Review: Three Days Grace – Life Starts Now

Sergio reviews Three Days Grace’s Life Starts Now.

Artist Name: Three Days Grace
Album Name: Life Starts Now
Year: 2009
Genre: Alternative Rock

Three Days Grace is back with a vengeance! Produced once again by Howard Benson, Life Starts Now continues to build on the success of One-X – debuting at number 3 on the Billboard 200 with approximately 75 000 copies sold in its first week!

It’s no secret that Three Days Grace frontman, Adam Gontier, suffered from many personal demons that kept him locked away in a rehab facility for over a year and half. However, judging by 2006’s One-X and now Life Starts Now, it was an experience that really transformed him and his band for the better.

Alternating from riff-driven songs, such as ‘Break’, to softer vocal and harmony-based numbers, such as ‘Last to Know’, this record is 44 minutes of diversified rock – while they don’t do anything that hasn’t been done before, they do at least mix it up a bit. You should also be easily able to spot Howard Benson’s influence – it’s a trademark of his to create vocal-centric albums, just check out Seether’s Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces as an example.

It’s often rare that you find a band that you and your partner can both enjoy, however I believe that I’ve found the solution in Three Days Grace. Proving that there will always be a need for sentimental and positive rock – it does tug on your heartstrings – Life Starts Now delivers the contagious grooves and melodies which have made Three Days Grace such a beloved band for both genders.

If you’re a fan of Seether or Breaking Benjamin, I suggest that you check this album out!

Best Tracks: ‘Break’, ‘World So Cold’, ‘Last to Know’, and ‘The Good Life’

78/100

- Sergio Pereira
sergio@musicreview.co.za