Life Starts Now is the third studio album by Canadian rock band Three Days Grace. The album was released on September 22, 2009. The album was produced by Howard Benson. This is the second time in a row the band has worked with him, after the commercially successful One-X. Life Starts Now expresses a lighter lyrical mood compared to the band's previous album. It became the last ever Three Days Grace album under Jive Records until Sony Music Entertainment disbanded the label in 2011, and the first under Sony Music Entertainment.
Background and production
After being on the road for five years with Three Days Grace, bassist Brad Walst stated, "We all came home and got a hard dose of life," which the band then used to create a more "musically in-depth and personal album". He describes Life Starts Now as a record about "confronting life and how fragile it can be".[2]
Pre-production for Life Starts Now began in January 2009 while the band began recording the music in Vancouver in March. The album was completed in August of the same year.[1] After finalizing all aspects of the album, they officially announced that the album would be released on September 22, 2009.[1]
Sales
The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 79,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week, thus becoming the band's highest-charting album to date.[3] The album also debuted on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart at number two, along with "Break" which peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Rock Songs chart and "The Good Life" at number 52 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 1 on Billboard Rock Songs chart.[4]
With the exception of "Lost in You", all of the band's singles from the album topped the Billboard rock song charts.
Reception
Upon its release Life Starts Now has received mixed reviews from most music critics. According to Allmusic reviewer James Christopher Monger, who gave the album three out of five stars, "Life Starts Now continues the theme of One-X, Gontier's personal demons, but with a hint of sunlight." He compliments the album, saying it "treats the well-worn metal themes of anger, isolation, heartache, and redemption with the kind of begrudging respect they deserve, pumping out a competent flurry of fist-bump anthems and world-weary, mid-tempo rockers." Sputnikmusic gave the album a mixed review, saying, "It's not going to change rock music or win any awards, but it's worth a listen. But if you were expecting something great or new, then prepare to be disappointed." Ultimate Guitar gave the album one of its more positive reviews, saying "Life Starts Now still contains the catchy choruses and powerful riffs Three Days Grace has been known for, while it may be cliched. But the band members have undoubtedly evolved as musicians, pretty much entirely for the better. Life Starts Now is a very still enjoyable experience for old fans, but it gives what their past two albums left to be desired: a sturdy musical base."
The album's release was also met with some negative reviews. A negative review came from About.com reviewer Tim Grierson, who said, "The problem isn't that Life Starts Now doesn't have good songs—the problem is that there aren't enough of them and that even the strongest moments feel overly familiar. Frontman Adam Gontier continues to expose his tortured soul, but without consistently gripping tunes to back up his anguish, Three Days Grace seem stuck in their misery rather than transcending it."
The first single of the album, "Break" was featured as the opening theme to kick off the Texas A&M vs. Baylor University football game on October 15, 2011.
Accolades
The album has been nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2010 Juno awards. The album has been officially certified Platinum in Canada.[7] It was also certified Gold in the US on March 1, 2011.[8]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Three Days Grace.
| 1. |
"Bitter Taste" |
4:01 |
| 2. |
"Break" |
3:13 |
| 3. |
"World So Cold" |
4:03 |
| 4. |
"Lost in You" |
3:53 |
| 5. |
"The Good Life" |
2:53 |
| 6. |
"No More" |
3:45 |
| 7. |
"Last to Know" |
3:27 |
| 8. |
"Someone Who Cares" |
4:52 |
| 9. |
"Bully" |
3:39 |
| 10. |
"Without You" |
3:34 |
| 11. |
"Goin' Down" |
3:06 |
| 12. |
"Life Starts Now" |
3:08 |
Total length: |
43:34 |
| 13. |
"World So Cold" (Piano version, also available on the Lost in You EP) |
4:20 |
Total length: |
47:54 |
Personnel
- Three Days Grace
- Artwork
- Danny Clinch – Photography
- Chris Feldman – Art Direction, design
- Jackie Murphy – Art Direction
- Adrian Knopik - Illustration
- Additional musicians
|
- Production
- Howard Benson – Producer
- Mike Cashin & Nik Karpen - Assistant Engineers
- Chris Lord-Alge - Mixing
- Ted Jensen - Mastering
- Paul DeCarli - Digital Editing
- Jon Nicholson - Drum Technician
- Hatsukazu "Hatch" Inagaki, Mike Plotnikoff, Andrew Schubert, & Brad Townsend – Engineers
- Marc VanGool - Guitar Technician
- Management
- Michael Tedesco - A&R
- Q Prime Inc - Management
- William Berrol - Legal
- Janice Svaub & Ron Page - Financial Management for Yaletown
|
Chart positions
Year-end charts
References
- 1 2 3 "Life Starts Now - or in this case it starts on September 22nd". Sony Music Entertainment. 7 August 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
- ↑ Bower, Elizabeth (18 September 2009). "Three Days Grace Gets Reality Check". The Peterborough Examiner (Peterborough, Canada). Retrieved 15 October 2009.
- ↑ "Three Days Grace, Papa Roach Unveil Tour Dates". Emmis Communications. 2 October 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Life Starts Now - Three Days Grace". 2009 Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 13 December 2009.
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/transit-of-venus-mw0002413682
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/life-starts-now-mw0000825259
- ↑ "Gold & Platinum Certification, October 2010". Retrieved 2012-02-09.
- ↑ "RIAA Searchable Database". Retrieved 2012-02-09.
- ↑ "Three Days Grace Reveal Tracklist for 'Life Starts Now'". TuneLab Music, LLC.
- ↑ http://www.soundike.com/r1062543-three-days-grace-life-starts-now-limited-edition-cd-2-mp3-download.html
- ↑ "Canadian certifications". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
- ↑ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - December 11, 2010: Three Days Grace certified albums". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
- ↑ "Best of 2010 - Billboard Top 200 Pies". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
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