First before I get into this review let me give you some background really quick about me and Three Days Grace. I borrowed their first album from a friend of mine in 2003 and was quickly addicted (the only other band I liked at the time was Linkin Park). In early 2006, Three Days Grace's new single was released and their new album was announced and I was incredibly happy. In June when it was released I went straight to Tower Records with my friend who first let me borrow their debut CD and we both bought one. A few singles into the album, Three Days Grace reached mainstream success with "Never Too Late." A lot of people who have been with a band since their beginning don't like when this happens, me included, I must admit. But the difference here is there was definitely no "selling out." From their debut album to One-X the band only evolved enough as to not put out the same album twice. They stayed true to their music and themselves and made an album that, from beginning to end, is virtually flawless.
Review:
When I first heard "Break" I was brought back to when I first heard "Animal I Have Become." Not because the songs are similar but because both songs took what they had from the previous albums and improved upon them, making something new while still being identifiable as Three Days Grace.
The album starts off with "Bitter Taste," a hard hitting song that bashes on someone for their wrong doings. Nothing we haven't heard before lyrically, but musically this song is one of the band's strongest. Neil Sanderson's drums and Barry Stock's guitar are taken to a new level with this song and it sets a good tone for the rest of the album.
Three Days Grace albums have always been a little top-heavy and this album is no exception. With songs like "Break," "World So Cold," and "Lost In You" taking up the second through fourth tracks on the album, all three are potential singles. And that's not for no reason. "Lost In You" is something very different than anything we've seen from the band before. A softer, more poppy side of the band. I would not be surprised if this song is released as a single. "The Good Life" is very "Riot"-Esq as far as sound. It's a fun song that definitely pumps you up about just wanting to have fun and live "the good life," very care-free. Definitely one of the best off the album.
At the start of the second half of the album is "Last To Know." This song has the first 3/4 of the song as just piano and Adam Gontier singing. This is a huge step forward for the band (not that I want them to only make piano ballads) because it's definitely something new and shows maturity as a band. After the second chorus, the guitar comes in and leads into the rest of the band. At this point in the mostly sad song, the hopeful part comes in. The beginning chorus' being about being left along by someone and the ending chorus being about realizing it was for the better. A definite high point on the album. "Bully" is a song about feeling tormented to the breaking point. "Goin' Down" has an eerie feel kind of like being in a haunted mansion. The album finishes with its title track, "Life Starts Now." The song is about someone who feels alone and thinks everything would just be better if they just weren't there anymore and trying to make them see that everything can be better and life is worth living. Like the title track from One-X it is another high point on the album, which shows that Three Days Grace really knows how to end an album. To me, I feel that "Life Starts Now" is a great ender because it's like, "Ok the albums over, you're ready to go live your life."
Overall, Three Days Grace has proved that they are able to improve with each album, no matter how seemingly flawless an album might be and I have no doubt they will continue to make great music in the future and I'll be listening to this album for a long time.
-Josh CV
No comments:
Post a Comment