Andrew’s Judgmental Album Reviews: Three Days Grace – Explosions (2022)

Not gonna lie, Fozzy was the layup last week on what to cover since it works with the theme of the website, but there’s been a few albums that have caught my interest. So picking one to cover, wasn’t what I would call easy.

I suppose this one won out, because I don’t know what to expect. Now I think most people in the Millennial age range know this band for I Hate Everything About You or Animal I Have Become. They got popular around the same time as Bullet for My Valentine, Breaking Benjamin and that era of metal. Now in 2013, the original lead singer Adam Gontier left the band, and at that point I considered them dead. I heard a few songs with the new guy, and was heavily unimpressed.

Though, even when the original singer was in the band, I can’t say I really know anything after One-X (2006). It’s safe to say they weren’t a favorite of mine. But who knows, the pandemic has reinvigorated a lot of older bands, maybe it’s time for Three Days Grace to stop sucking?!

Three Days Grace is: Brad Walst (bass), Matt Walst (lead vocals & rhythm guitar), Barry Stock (lead guitar), Neil Sanderson (drums & keys)

• Artist: Three Days Grace
• Album: Explosions (2022)
• Label: RCA Records
• Total Track Time: 37:51

So Called Life at least starts off with a more classic distorted groove and then the vocals kick in and they sound like Adema. I don’t know if that’s positive or negative yet. Lyrically I’m already a little annoyed with the inane lyrics most likely about the pandemic. Musically it’s at least passable, but the lyrical imagery is childish like the line of ‘wanting to ram a chainsaw through the wall’, the band members are in their 40s or pushing 40 and they’re writing lyrics like Monster chugging frat boys. I Am The Weapon is at least slightly more intricate lyrically since its about some form of psychological abuse. By some form I don’t know if there’s real layers or if its just a concept they found cool to write about. The problem is the worthless instrumentation. A bad drum beat, heavy keyboard effects and the boring parts of Animal I Have Become comprise this song. It’s safe to say, so far this album is shaping up to the be lowest I’ve ever rated.

Neurotic (feat Lukas Rossi) at least the guitar bridge between verses is kind of interesting. But again, this is written by 40 year olds with the lyrical capacity of 19 year olds. There’s a lyric about barely breathing, and that’s how I feel about this album so far. Damn this is bad. Lifetime oh my God this is terrible. With an open chord intro into the vocals and then very sparse guitar and keys it really is sad, in a shitty way. This is like every 00s nu-metal attempt a ballad, but all the bad parts, clichés and just vomit inducing trash. This was actually their second single for the album?! The song is the epitome of dying of cringe. A Scar is Born well okay it doesn’t turn me immediately off, that’s a change from the last few songs. Okay this is the pre-chorus; “Do you remember the moment your heart ripped wide open? The moment when you started to grieve? Believe”, this is hot garbage. Like the lyrical content is embarrassing. The musical quality isn’t much better but for the most part its just stereotypical new metal distortion with a possible classical sample behind things. But these lyrics make Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber sound like wordsmiths.

Souvenirs again, dude, these lyrics are awful. “There’s nothin’ more beautiful than a distant star, Proof of our ignorance, proof of how small we are (Small we are), Remember gettin’ high on the hood of my broke-down car, Remember how innocent we no longer are (We no longer are)”, these are teenage stoner thoughts and reminiscing…WHEN YOU’RE 40! These feel like words Matthew McConaughey would’ve said in Dazed and Confused. And this is only the halfway point of this pile of cow shit. No Tomorrow well okay, this at least is serviceable, I’m gonna try to ignore the lyrics moving forward unless they are asinine. But this could’ve been on Fuse in the early 00s and not felt out of place. So it took seven songs, but this is at least not pure chaff.

Redemption is this aptly named? ” I know sorry is not enough, To erase all the pain from when I messed up”, I know I’m not focusing on the lyrics, but given how awful this album is, I thought it was funny that these words feel like an apology for the wasted 20 minutes already. As a song though, this is uninspired. It’s a typical melancholic power ballad about suicide and forgiveness.  If someone needs to hear this song, good for them and glad it helped. But in the greater picture of music, this is worthless, goes nowhere and doesn’t say anything that 700 others songs in the same genre haven’t said better. Champion I hate this song already. It feels like they’re trying really hard to get a song into a WWE game, and the abrupt start and mentioning anything champion is laughable. Could this be like a Night of Champions theme song? Sure, but that also gets across the simplistically bland and boring nature of the song.

Chain of Abuse I’m going to bash my head into the desk. The lyrical tone is too bad to overlook again. You know, they are still trying to write to the 17 year old Hot Topic crowd, but the problem is, they are writing like they’re 17. Instead of actually coming from a place of expertise and maturity, the lyrics and instrumental tone sound more like a gaslighting boyfriend who’s trying to reassure a potential love interest with sweet nothings. The old “Everyone hates you and doubts you, but I don’t”. Those kind of lyrics aren’t positive, they are creepy, shallow and easily applied to manipulation. Bad song in every possible way. Someone To Talk To (feat Apocalyptica) I honestly didn’t know Apocalyptica was still together (the cool heavy metal cello band). What do you want me to say about this? At least having Apocalyptica in the feature implies it will be softer. But the song is useless.

Explosions, THANK GOD IT’S THE LAST SONG! I think it’s something that tries to sound deep about sitting on a rock in a universe of explosions and to have a little fun in the insignificant existence. BUT again it’s worded like a dyslexic 9 year old with half eaten crayons.

I don’t have enough metaphors to describe how much of an uninspired half-assed time capsule attempt of whatever garbage this was. If anyone over the age of 15 thinks this is good, please go to the ER and consult a doctor for head trauma. Two songs were under 3 minutes long, so I feel like even they wanted to get this album over with quickly.

This was the worst album I’ve covered thus far, and it’s not even close. Bad atmosphere, worse lyrics, conflicting musical tone, cliché song concepts and lyrics written by 40 year old man-children. Avoid this album like you avoid phone calls.

Final Judgment: 2.5/10