Saturday, February 15, 2014

#8 Three Days Grace - Ian Albrecht’s favourite albums thus far…


Album Number 8
Artist- Three Days Grace
Album- One-X
Genre- Hard Rock

Lyrics 89/100, Vocals 89/100, Instrumental 89/100

The Canadian rock band's (Three Days Grace) second album is a knockout. A dark and emotional theme is littered throughout the album’s lyrics and instrumentals.

The majority of the album was written by lead singer, Adam Gontier. His lyrics are extremely personal, clearly revealing his life experiences, especially his struggle with an oxycontin addiction.
                                  



        Ian Albrecht                                                              Adam Gontier
It is nearly impossible for me to narrow down, isolate and dissect the album’s tracks to a handful of memorable songs as I consider all the tracks to be amazing in their own right. Probably the most popular song on the album would be "Pain". I am a huge fan of this song because of Adam's raspy, gravelly voice wishing for true pain to break the numbness that is inevitably the rest of his life. This song relates to what teenagers appear to be experiencing today; that aimless lost and/or misguided direction.

Another kick-ass song on this album is "Let It Die". I love this song so much because it feels like a response to every breakup song written by a female. Let it Die is responding to those songs by declaring that the ‘girl’ gave up without even trying to make the relationship work. With ly . rics like "I swear I never meant to let it die. I just don't care about you anymore. It's not fair when you say that I didn't try. I just don't care about you anymore" It’s evident this is a man’s break-up song about his attempt at getting on without her

The final song worth discussion is my second favourite song, “Gone Forever”. The track revolves around Adam’s realization that a relationship he is in is truly dead and gone forever, However, Adam can’t fully let go of his feelings, which prevents him from allowing another to love him. Even though the lyrics state, “I feel so much better, now that you're gone forever. I tell myself that I don't miss you at all. I'm not lying, denying that I feel so much better now. That you're gone forever,” it’s implied that he’s lying to himself and he doesn’t want the relationship to be over. He goes on to sing, “So I’ll stay out all night, get drunk and fuckin’ fight. Until the morning comes and I’ll forget about our life.” If that isn’t a man suppressing his emotions and in denial, then I do not know who is.

The lyrics within the album are forthright and realistic (which I appreciate when it comes to songwriting). Adam Gontier’s vocals are just as strong as on his first album, if not better, and he is consistent throughout the album. You can hear his pain, vulnerability, and strength throughout his songs, and he sounds like a man struggling to share his experiences.

The instrumentals perfectly complement the vocals and the lyrics. This album is a gem of a package; tied with a beautiful bow Three Days Grace couldn’t have done any better.

Songs To Check Out: Never Too Late, Gone Forever, Over And Over, Let It Die, Get Out Alive





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