Since rising to prominence with the 2003 hit I Hate Everything About You, Canadian band Three Days Grace have always used their music as a channel to bring out the bad guy, and it's not with their seventh album. , Explosions, that things will change.

The recipe is chargeable. The mix of heavy rock and anger-and-frustrating lyrics earned them 16 No. 1s on Billboard magazine's mainstream rock chart, one shy of record holders Shinedown.

The two groups have exchanged first place for a few years, according to the publications. This spring, Three Days Grace had brought the score to 16-16 thanks to So Called Life, but Shinedown replied, the following week, by Planet Zero.

In an interview with the Journal, drummer Neil Sanderson was more inclined to thank the admirers, members and entourage of the group for their support than to fuel this friendly rivalry.

“Staying at the top is not easy. It takes perseverance and authenticity. Three Days Grace has had a bumpy ride at times, to say the least, so we will never take the support of our fans and the industry for granted. »

In the words of Neil Sanderson, the new songs of the Ontario formation have in common to echo the fact that we too often repress our emotions, especially in times of pandemic, until the “boiling point”.

“The effect that boiling point has and how long you can endure it is the common thread of the album. We live in a world where we sometimes feel that we cannot do, say and be what we want because we fear failure, being ridiculed or canceled. »

It is therefore no coincidence that the song Explosions, which explores the question in depth, gave its title to the album, adds Neil Sanderson.

“On the other hand,” he says, “a song like So Called Life is about making the choice to find something to calm down before exploding. It might be like putting a bandage on an open wound, but it's better than the explosion. »

Back to Quebec

Part of the success of Three Days Grace is rooted in Quebec. In 2015, the quartet even created a stir by filling the Parc de la Francophonie to the brim during the Summer Festival.

His return to the FEQ, in July, therefore delighted Neil Sanderson to the highest degree.

“Quebec City is one of the best places to play, if not the best. The crowd is so energetic and supporting us. As we are from Ontario, it feels like home. I can't wait to go back. »

♦ The Explosions album has been available since May 6. Three Days Grace will be at the Festival d’été de Québec on July 11 and at Place Bell in Laval on November 20.

If you like artists who take artistic risks, go your way. For the others, and there are many, Explosions has all the ingredients to satisfy your craving for heavy rock. Nothing destabilizing here, but, in the absence of audacity, Three Days Grace proves, with titles like So Called Life, Lifetime and A Scar Is Born, that it still deserves its place in the forefront of its musical niche. After 20 years, it's not nothing. (Cedric Belanger)