THREE DAYS GRACE – Alienation

Canadian modern rock and metal powerhouse Three Days Grace returns with their eighth album.

The return of Adam Gontier

The biggest surprise is the return of original singer Adam Gontier, who left the band in 2013 for reasons that are not entirely clear, but probably boil down to the proverbial musical differences. His return was announced in 2024, so fans of the band already knew—but there is a difference between the knowledge of his return and hearing him again with his former bandmates. And his return also begs the question: What about singer Matt Walst?

One plus one makes two-and-a-half

That is the biggest news and also the smartest step the band could take: Three Days Grace now sports two singers! While the two voices are not so different—Matt Walst managed to perform the old songs to the fans’ satisfaction live—this move and the great harmony between the two frontmen provide the vocals with more clout. This is already the impression on the album; it could definitely be a game changer for the band on stage.

You don’t have to be old to be wise composers

Despite the addition to the lineup, Alienation is a Three Days Grace album in every regard. It continues the path the band has paved for itself since 2003. What sets Alienation at least somewhat apart is the maturity of the compositions, which include the great rock song “Don’t Wanna Go Home Tonight,” the poppy “Never Ordinary,” which was recorded with the help of Lindsey Stirling, and some rap influence in “Apologies.” At the same time, several tunes sound unmistakably like Three Days Grace. No one would mistake “Mayday,” “Alienation,” “Deathwish,” “In Cold Blood,” or “The Power” for anything but TDG songs.

A step on a journey that has just begun

While some songs show the newfound power that the band potentially has through the two singers, it seems they have not yet come to realize the full potential of the new lineup. At the same time, the songs sound more mature and overall a tad more mellow than Explosions and its predecessors—one might say more mainstream, although the Canadians were never far from that anyway. That combination makes for an interesting album with no weak song, but at the same time leaves the taste behind that album number eight could have been more, as it feels full of suspense, full of a promise that it cannot deliver in full. At least not yet. It feels like there is more to come—a lot more. Until then, Alienation is the eighth great album of the band and still something like the first ray of light after the rain, carrying the promise of an even brighter future. Does that make sense?

Tracklist

1. Dominate
2. Apologies
3. Mayday
4. Kill Me Fast
5. In Waves
6. Alienation
7. Never Ordinary
8. Deathwish
9. Don’t Wanna Go Home Tonight
10. In Cold Blood
11. The Power
12. Another Relapse

Lineup

Adam Gontier – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Neil Sanderson – drums, backing vocals, keyboards
Barry Stock – lead guitar
Brad Walst – bass guitar, backing vocals
Matt Walst – lead vocals, rhythm guitar