Everything culminates on the title track “Explosions.” It allows for a catchy catharsis at the edge of existence as Matt declares, “There’s no reason not to have a little fun, one more trip around the sun.” Elsewhere, “Champion” hinges on a stadium-size refrain inspired by Michael Jordan’s The Last Dance. Then, there’s “Redemption.” It illuminates the masterful dynamics at the heart of the album, teetering between acoustic guitar and a soaring chorus. You need to hang in there when other people go away, but it’s easier said than done.” You think you’ll have everyone you love forever. “We wrote the song right after it happened. “My girlfriend lost her dad, and I watched her get the call,” Matt remembers. Humanity deals with loss, and this song encapsulates it.” “Loss is the biggest and most universal thing in the human experience,” Neil elaborates. Guitar creaks underneath the airy string-laden soundscape of “Lifetime.” As the beat trudges forward, Matt’s voice cracks with raw pain, “Who do I talk to when I want to talk to you? I thought I’d have you for a lifetime. “Everything is about tension and release,” adds Neil. “Lukas has a great voice, and we match up pretty well.” “We added a Three Days Grace spin to it,” Matt reveals. Now, Matt and Lukas duet on this bludgeoning banger teeming with nervous energy. You’re getting rid of those frustrations with whatever works for you.”Ī siren swell and piano punctuate “Neurotic (Ft Lukas Rossi).” The track originated as a collaboration between Neil and Lukas Rossi for the side project King City. “Music is therapy for us, and it’s why we’ve been doing it for so long,” says Brad. Whether it’s going to the gym, taking a drink, or having a smoke, we find peace somehow.” “We all need something, or we’ll go crazy. “Everybody has one thing they do to take the edge off,” Matt goes on. ” It set the tone for this chapter with a bang, marking the aforementioned latest #1 for the group. Three Days Grace introduced the record with the opener “So Called Life.” Airy electronics underscore tightly wound verses before fits of distortion buoy an instantly unshakable refrain as Matt pleads, “Give me something to take the edge off, something to kick the night off, something to keep my mind off this so called life. The heavy tunes stand out, but there’s a lot of emotion. “Usually, there’s a deadline to go on tour,” adds Matt. It was a benefit to be able to try new flavors we haven’t tried before.” “We had more time to experiment and expand the sound. “It was definitely a different kind of record,” agrees Barry. “Change brought out another facet of Three Days Grace.” There were fewer smoke breaks, and we didn’t have to go for sushi every two hours,” he laughs. “It felt like everyone was in the room,” recalls Neil. For the first time, they also enlisted the mixing talents of Dan Lancaster (Bring Me The Horizon, Muse) adding another dimension. Meanwhile, producer Howard Benson beamed into the sessions on a life-size screen. Matt would often hop on a snowmobile and cruise backwoods trails from his place to work with Neil. As restrictions eased, they tracked at Jukasa Studios and in Neil’s home studio. The band members initially convened via ZOOM. Throughout 20, Three Days Grace carefully assembled what would become Explosions in Canada. If you’re a dad, your child goes out into the world and becomes a person. Not all explosions are bad some are beautiful. Do you find something to take the edge off? We all do to some degree, because the other option is exploding. So, do you explode? It’s not always the right answer. You try to be who you are, but the world hinders it. Sometimes, you just want to express yourself and be creative. “We all bottle feelings of anger inside and act like they’re not there. “We are born into a world of explosions, and they’re always present,” observes Neil. However, the band ascend to another stratosphere on their 2022 seventh full-length offering, Explosions . Along the way, they’ve amassed billions of streams and millions of album sales, sold out arenas on multiple continents, and reached unprecedented heights, earning a staggering 17 total #1 entries on the Mediabase Active Rock Chart and sharing the record for “Most #1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs Chart” with 16. The iHeart Radio and Billboard award-winning multiplatinum record-breaking Ontario, Canada quartet-Matt Walst, Barry Stock, Brad Walst, and Neil Sanderson -balance moments of extreme emotion on an axis of pummeling hard rock anthems and pensive balladry. Three Days Grace harness this ebb and flow in their music. Between these peaks and valleys, we grow, change, and progress. Moments of calm give way to chaos only to eventually slip back into quiet.