Review Summary: On their third full-length effort, Three Days Grace searches for a progression in there sound. What they find is a mixed bag of hits and misses that will leave listeners expecting something more than a radio friendly post-grunge album frustrated.
Three Days Grace has never claimed to be a super progressive alt-metal band such as Aussies Karnivool, or The Deftones. But with their newest album, Life Starts Now, they promised something new with jam style songs, and solo's galore. After listening to the album a number of times, I can tell you whole-heartedly what most people expected. It's not as bad as, say Papa Roach's recent Metamorphasis, but what it comes down to is that unless you LOVE this band, you will finish listneing to Life Starts Now with a very bland reaction. There's good here, even the potential for great, but after every good song there's another that just mocks the previous one with dumb chord progressions, all too basic drumming, and laughable, predictable lyrics.
Life Starts New has a mess of problems, but one of the most overpowering is the feeling that every song is a same mixture of big choruses and then the same riff for a verse except palm muted with a weird effect on the vocals. Case in point is the song Bully, which is built off a good riff and then it feels like the band fell asleep on the verse. This song is a very frustrating one because every chance it has to get interesting, it falls apart, even on the cool end breakdown, it starts to change things up a bit, then, as if the band said "Oh wait, we almost did something new, time to go back." it falls back into the same boring chorus. The album does have a few bright spots. The best song on this record is by far No More. it begins with a nice calming guitar riff, and flows in a dreamy fashion. This is the song that had me convinced that maybe the band could progress into something more than a radio alt-metal band (a-la Chevelle's Sci-Fi Crimes)
The muscianship on here is also a mixed bag. Drumming stays boring witha couple cool fills, Guitar is the same patterns on each song witha few cool breakdowns and solos. The one saving grace for me with Three Days Grace has always been Singer Adam Gontier. His voice is one that I personally envy. But on this record almost all the parts when he should shine, fall flat because his vocals sound forced and way too overproduced. His lyrics have taken a huge step back as well. the way they are written almost sounds like he wasn't even trying, and they are very hard to ignore.
With all the negatives I've mentioned, I still believe any fans of previous entries of TDG or fans of post-grunge rockers like Seether or Breaking Benjamin should check this record out. It's not going to change rock music or win any awards, but it's worth a listen. But if you were expecting something great or new, then prepare to be disapointed.
