Three Days Grace's 'Alienation' Is The Best Rock Album of 2025

Congrats are in order for Three Days Grace as the veteran rockers are Loudwire's pick for the Best Rock Album of 2025 for Alienation.

It was a banner year for the Canadian group, who set the stage in late 2024 with the announcement that original vocalist Adam Gontier was returning to the band and would now be co-vocalist alongside the singer who replaced him, Matt Walst.

How exactly would that work out? Could the band keep their momentum with multiple voices and additional creative input? Would fans embrace the lineup or would it cause division?

Simply put, this union with both Gontier and Walst exceeded expectation and yielded one of the strongest albums of the band's career and made them one of 2025's biggest talking points and absolute highlights.

Why Did We Pick This Album?

There's no doubt that Three Days Grace know how to write rock radio hits.

They've continued to battle back and forth with Shinedown for years for the most chart-topping singles on the Mainstream Rock chart (and they've added three more so far off this album with "Mayday," "Apologies" and "Kill Me Fast"). But in this case, Alienation is arguably the deepest album of their career with any number of songs that could hit the radio airwaves and will likely continue to do so into 2026.

But this both is and isn't the same old Three Days Grace you once knew. It's a reinvention.

For fans who loved the early era, the voice and the creative inspiration that Adam Gontier brought to the group is now back. So is his ability to delve into some of the more difficult subject matter and bring a voice to those struggling with similar issues. But you're also maintaining the quality of the heaviness brought by Matt Walst, which kept Three Days Grace thriving after Gontier's initial departure.

Together, the singers combined have only strengthened the band, bringing rawness and vulnerability to the lyrics while adding weight to the instrumentation with a sense that the band is confronting their own legacy as much as their inner demons.

With grace and humility, Three Days Grace pushed aside ego and underscored that Gontier's return wasn't just another classic lineup restoration in heavy music, but a bold step toward a brand new era that looks forward rather than resting on the laurels of the existing legacy. And, beyond some of the gloomier subjects on Alienation, the vibe surrounding this comeback was convincingly and contagiously positive — something everyone could use a little more of each day.

Three Days Grace, "Mayday"

What Did the Three Days Grace Fans Say About Alienation?

We've seen it happen with other bands where loyalties get divided when there are multiple successful eras and lineups. The commentary was not only civil, but it was overwhelmingly positive after the Three Days Grace decided to keep both singers and move forward together.

Upon the release of the new album, fans on Reddit were vocal. "Can we take a moment and appreciate how Matt is sounding on this album. I was ready for another Adam Gontier masterpiece but Matt just caught me off guard. Love the album," noted one fan. "It's honestly shocking how well their voices pair together," added another.

"I think this is the first album since One-X, where I really enjoyed every song," shared another fan. "This album for me sits between one-x and self titled. Nothing but straight banger music man!" commented another fan.

Meanwhile, a positive sign is that songs such as "In Cold Blood" and "Another Relapse" that have not been issued as singles were among the most frequently mentioned by fans discussing their favorites.

What Does Alienation Mean For Three Days Grace?

We had a chance to speak with Adam Gontier and Matt Walst of Three Days Grace recently about Alienation being named our Best Rock Album of 2025 and the positive response it's received over the last calendar year.

"It's incredible man," says Gontier after learning of the Loudwire accolade and being asked about the universal response over the last year. "We put a lot into the album knowing this one would be so important. We put so much time and effort into this one, so it's pretty awesome. We've been on the road too for this last while so we get to see it live as well. Just the way its resonated with everyone is just mind-blowing, man. It's incredible."

One of the reasons this has worked is the familial feel amongst the members who all grew up together. As Matt Walst shares, "I think that we're really at a place where there is no egos anymore," while Gontier later adds, "Growing up together it makes the foundation for everything we do really strong. We were really good friends before the band really ever took off so we have that foundation and I think that differentiates us from other bands. I feel like if these guys had got anyone else to take my place when I left, I'm not sure we'd be doing this. I don't think we would be because it would just be a different vibe."

According to Gontier, it was pretty apparent early on that the process of trying to bring him back and find that common ground again went went better than anyone expected. "We all had the same goal. We wanted to write the best album that the band has ever done or try to at least," he explains. "Matt and I have a really good idea of who's going to sing what and what fits the style of the song and the style of the part. Whether it's a heavier bridge that needs Matt's scream or growl or something to a floaty part that might need my melody on there, it all just came pretty naturally."

What Were Three Days Grace's 2025 Highlights?

When asked what they'll remember most about 2025, Walst shares, "The tours that we've done. We just did a tour with Breaking Benjamin across the states and it was awesome and places were packed."

"We played our home city of Toronto, Ontario and we sold that out with 16,000 people there. A lot of our friends were there and that was a big one for me. Just to play Toronto, and I feel that was one of the best shows we played. That was insane. But these tours have just been so awesome to see the fans just freaking out everywhere we go."

READ MORE: The 51 Best Rock + Metal Songs of 2025

Gontier comments, "Every show day we do a meet and greet with people and it's an incredible feeling to have the fans that have been there from Day 1 that have been there through the entire journey come up to us and to see their excitement and the joy, just to have both of us. It's crazy, man. It's just been a trip."

When asked for a favorite off the album, both musicians zero in on the ballad, "Don't Wanna Go Home Tonight." "It just reminds me of growing up in Norwood where we all grew up. I've had a lot of people close to me saying their wives and friends are listening to that song over and over again and loving it. I knew that one was going to be special from the get-go," says Walst, while also joking that he and Gontier are "suckers for ballads."

Three Days Grace, "Don't Wanna Go Home Tonight"

What Were Three Days Grace's Favorites of 2025?

Having shouted out Three Days Grace for their 2025 album, we offered both Adam and Matt a chance to share which bands and albums moved the needle for them in 2025.

"Sleep Token, I really like what those guys do. It's just so different and so good," says Gontier.  "I know everybody's gotten on that trend. But those guys are so good and so talented."

He also adds, "Bad Omens, what they've done. I'm a huge fan of them. The melodies that those guys write and the production is just next level. For me, those two bands in particular, I'll listen to those albums front to back when I'm driving or when we're traveling. Sleep Token is just so different and it stands out, in my opinion, from a lot of music that kind of sounds that same and goes along the same formula. It's nice to listen to something different and Sleep Token does that for me for sure."

As for Walst, he offered, "I really liked Nothing More's new album [which continued in 2025 with big radio singles]. The same producer that produced our album, Zakk Cervini co-wrote and I believe did their album. I've been a big fan of Nothing More since they came out of the gate and I knew they were gonna be special. And they have been over the years. We got the opportunity to tour with them before and had a lot of fun."

What's Next for Three Days Grace?

"I think like we've always done, after we're done touring this album, we'll probably take a little bit of time off at home and then get right back to writing," Gontier tell us. "Everybody's really excited and we've already been talking about different ideas. Some of us already have songs going and we're demoing stuff."

He adds, "It is kind of exciting cause it is a new chapter and it does open up some doors creatively with all of us. So I think we're really excited about working together on another record. I feel like that's going to be the plan after we tour as much as we can and we have no plans to stop touring. We're gonna keep going into next year and just see where it takes us."

A well-deserved holiday break is coming, but as Gontier shares more dates in the U.S., Canada and Europe are already on the books for 2026. So be sure to stay up to date with the band's touring and catch them playing a mix of their biggest hits as well as spotlighting music from Alienation.

Congrats to Three Days Grace for earning Loudwire's Rock Album of the Year!