Review Summary: Not far from a masterpiece
The music industry is a tough one, you must adapt to survive. Bands that stick to the same formula never make it too far, which is why so many bands in recent days have adapted their sound, scrapped their old formula and continued to survive. Three Days Grace is no exception. With their previous release being more clichéd and unoriginal than a Nickleback album, they had to up their game in order to remain in the public eye. Life Starts Now will have pleased TDG fans, but will not have reached out to anyone outside their fanbase. With their latest album, Transit of Venus, Three Days Grace have thrust their arms into people alien to their music, and attempted to reel them in. And for all intensive purposes, they succeeded.
Transit of Venus is a very different album in comparison to their previous releases. Instead of going for straightforward rock and roll/grunge, Adam Gontier and crew have opted for a more experimental rock route. Distorted guitars, crashing drums and soaring vocals of course still remain, but with added synths, different chord progressions, and an almost 'Pop' rock feel to it. Transit of Venus sounds like Panic! At the Disco, if they'd decided to be a post-grunge band.
The album is a true treat to listen to, it flows well, each song is different from the last, and for the most part it remains to be easy listening. Some tracks can be quite a bore, such as 'Time that Remains' and 'Broken Glass', but for the most part, the album is innovative enough to keep Three Days Grace above the likes of other bands of the genre, such as Seether or Cold. 'The High Road', whilst being one of the more generic songs on the record, is easily one of the highlights. With poetic lyrics and a pop-rock vibe, it's hard to hate. The cover of Michael Jacksons' 'Give In To Me' is a joy to listen to. Seeing a rock band delve into pop, and come out with such a superb cover is a true wonder to behold.
Transit of Venus will please fans and non-fans alike of Three Days Grace, and proves that the often slandered band are not as generic as we thought, and have the capacity to exceed our expectations
