Three Days Grace: “Back With A Vengeance”

For some time now in the world of alternative rock music, there seems to be a stigma attached to rock artists that originate from the country of Canada. Many fans of this genre of music have developed a bias that it is impossible, or at least highly unlikely, that any rock artist that was born and grew up in Canada is actually better or just as good as any artist that is from the United States or even Great Britain. One particular Canadian rock band that has proven these generalities wrong is the four Canadians collectively known as Three Days Grace. Even though they have only released one proper studio record, Three Days Grace, who originate from the small town of Norwood, Ontario, has exploded into what could be Canada’s most internationally popular hard rock band.

Long before the millions of albums sold and sold out concerts, the members of Three Days Grace all met as children in Norwood in the early 1990s. Originally, the band was a five piece and went by the name Groundswell, but by 1997, the group was down to four members and had changed its name to Three Days Grace. In an attempt to garner interest and to help the band develop, the guys relocated from Norwood to Toronto and were introduced to producer Gavin Brown by their former manager. Brown had been well known in the Toronto indie scene by virtue of the fact that he had been a member of the band Big Sugar which scored a few minor radio hits towards the end of the 1990s. The band performed a private set for Brown who was impressed by the group’s dynamics and sound and helped them narrow down their best songs. To attract record label interest, Brown helped Three Days Grace record a demo tape which contained the song “I Hate Everything About You.” The song ended up being well received by labels and it ultimately helped the band land a publishing deal with EMI records.

Soon after landing the publishing deal, Three Days Grace scored a record deal with Jive Records after receiving a lot of interest from the company’s president. Armed with Brown as producer, the band, Adam Gontier, Brad Walst, Neil Sanderson and Barry Stock began work on its debut full length album. The recording process began in a studio in Boston, Massachusetts, but the guys later relocated to Woodstock, New York to finish the record free from the distractions of a big city. The band’s debut record was then released in July of 2003 and to say that it was a success would be an understatement. “I Hate Everything About You,” the first single, became an anthem of sorts for angst-ridden young people. The disc produced three other hit singles and Three Days Grace also became one of the most popular new rock bands in the United States.

After some intense touring that lasted well over a year, the band took some down time before beginning work on new material. Now, after nearly two years out of the spotlight, Three Days Grace are back and set to release a brand new LP entitled One-X. Although One-X will not be too much of a departure from the sound of the first album, the new disc touches on a lot of new themes and experiences that the band has gone through over the last three years. One of the major themes on One-X that lead singer Adam Gontier’s lyrics explore is dealing with his and the band’s newfound fame and popularity. Gontier probes the feeling of loneliness that comes from being constantly surrounded by other people and the mental destruction that goes along with continually being on the road and touring. When the band began writing and recording One-X, Gontier was surprised to discover that the rest of his bandmates had experienced similar feelings of disenchantment and isolation from the road. Knowing that the rest of the band had similar thoughts helped Gontier come to terms with his feelings which ultimately helped the members come together more and complete work on the new record.

One-X is scheduled for release on June 13th and it is already one of the most anticipated albums of the summer. On March 31st, the band released One-X’s first single to radio, a hard driving song called “Animal I Have Become.” The experiences of becoming famous and hard touring are very much evident on the song as Gontier sings about not being able to escape himself and the “hell” that he is experiencing. If the first single is any indication, One-X should be an excellent follow up to a monstrous debut record. It’s been a long road out of obscurity for four musicians from Norwood, Ontario, but Three Days Grace has become one of the premier new rock bands in Canada. Expect to see the band to continue its success, playing to sold out venues on tour for the rest of the year and hopefully for many years to come in the future.