Three Days Grace (album)

Prior to being named Three Days Grace, the band was known as Groundswell. Three Days Grace garnered the attention of many record labels after the release of their demo, largely due to the song, "I Hate Everything About You". Eventually, Three Days Grace signed with Jive and began recording their debut album in Massachusetts. The single "I Hate Everything About You" was released in promotion for the album.{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/three-days-grace-mn0000490860/biography|title=Three Days Grace {{!}} Biography & History {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|author=Michael Sutton|access-date=June 3, 2017}}

According to drummer Neil Sanderson, the album's material comes from the "crazy things" the group had seen growing up. Singer Adam Gontier stated, "I don't find it easy to write about happy shit. You don't need a release when you're happy." The group completed half of the album at Long View Farm in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, while the rest was done at Bearsville Studios in Bearsville, New York.{{cite web|url=http://www.maplemusic.com/artists/tdg/bio.asp|title=Three Days Grace – Biography|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114171307/http://www.maplemusic.com/artists/tdg/bio.asp|archivedate=November 14, 2011|access-date=March 12, 2023}} The album's theme deals with "growing up in a small town, being bullied around and everybody knowing your business."{{cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/124134|title=Saving Grace|website=Toronto Star|author=Vit Wagner|date=November 28, 2006|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091115200359/http://www.thestar.com/printArticle/124134|archivedate=November 15, 2009|access-date=February 23, 2024}}

The band began touring with Trapt in July 2003 in support of the album.{{cite web|url=https://www.sony.com/content/sony/en/en_us/SCA/company-news/press-releases/sony-music-entertainment/2003/three-days-grace-tour-with-trapt-in-support-of-debut-release.html|title=Three Days Grace Tour With Trapt in Support of Debut Release|website=Sony|publisher=Sony Music Entertainment|date=July 8, 2003|access-date=February 11, 2024}} During this tour, the group added a new member, guitarist Barry Stock, who joined the band after they held auditions for another guitarist.{{cite web|url=https://idobi.com/news/three-days-grace-up-the-mohawk-factor/|title=Three Days Grace Up The Mohawk Factor|website=idobi Radio|author=Lance Fiasco|date=September 16, 2003|access-date=February 11, 2024}} The group later joined Nickelback on The Long Road Tour throughout October and November 2003.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/nickelback-ready-to-hit-the-long-road-69126/|title=Nickelback Ready To Hit 'The Long Road'|magazine=Billboard|date=September 12, 2003|access-date=August 24, 2022}} The band embarked on a headlining tour called the Three Days Grace World Tour in 2004.{{cite web|url=http://www.threedaysgrace.com/news.php|title=Three Days Grace - News|website=threedaysgrace.com|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040622134918/http://www.threedaysgrace.com/news.php|archivedate=June 22, 2004|access-date=August 24, 2022}} They also supported Evanescence on a North American tour in July 2004 and Hoobastank on the Let it Out Tour in November 2004.{{cite web|url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/evanescence-to-team-up-with-seether-for-north-american-tour|title=Evanescence To Team Up With Seether For North American Tour|website=Blabbermouth.net|date=May 19, 2004|access-date=August 24, 2022}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/hoobastank-to-let-out-dvd-fall-tour-65992/|title=Hoobastank To 'Let Out' DVD, Fall Tour|magazine=Billboard|date=October 21, 2004|access-date=August 24, 2022}} In October 2004, the band re-released their debut album with a bonus DVD that contained, music videos of their singles, behind the scenes videos, backstage footage and concert clips shot in Brazil.{{cite web|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/7c4qe4/three-days-grace-endure-fire-asbestos-for-their-art|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924152257/https://www.mtv.com/news/7c4qe4/three-days-grace-endure-fire-asbestos-for-their-art|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2022|title=Three Days Grace Endure Fire, Asbestos For Their Art|website=MTV|author=Jon Wiederhorn|date=October 7, 2004|access-date=February 11, 2024}}

