Review Summary: Overall, Human is an underwhelming entry into Three Days Grace’s catalogue, with multiple missteps along the way.
Modern rock bands are currently swapping lead singer left, right and centre; as if it’s somewhat trendy. For those who pay attention to the genre some of those bands include Hinder, Saving Abel and of course the rather noteworthy Three Days Grace. The band has been known for an angst fuelled blend of hard rock that often connects with listeners on a deeper level than most bands. However once original lead singer Adam Gontier decided to move on the rest of the band decided to forge ahead with a new captain at the helm. Changing lead singers can be challenging, but it has been done successfully before. So with that in mind Three Days Grace recruited Matt Walst the lead singer of My Darkest Days and brother of bassist Brad Walst to lead the band on their fifth outing
Human.
The first slice off
Human is the aptly titled ‘Human Race’ and the band could not have decided to start the album off any worse than this. The lyrics are so repetitive and bland that it’s actually amazing they decided to record this, let alone make it the album opener. The chorus states “I’m sick of running, running, running the human race...” surrounded by a plethora of uses of the word ‘yeah’, which gets quite irritating. The lyrics are on par with the equally cringe worthy recent single ‘Angel’ by Theory Of A Deadman, as if they have tried to secretly outdo one another. This criticism might seem harsh, but it’s not directed at the band or the new vocalist, it’s just simply not a good song. Thankfully the next track ‘Painkiller’ is a significant up and sounds very much like a standard Three Days Grace track. ‘Painkiller’ is the perfect example of what first peaked my interest in the band and has kept it ignited until this day. The guitars are heavy, brooding and at times atmosphere, whilst Walst’s vocals float over the top drenched in a hazy array of effects.
The remaining tracks on the album all tend to follow the same Three Days Grace method with a few standouts and utter failures. One of the lead singles ‘I Am Machine’ is catchy, features a great build up and is a quite decent hard hitting modern rock affair. After the first listen I didn’t initially enjoy it, but after multiple spins it’s actually quite fun. ‘I Am Machine’ is an example of where lyrical repetition can be used to a songs advantage, whereas other times on
Human it backfires and seems too simplistic, like in the track ‘Car Crash’. One of the albums finest cuts is the closer ‘The Real You’ which begins with some swirling, yet haunting piano touches and Walst’s raspy vocals. The rest of the band slowly builds up a thick slab of sound around the beginning of the song, which turns out to be a fitting end to the album.
If you have listened to Three Days Grace or have a vague idea of what they deliver, than this album isn’t too distant from that. It’s a return to what they do best, after the seemingly out of place previous album
Transit Of Venus. The band does a good job of offering their fans what they want, even if they haven’t quite found their footing with the new front man just yet. Walst is a great vocalist and front man, but something inside me screams that he is more suited for his role in My Darkest Days and their blend of pop drenched rock. Overall,
Human is an underwhelming entry into Three Days Grace’s catalogue, with multiple missteps along the way. Songs like ‘Painkiller’, ‘Tell Me Why’, and ‘I Am Machine’ will please long time fans, whilst others will disillusion them.
