Dominating the Hard Rock scene for over two decades now, Three Days Grace’s roots go all the way back to 1992, initially titled Groundswell. Only teenagers, these humble beginnings featured Adam Gontier on lead vocals and guitar, Neil Sanderson on drums and backing vocals, and Brad Walst on bass. Interestingly, the core that would become Three Days Grace in 1997, another five years would pass before they made their big break in 2003 with the song “I Hate Everything About You.”
At this point, some twenty-two years ago, Three Days Grace made quite a bit of history. To start with, in 2003, they were named the favorite new artist at the CASBY Awards. Also in 2003, their self-titled debut album peaked at no. 9 on the Canadian album chart and no. 69 on the Billboard 200, then went platinum in Canada by MC, and 2x platinum in the US by the RIAA, as well as gold by Recorded Music NZ. Following up the hit “I Hate Everything About You,” the band would go on to set a record for “most #1 U.S.singles at Active Rock Radio ever” with fourteen.
Quite impressive, even more so is that in 2013, after Adam Gontier departed as the leading voice of Three Days Grace, the band carried on without skipping a beat, hiring Matt Walst of My Darkest Days (brother of Brad) to fill in. Working out well, Matt remained as their lead vocalist through three more chart-topping records (between 2015’s Human, 2018’s Outsider, and 2022’s Explosion) and consistent touring. Meanwhile, Gontier found a comfortable new home with Staind’s Mike Mushok in the band Saint Asonia, who put out a self-titled album in 2015, Flawed Design in 2019, and a strong EP Introvert/Extrovert in 2022.
As so much time passed, many had assumed this was the way things would remain, but a big surprise came in 2023 when Gontier appeared on stage with Three Days Grace a couple of times. Although most did not give these events much thought, other than being one-offs, it was confirmed in 2024 that Gontier was back with the band and preparing to record new music. Which raised another question – what would become of Matt Walst after a decade of loyal service? Well, he would not be disserved, because Three Days Grace opted to move forward with Adam Gontier and Matt Walst as dueling vocals.
All extremely unexpected, Gontier had stated that he owed it to the fans to return, and so the forces brought him back to Three Days Grace. A quintet once more (including Barry Stock, who has been on lead guitar since 2003), Gontier and Walsh’s voices lead the way for what is the band’s eighth studio album, Λ𝖫𝖨𝖤𝖭Λ𝖳𝖨Ø𝖭.
Out on August 22, 2025, through RCA, Λ𝖫𝖨𝖤𝖭Λ𝖳𝖨Ø𝖭 released a few teaser tracks before the full release. These include “Dominate,” which represents the harder Rock sound of the band and serves as an interesting start to the album, as it captures the scope of the new and different style the band is aiming for. Representing a bit of the original Three Days Grace sound, Mayday is also a good throwback, if you will, to 2006’s One X with its original guitar riffs and phenomenal drum beats. However, it is the lyrics that take you back with, “We walk like dead people who haven’t died yet, we ride like passengers without a pilot.” Furthermore, Matt Walst’s bridge is the high point of the song, giving it that special touch.
These couple of pre-releases explained, distinguishing the singing of Gontier and Matt Walst is very easy, as they both have unique voices. Still, each brings their own distinct musical styles and lyrical tastes to the band, and that being said, “Apologies” has a resemblance to Matt Walst’s previous sound with his former band, My Darkest Days. Yet, Walst and Gontier seem to harmonize very well together.
Moving on, “In Waves” and “Alienation” feature song lyrics that most fans can relate to. For “In Waves,” the lines “Lost in the waves and the world just keeps on rolling” and “We’re all outsiders, fallen fighters” from “Alienation” both seem to strike a chord in one who has felt the struggles of life. This is in contrast to other tracks that differ from the band’s original style, such as “Never Ordinary” and “Don’t Wanna Go Home Tonight,” which are slightly more synth-like in sound and seem to strike a different note.
However, Λ𝖫𝖨𝖤𝖭Λ𝖳𝖨Ø𝖭’s final track, “Another Relapse,” could be the album’s bigger hit. Heavily laced with guitar tracks, and the bass is very prominent, it is the songwriting itself which is truly astonishing, With more powerful lyrics, such as “you don’t know how much I miss that feeling, maybe just a little taste won’t kill me” and “you take me right back, another relapse,” you will be thoroughly captivated.
Although Three Days Grace has made some changes and is heading in a slightly different direction, they are still making history and will likely continue to thrive in the Rock industry. The return of Adam Gontier is a welcome one, and teaming with Matt Walst is adding an entirely new dynamic to Three Days Grace. That is why Cryptic Rock gives Λ𝖫𝖨𝖤𝖭Λ𝖳𝖨Ø𝖭 4 out of 5 stars.
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