The group spent roughly six months to record the album, while the songs on the record were written over the course of ten years.{{cite web|last=Montes |first=Michael |title=Interview with Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace |publisher=Florida Entertainment Scene |year=2004 |url=http://www.floridaentertainmentscene.com/music/artists/three_days_grace/interview.htm |access-date=March 12, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116054817/http://www.floridaentertainmentscene.com/music/artists/three_days_grace/interview.htm |archive-date=January 16, 2009}} On "I Hate Everything About You", the band recorded two guitar parts for the song, the main guitar part and intro riff. The opening riff was recorded on a Yamaha acoustic through an Amp Farm and the group liked the way it sounded with the acoustic guitar and ended up using it on the final production.{{cite web|url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/interviews/three_days_grace_singer_new_cd_is_about_somebody_i_dont_want_to_be.html|title=Three Days Grace Singer: New CD 'Is About Somebody I Don't Want To Be'|website=Ultimate Guitar|author=Steve Rosen|access-date=February 11, 2024}} On the fourth track, "Home", the band was coming up with different ideas and lead parts "that might sound cool," according to Gontier. They eventually recorded a high-pitch guitar lead that can be heard at the beginning of the song. They used a whammy pedal to "bring the whole tone up a whole octave," which was played around the 12th fret. On the album's lead track, "Burn", the band was in the studio and started "dumping a jar of pennies on a guitar," according to Sanderson. They added some distortion which sounded like fire and the band thought it fit the title of the track really well.{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/12/09/three-days-grace-interview|title=Three Days Grace Interview|website=IGN|author=Dave Doray|date=December 9, 2003|access-date=February 11, 2024}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}

| rev2 = IGN

| rev2Score = 8.5/10

| rev3 = Melodic

| rev3Score ={{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web|url=http://melodic.net/album/three-days-grace-three-days-grace-02|title=Three Days Grace - Three Days Grace|website=Melodic|author=Kaj Roth|date=July 25, 2003|access-date=July 2, 2023}}

| rev4 = Rough Edge

| rev4Score ={{Rating|2.5|4}}{{cite web|url=http://www.roughedge.com/cdreviews/t/threedaysgrace.htm|title=Rough Edge CD Review: 'Three Days Grace' (Jive; 2003)|website=Rough Edge|author=Mike|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040520110629/http://www.roughedge.com:80/cdreviews/t/threedaysgrace.htm|archivedate=May 20, 2004|access-date=September 29, 2024}}

| rev5 = Spin

| rev5score = D{{Cite magazine |date=October 2003 |title=Breakdown |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g3hehP3V7TkC&pg=PA113 |magazine=Spin |publisher=SPIN Media LLC}}

| rev6 = The Village Voice

| rev6score = {{rating-Christgau|dud}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2005/01/25/harmonies-and-abysses/ |title=Harmonies and Abysses |last=Christgau |first=Robert |date=January 25, 2005 |website=The Village Voice |accessdate=August 7, 2017}}

}}

The album was met with positive reviews from most music critics. Heather Phares of AllMusic gave the album a positive review, saying, "Although this debut is a little uneven, it's also promising. Three Days Grace are definitely one of the most accessible alt-metal bands of the 2000s; they just need to add some more distinctiveness to their sound." She praised the group's songwriting on tracks such as "Born Like This", "Just Like You", and "Scared". She also called the album's lead single, "I Hate Everything About You", the band's "best song, gaining most of its power from its directness and bluntness in examining a dysfunctional relationship."

Dave Doray of IGN gave another positive review, remarking, "almost every single song from the Three Days Grace track list is heavy and catchy, with chewy chunks of assurance and fury thrown in for added measure."{{cite web |last=Doray |first=Dave |title=IGN: Three Days Grace Review |url=http://music.ign.com/articles/442/442689p1.html |website=IGN |date=December 2, 2003 |access-date=August 13, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527123408/http://music.ign.com/articles/442/442689p1.html |archive-date=May 27, 2011 }} Kaj Roth of Melodic stated, "Three Days Grace plays tough modern rock, standing on classic hard rock ground like a mix between Depswa and Shinedown." He complimented the song "Scared" for its guitar harmonies calling it, "real refreshing." However he was critical on the tracks, "Burn" and "Now or Never" for the lack of "good melodies." In a mixed review, Rough Edge compared the group's sound to Finger Eleven and Trapt stating, "Sanitized for mass consumption, there's nothing about Three Days Grace that we haven't heard before from other anguished, mid-tempo rock acts of the last ten years." Spin gave a more negative review calling the album, "generic Canadian gripe rock."

