on stage during a performance. He is looking upwards and to the right, with a smile on his face, and his left hand is raised with his middle finger pointing up. He is holding a reddish-black bass guitar. Brad is wearing a dark hoodie and dark pants. The stage is dramatically lit with multiple bright green and white spotlights shining down from above, creating a strong contrast. A drum kit is visible in the background to the left.
  • A mid-shot photo of Barry Stock, the guitarist for Three Days Grace, performing live on stage. He is looking directly at the camera with a serious expression, playing a black electric guitar with a distinctive body shape and white accents. Barry has a very long, full gray beard and is wearing a baseball cap, a dark t-shirt, and a long black leather coat. His tattooed arms are visible, and he has a red wristband on his right wrist. The stage is lit with red and pink lights, and a drummer is visible in the blurry background to the right.
  • A mid-shot photo of Michael Poulsen, the lead vocalist and guitarist of Volbeat, performing live on stage. He is singing into a microphone while playing a dark-colored electric guitar with white accents. Michael is wearing a black sleeveless t-shirt with a gold symbol on the front, black pants, and has visible tattoos on both arms. He has short hair and a goatee. The stage is dimly lit with blue and green lighting, creating a focused and intense atmosphere.
  • A wide-angle photo of Michael Poulsen of Volbeat from behind, facing a massive crowd in a large arena. He is standing on stage, holding his guitar, with his right arm raised in the air with a clenched fist, engaging with the audience. The arena seating is packed with concert-goers, visible as a sea of faces and lights in the background. Bright spotlights illuminate the stage and part of the crowd from above, creating a grand and energetic concert atmosphere.
  • A dynamic, low-angle photo of Kaspar Boye Larsen, the bassist for Volbeat, performing live on stage. He is looking upwards with a focused expression, deeply engaged in playing his black bass guitar. Kaspar is wearing a dark, long-sleeved collared shirt with a pattern, dark pants, and glasses. Bright blue and green spotlights illuminate him from behind and above, creating dramatic light rays on the dark stage. Part of his amplifier rig is visible in the lower right corner.
  • A dynamic, low-angle photo of Flemming C. Lund, the lead guitarist for Volbeat, performing live on stage. He is looking upwards with a joyful expression, eyes closed, playing a black electric guitar with a white splatter or marble-like pattern. Flemming is wearing a black collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up and dark pants. Bright white spotlights shine down from above, illuminating him against a smoky, dark background.
  • A close-up, mid-shot photo of Jon Larsen, the drummer for Volbeat, behind his drum kit on stage. He is smiling and looking towards the right, with a drumstick in his right hand. Jon is wearing a camouflage patterned cap and a light-colored t-shirt. Various cymbals and drum components, including a tom drum directly in front of him, are visible. The stage lighting behind him appears dark.
  • A wide-angle, eye-level photo of Stephen Kluesener, the drummer for Wage War, intensely focused on his drum kit during a live performance. He is shirtless, revealing tattooed arms and chest, and is wearing a dark beanie. He holds a drumstick aloft in his right hand, poised to strike. The drums are a dark metallic color, with the bass drum featuring a prominent white, geometric star-like logo. The stage is bathed in bright, vibrant blue light from above, creating a cool and energetic atmosphere.
  • A mid-shot photo of Cody Quistad, the rhythm guitarist and clean vocalist for Wage War, performing live on stage. He is looking up and singing into a microphone while playing a white electric guitar with a distinct angular body. Cody has long, wavy brown hair that falls over his shoulders and is wearing a dark, short-sleeved collared shirt over a black t-shirt, with numerous visible tattoos on his arms. The stage is bathed in warm, orange-red lighting from vertical light bars in the background, creating a powerful and energetic atmosphere.
  • A wide-angle shot of Briton Bond, the lead vocalist of Wage War, standing on stage and looking out at the audience. He has long, dark brown hair and is wearing a black sleeveless t-shirt, revealing tattooed arms, and camouflage cargo pants. His hands are clasped in front of him. The stage is bathed in a pinkish-purple light, and the heads of the crowd are visible in the blurry foreground, emphasizing the scale of the concert.
  • A black and white, mid-shot photo of Chris Gaylord, the bassist for Wage War, playing a black bass guitar on stage. He has long, dark hair covering his face as he looks down at his instrument, deeply engrossed in his performance. He is wearing a dark, possibly collared, long-sleeved shirt. In the blurred background, the drummer, Stephen Kluesener, is visible behind his drum kit, which features a bass drum with a white, geometric star-like logo. The image is lit with bright stage lights, creating strong contrasts.

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