When anyone thinks about Three Days Grace, instantly one thinks of 2003’s ‘I Hate Everything About You’. The song came out in emo’s prime and it fit so well. Ever since releasing their debut self-titled album, the Canadian quartet has stayed true to their three-year interval on releases.
It’s been 15 years since and now with new frontman, Matt Walst, who joined the band back in 2013 and released Human in 2015, they are back with sixth album Outsider (Music For Nations), an album that reminds fans that Three Days Grace will continue to be the alternative metal post-grunge dudes they set out to be — and this time around they’re more emotional.
The album starts with ‘Right Left Wrong’. It comes with a heavy punch and catchy lyrics. At first listen, the melody in Walst’s voice sets the tone just right, though his delivery is about the same for every song. The positive thing is the breakdown in this song has an instant groove—a groove that will come back up on a lot of the songs. The second track, ‘The Mountain’ showcases the heavy guitar by Barry Stock that is crafted into the superb melodic lead single that represents the album pretty well.
Thematically, many songs on the record stay true— ‘Me Against You’ fights against conformity. The stomp-like drum fills makes it the anthem that will have fans up on their feet and singing along. The guitar has a danceable, electro-groove again that just makes it so likeable. In fact, the truth is that Three Days Grace weren’t afraid to embrace electronica in this new age of post-grunge. Maybe they’re trying to lure in younger fans as ‘Strange Days’ delivers on such electronica and will probably become a fan favorite – not only is the rhythm catchy, but also the chorus will be in your head for days. ‘Love Me or Leave Me’ and ‘Villain I’m Not’ play along the same theme but are completely different songs; ‘Love Me or Leave Me’ has this angst that is evident but builds to a climax that is never reached whereas ‘Villain I’m Not’ feels like a completed song—executed well for the song that it is.
There is a chunk of the album that meshes together. The instrumentation is solid but nothing crazy for the most part. As mentioned, the electronica is there but it’s not exhausting. The best guitar riffs are found in ‘Infra-Red’. Angst clichés are found throughout, which is not a bad thing if you’re speaking out to a specific audience. Outsider is an effort that has the typical melody that you will expect Three Days Grace to deliver yet they play around with their own electronica sound that fits right into their success.
7.0/10
CYNTHIA JO