On the 20th anniversary of the album, Issy Herring of Distorted Sound gave a positive review for the album. She praised the album's lead single, "I Hate Everything About You" stating, "The lyrics are timelessly relatable [...] with all of us undeniably experiencing a toxic relationship at some point in our personal lives." She also praised the album's eleventh track, "Take Me Under" remarking, "The nu-metal/grunge inspired guitar melodies make the track even more sensational and somewhat sentimental to any 90s kid growing up listening to this absolute masterpiece." However she was critical on the tracks "Overrated" and "Born Like This" for its underwhelming chorus. She ended off noting, "the release may be dotted with slight disappointments, but there is no doubt that the highlights triumph the rest."{{cite magazine|url=https://distortedsoundmag.com/heavy-music-history-three-days-grace-three-days-grace/|title=Heavy Music History: Three Days Grace – Three Days Grace|magazine=Distorted Sound|author=Issy Herring|date=July 24, 2023|access-date=December 29, 2023}}

Three Days Grace debuted at No. 194 on the Billboard 200 and in its first week, the album sold no more than 34,000 copies.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2003-10-25/|title=Billboard 200: Week of October 25, 2003|magazine=Billboard|access-date=January 8, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sony.com/content/sony/en/en_us/SCA/company-news/press-releases/sony-music-entertainment/2006/three-days-grace-enter-billboards-top-10-with-new-release-onex-with-sales-of-more-than-78000.html|title=Three Days Grace Enter Billboard's Top 10 With New Release One-X With Sales of More Than 78,000|website=Sony|publisher=Sony Music Entertainment|date=June 21, 2006|access-date=July 14, 2021}} The album later peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard 200 in 2004 and sold 356,000 copies that year.{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2004/BB-2004-03-13.pdf|title=Billboard Magazine March 13, 2004|page=16|access-date=October 18, 2021}} In 2006, the album sold over 1.2 million copies in the US.{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2006/BB-2006-07-01.pdf|title=Billboard Magazine July 1, 2006|page=47|access-date=October 21, 2021}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/staind-to-headline-jagermeister-music-tour-59079/|title=Staind To Headline Jagermeister Music Tour|magazine=Billboard|date=March 15, 2006|access-date=August 13, 2022}} As of June 2007, the album sold more than 1.5 million copies.{{cite web|url=https://journalstar.com/entertainment/music/three-days-grace-come-to-pershing/article_6a2a7521-ef21-584a-bb42-66f9bf546d29.html|title=Three Days Grace come to Pershing|website=Lincoln Journal Star|author=Alex Haueter|date=June 7, 2007|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228182922/https://journalstar.com/entertainment/music/three-days-grace-come-to-pershing/article_6a2a7521-ef21-584a-bb42-66f9bf546d29.html|archivedate=February 28, 2024|url-status=live|access-date=February 28, 2024}} The album also entered the Canadian Albums Chart at No. 9 and sold 5,000 copies in its first week.{{cite news|last=Williams|first=John|title=Three Days Grace Makes Solid Debut|url=http://www.jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/T/Three_Days_Grace/2006/06/21/1645305-ca.html|publisher=CANOE|date=June 21, 2006|access-date=September 4, 2022|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130101151728/http://www.jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/T/Three_Days_Grace/2006/06/21/1645305-ca.html|archive-date=January 1, 2013}} According to the Nielsen SoundScan, the album has since sold over 335,000 units in Canada.{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2004/RR-2004-02-20.pdf|title=Radio & Records Canada - February 20, 2004|access-date=March 25, 2022}}

The album has been certified platinum in Canada{{cite web|url=https://musiccanada.com/gold-platinum/?fwp_gp_search=three%20days%20grace|title=Canadian certifications|publisher=Canadian Recording Industry Association|accessdate=July 6, 2012}} and 2× Platinum in the US. The album earned them a CASBY Award for Favourite New Artist in 2003.{{cite web|url=http://www.edge.ca/2016/08/26/previous-casby-winners/|title=Previous CASBY Winners|website=102.1 The Edge|date=August 26, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827184921/http://www.edge.ca/2016/08/26/previous-casby-winners/|archive-date=August 27, 2016|access-date=April 6, 2024}} The lead single "I Hate Everything About You" was nominated for Best Rock Video and Favourite Canadian Group at the 2004 MuchMusic Video Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.muchmusic.com/events/mmva04/winners/|title=MMVA 04|website=MuchMusic|access-date=April 4, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306074313/http://www.muchmusic.com/events/mmva04/winners/|archive-date=March 6, 2012}} Producer Gavin Brown won Producer of the Year for the song at the 2004 Juno Awards.{{cite web|url=https://junoawards.ca/awards/past-winners-nominees/?search_year_val1=2004&search_year_val2=2004&search_category_val=&search_wins_val=yes&tag_search_val=Gavin+Brown&submit=submit|title=Past Nominees + Winners|publisher=Juno Awards|access-date=April 4, 2022}} The song also peaked at number one on the Canadian rock chart becoming their first number-one hit in the country.{{cite web|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/T/Three_Days_Grace/2006/07/25/1700999.html|title=Three Days Grace cheats death|website=Canoe.com|date=July 25, 2006|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130115102655/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/T/Three_Days_Grace/2006/07/25/1700999.html#selection-637.1-637.30|archivedate=January 15, 2013|url-status=usurped|access-date=September 4, 2022}} The album's second single, "Just Like You" became the first of many of the band's songs to top the US Billboard Alternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock charts.{{cite web|url=https://loudwire.com/three-days-grace-billboard-record-14th-no-1-mainstream-rock-single/|title=Three Days Grace Set Billboard Record With 14th No. 1 Mainstream Rock Single|website=Loudwire|author=Chad Childers|date=September 10, 2018|access-date=June 29, 2022}}

