That frankness of delivery and disarming forthrightness is the hallmark of the alternative metal stylings Sanderson and his bandmates–lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Matt Walst, bassist/vocalist  Brad Walst and guitarist Barry Stock–are known for whenever they set foot in a recording studio. It’s the kind of confidence that comes with knowing that no matter what comes your way, you’ve got an audience of millions who will remember your lyrics and riffs after your time on the world stage has come to an end.

“When young bands ask me for advice, I always say ‘Make sure you’re in a band with the right people who have the same core values as you do. And try to make sure there’s not too many ego trippers!’ We’ve been lucky all along that we’ve been an all-for-one band and we still like each other and can travel together without drama. You’re going to see the best and worst of each other at some point in time. It’s about how you react to that, and you’ve gotta let a guy have a bad day once in a while, you know.”

After all, having a bad day can often be a catalyst for change and growth. And, in some cases, unintended hilarity. Sanderson recalls some of the stranger situations the band has endured with a sense of humour and, of course, grace. “We were in a Hilary Duff movie called Raise Your Voice,” he says. “It’s funny, because at the time we were like ‘What are we doing?’ But that’s why we’re popular in Japan – because of this Hilary Duff movie, pretty much exclusively. It’s not a bad film, I suppose.”

Pressured with measuring up to the tremendous sales and spin counts garnered by their previous releases, Sanderson and his bandmates approached their newest effort, Explosions, with an air of defiance and aggression. Scraping the headlines with an observational deep-dive into the tensions and disappointments of the past two years, songs like “Neurotic,” “I Am The Weapon,” and “A Scar in Born” are designed to ignite and incinerate like rock and roll dynamite.

“I think the lyrical component is really important to weaving a common thread through the album, and we always have that strong tangible concept. It was amazing that ‘So Called Life’ came out with guns blazing. It’s one of the heaviest songs we’ve put out in a long time and people immediately grasped onto it,” Sanderson says. “The concept ‘Explosions’ just represents the fact that within all of us there’s a boiling point. It’s the human condition of having something inside you that wants to get out. It can be born out of frustration, or anger, or whatever, but it can also be a yearning to be yourself and express yourself, and go places, and say what you want, and have your own opinion, and be free. And sometimes that feels like it has to stay bottled up inside for a number of reasons. So ‘Explosions’ represents that inner burning where you just want to get out and express yourself. And I think a lot of the songs touch on that in a number of ways.”

Jokingly predicting a follow-up album titled Consequences and Jailtime, Sanderson compares lockdown status in Toronto to a “penitentiary.” It’s just one more reason Three Days Grace is anxious to return to the familiar catharsis of relentless tours and roof-raising live performances. Otherwise, they might just explode. Frequent (controlled) venting is their professional prescription for preventing unintentional discharges.

“The first single, ‘So Called Life’ does touch on that – you’re at that tipping point – do you explode or do you find something to take the edge off. It’s contemplating which direction you’re going to take.? Are you going to try to put a bandaid on the wound, or are you going to completely detonate?”