REVIEW: Three Days Grace - Alienation

With Alienation, Three Days Grace deliver not just their eighth studio album, but also one of the most defining moments of their career. The return of Adam Gontier alongside Matt Walst injects fresh electricity into the band’s sound, making this record both a reunion and a reinvention. The record is a dark, emotionally charged exploration of addiction, regret, and the feeling of being cut off from the world. Yet for all its heaviness, it is also threaded with defiance and flashes of hope, proving that nearly three decades in, Three Days Grace remain masters of catharsis.

The album kicks off with 'Dominate', a track designed to shake the walls of arenas. Anchored by the defiant mantra “a man who has nothing to prove and nothing to lose”, it channels the primal energy of a crowd in unison. Crushing riffs and a chant-like chorus build tension before a blistering guitar solo slices through the chaos. It is an explosive opening that sets the tone: this album refuses to hold back. However, if 'Dominate' is a declaration of strength, 'Apologies' is its vulnerable shadow. One of the album’s most confessional cuts, it confronts the scars of addiction and the regret of decisions made too young. The refrain “Apologies don’t rewind time” lands like a gut punch, carrying the weight of remorse that cannot be undone. With soaring vocals layered over heavy guitars, the track feels less like a plea for forgiveness and more like a moment of painful self-reckoning.

'Mayday' pushes forward with a bassline that recalls the band’s early years, its groove echoing the raw drive of 'One-X'. The interplay between Gontier and Walst gives the song a jagged edge, one voice pleading while the other shouts back like an inner dialogue. The chorus erupts into a melodic but urgent cry, while heavier breakdowns keep the energy sharp. It’s an anthem that balances nostalgia with new vitality, embodying the fight to stay afloat in turbulent waters. 'Stimulants Searching' makes the next appearance; this track dives into the restless cycle of chasing highs as a way of escaping emptiness. The pounding rhythm mimics a racing heartbeat, while the lyrics capture the desperation of a hollow pursuit that never satisfies. The chorus rings out like a warning siren, its repetition embodying both craving and collapse. 'Stimulants Searching' is alienation at its most physical - restless, relentless, and ultimately consuming.

'Kill Me Fast' opens with an eerie, haunting atmosphere that immediately unsettles. The verses whisper with tension, drawing the listener into a shadowed headspace, before bursting into choruses that hit with full force. The push-pull between quiet despair and explosive outbursts mirrors the inner conflict of alienation: the silence that suffocates and the violent need to break free. It’s one of the record’s most chilling tracks, and leaves a tingle down the listener's spine before the next track comes in to cleanse them. As the album’s midpoint, 'In the Waves' feels titanic in scope. Its immersive soundscape evokes the sensation of drowning, both literally and emotionally, while the refrain “you were always the hardest to save” cuts to the bone. In contrast to the explosive 'Kill Me Fast', this track submerges the listener in grief and longing, embodying the vast, suffocating weight of isolation. It’s a haunting reminder that alienation can come not only from within, but also from losing those closest to us.

The title track crystallizes the album’s core. It begins with an unsettling melody on the keys before crashing into driving guitars. The mantra “we are all outsiders” transforms personal disconnection into a rallying cry, reframing alienation as something shared. Balancing haunting atmospherics with muscular rock intensity, the track stands as the record’s thematic centrepiece: a song that confronts disconnection, yet finds strength in unity. Here, the mood shifts, offering a rare moment of light in the dark of the LP. 'Never Ordinary' swells with layered vocals, carrying the uplifting line “in the darkest night you were meant to shine.” Where previous tracks dwell in despair, this one celebrates resilience and individuality. It’s an emotional high point that reframes alienation not as a curse but as the mark of standing out - a reminder that even in the darkest spaces, there is brilliance to be found.

Raw and unflinching, 'Deathwish' plunges the listener back into the pull of self-destruction. Heavy riffs and anguished vocals drive the track, turning chaos inward. Where earlier songs externalize alienation through rage or longing, 'Deathwish' captures its most dangerous form: the spiral of self-sabotage. It’s visceral and unsettling, a necessary descent before the record begins its closing stretch. 'Don't Wanna Go Home Tonight' comes next, and this track leans into late-night loneliness. Its verses carry a fragile ache, while the chorus swells with yearning for connection that never quite arrives. It captures the hollow desperation of searching for comfort in fleeting moments, a reminder that alienation often lingers even in the company of others.

Sharper and more aggressive, 'In Cold Blood' pulses with icy detachment. Its relentless rhythm and fractured guitars evoke emotional severance - alienation not as sorrow, but as numb disconnection. It’s one of the record’s most merciless moments, embodying the cold reality of shutting down rather than feeling at all. Here, the tone shifts again, reclaiming strength on the brink of collapse. In contrast, 'The Power' is gritty and resolute, with riffs that drive forward like a clenched fist. The lyrics rally against invisibility, refusing to be silenced or erased. It’s a defiant stance, a reminder that alienation can also fuel resilience. The closing track circles back to addiction, laying bare its endless cycle. Longer and more sprawling than the rest, 'Another Relapse; layers despair and resignation until it fades into uneasy quiet. It doesn’t offer neat resolution - instead it leaves listeners with the raw truth that some battles never truly end.

Alienation is a journey through shadows - of addiction, grief, self-destruction, and disconnection - but it is also a testament to resilience. By pairing Gontier’s return with Walst’s ongoing presence, Three Days Grace fuse past and present into something both familiar and reinvigorated. The album doesn’t shy away from bleakness, but it threads that darkness with moments of defiance and light. Nearly thirty years on, the band proves they can still turn alienation into anthems - loud, raw, and unflinchingly human.

Score: 8/10

Alienation was released on August 22nd 2025 via RCA Records.

Words: Mia Gailey

Photos: Three Days Grace