{{track listing

| all_writing = Three Days Grace and Gavin Brown except where noted

|title1 = Burn

|length1 = 4:27

|title2 = Just Like You

|length2 = 3:08

|title3 = I Hate Everything About You

|length3 = 3:51

|title4 = Home

|writer4 = {{hlist|Three Days Grace|Gavin Brown|Simon Wilcox}}

|length4 = 4:21

|title5 = Scared

|writer5 = {{hlist|Three Days Grace|Brown|Matt Walst}}

|length5 = 3:13

|title6 = Let You Down

|writer6 = {{hlist|Three Days Grace|Brown|Walst}}

|length6 = 3:46

|title7 = Now or Never

|length7 = 3:00

|title8 = Born Like This

|length8 = 3:33

|title9 = Drown

|length9 = 3:28

|title10 = Wake Up

|writer10 = {{hlist|Three Days Grace|Brown|Wilcox}}

|length10 = 3:25

|title11 = Take Me Under

|length11 = 4:20

|title12 = Overrated

|length12 = 3:30

|total_length = 44:02

}}

{{track listing

| headline = Target and Japanese bonus track{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/324997/products/518508/1/|title=Three Days Grace - Album by Three Days Grace|website=Oricon|access-date=February 25, 2024}}

| title13 = Are You Ready?

| length13 = 2:44

| total_length = 46:46

}}

{{track listing

|headline = iTunes and deluxe edition{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/three-days-grace-expanded-edition/269975469|title=Three Days Grace (Expanded Edition) by Three Days Grace|website=Apple Music|access-date=April 4, 2022}}

|title13 = I Hate Everything About You

|note13 = live acoustic version

|length13 = 3:59

|title14 = Are You Ready

|length14 = 2:46

|title15 = Drown

|note15 = live acoustic version

|length15 = 4:05

|total_length = 54:49

}}

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title=Three Days Grace|others=Three Days Grace|publisher=Jive|year=2003|type=booklet|id=82876-53479-2}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

;Three Days Grace

• Adam Gontier – lead vocals, guitars
• Brad Walst – bass guitar
• Neil Sanderson – drums, backing vocals

;Artwork

• Nick Gamma – art direction, design
• Jeff Faerber – illustrations
• Chapman Baehler – photography
• Diane Schmidtke – groomer
• Mandi Line – stylist

;Management

• Mark Adelman – management for Spivak Sobol Entertainment
• Stu Sobol – management for Spivak Sobol Entertainment

{{col-2}}

;Production

• Gavin "Golden" Brown – producer
• George Marino – mastering
• Ted Jensen – mastering on "I Hate Everything About You" and "Just Like You"
• Michael "Elvis" Baskette – engineer
• Krisjan Leslie – engineer
• Jay Baumgardner – mixing
• Rich Costey – mixing on "Just Like You" and "I Hate Everything About You"
• Randy Staub – mixing on "Burn", "Home" and "Let You Down"
• Dave Holdredge – editing
• Mark Kiczula – assistant engineer
• Mike Lapierre – assistant engineer
• Darren Mora – assistant engineer
• Damien Shannon – assistant engineer
• Alley Trela – assistant engineer
• German Villacorta – assistant engineer

{{col-end}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|artist=Three Days Grace|title=Three Days Grace|award=Platinum|relyear=2003|certyear=2004|accessdate=February 2, 2004|refname=MC}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=album|artist=Three Days Grace|title=Three Days Grace|award=Gold|relyear=2003|certyear=2023|accessdate=December 23, 2024|source=radioscope|refname=RMNZ}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Three Days Grace|title=Three Days Grace|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2003|certyear=2018|accessdate=February 12, 2018|refname=RIAA}}

{{Certification Table Bottom| nosales=true| streaming=true}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Discogs master|315846|Three Days Grace – Three Days Grace}}

{{Three Days Grace}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Three Days Grace (Album)}}

Category:2003 debut albums

Category:Jive Records albums

Category:Three Days Grace albums

Category:Albums produced by Gavin Brown (musician)