Human
Human keeps Three Days Grace close to their established sound. Thick guitars, clear choruses and a polished production provide a familiar setting for Matt Walst's singing.
Human Race opens with electronic colouring before the guitars take over. The lead playing towards the end gives the song a useful spark, although the repeated vocal phrases make the arrangement less engaging than its introduction promises.
Painkiller is more direct. Its firm guitar attack and accessible vocal give the record an early point of focus. The song works as a concentrated piece of radio-friendly rock, even if the smooth production reduces some of the atmosphere that might have made the performance more distinctive.
Fallen Angel offers a better change of mood. The slower, piano-led setting gives Walst room to make a more expressive impression, and the restrained approach creates a welcome contrast with the heavier songs. It is one of the moments where the emotional intention and the musical setting feel closely connected.
Landmine returns to substantial riffs and a broad chorus. The force is convincing, but the familiar structure and blunt imagery make it less memorable than the performance suggests. Tell Me Why has a clearer melodic appeal, though its subject and phrasing remain equally direct.
I Am Machine is the strongest expression of the band's central approach. The guitar playing and committed singing give the song more energy than much of the surrounding material. Its hook feels purposeful rather than simply placed at the expected moment.
The problem becomes more obvious as the album continues. Similar chord patterns and recurring emotional language make several songs difficult to distinguish, and the polished sound leaves little roughness to create another source of interest.
Human is competent and occasionally engaging, but uneven in its writing. Walst can carry the stronger melodies, and the band still know how to deliver a heavy chorus. A few convincing songs cannot quite compensate for the amount of familiar material around them.
