Creativity Confiscated at the Border

Oh Canada, our lovely northern neighbors to whom we are indebted to for many fine reasons including hockey, mounty outfits, and Pamela Anderson. However, you might want to think twice if you expect to find hard rockers Three Days Grace on that list anytime soon. 3DG has been propelled into America’s spotlight by the popularity of the single “I Hate Everything About You” with the same angry teenage/disturbed youth crowd that made stars out of previous alt-metal acts such as Linkin Park, Papa Roach, and P.O.D. Yet a more appropriate name for the band might be Three Years Late, for 3DG’s self-titled release brings less to the table than its predecessors. If you tune into MTV or the local FM rock station regularly then you’re familiar with the alt-metal formula to which this record follows closely. 3DG’s lyrics cover broken homes, poor childhoods, and relationships gone bad – perfect topics for screaming about over repetitious power chords and moody slowdowns. The problem lies in that while similar artists have found past success with troubled ears finding solace in their angst-ridden tunes, 3DG’s generic appeals come off more as going through the motions than sharing personal experiences. Also lost in the replication process is the theory of variation, as the record’s twelve tedious tracks drag on painfully without a trace of a memorable moment.

It is impossible to connect with something that is tired and lackluster, and so is the case with these songs. Alt-metal fans feeling lucky could take a chance on this record, but they’d be wiser to spend their cash on a more reliable Canadian import.