Three Days Grace

Recorded during a flurry of activity following their One-X tour, Life Starts Now finds the Canadian alt-metal quartet piling the melodic choruses on top of its characteristically rambunctious guitars. In particular, lead guitarist Barry Stock pushes the band beyond its all-too-safe contemporaries with solos that never fail to inspire at least a few air-hammer-ons. Three Days Grace may sound best when inspiring stage dives, but there are more than a couple U2 moments ("No More," "Lost In You"), and even a piano ballad here for the calmer types.