Groundswell played in various local Norwood backyard parties and area establishments before disbanding in 1995 and regrouping in 1997 under its current name.

Currently signed to RCA Records, they have released seven studio albums: Three Days Grace in 2003, One-X in 2006, Life Starts Now in 2009, Transit of Venus in 2012, Human in 2015, Outsider in 2018 and Explosions in 2022.

In the United Kingdom, their second album One-X was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry and gold by the Recorded Music NZ.

[5] Groundswell released one full-length album, Wave of Popular Feeling in 1995,[6] containing singles "Eddie", "Poison Ivy" and "Stare".

[9] Brown and the band polished the songs and created a demo album, which they gave to EMI Music Publishing Canada.

[10] They moved to Long View Farm, a studio in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, to record their debut album.

[9][11] The song received heavy airplay and rapidly became widely recognizable,[12][13][14] and was labelled as the band's "breakout hit".

[17] In support of their major label debut, the group joined Trapt as an opening act on a US tour from July to September 2003.

Dave Doray of IGN said of the album, "Almost every single song from the Three Days Grace track list is heavy and catchy, with chewy chunks of assurance and fury thrown in for added measure.

"[30] AllMusic reviewer Heather Phares criticized the album for its simplicity, but praised the groups "tight songwriting" and "unexpectedly pretty choruses" that make them standout among their peers.

[38] The band found a place suitable for further songwriting in Northern Ontario, in a cottage where they experimented on, tested, and practiced new songs.

[40] In a 2006 interview, Gontier said that the album's material was more personal to him than the band's previous work because the inspiration had come out of his experiences with despondence, drug abuse, and rehab, which had constituted the past two years of his life.

[53] "Riot" was released as the fourth and final single on November 6, 2007,[54] and reached the top 20 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

[67] This album reflects the maturity of the band members as they overcome problems such as sickness and death within their families; in a published statement, they were quoted as saying: "We had to be inspired by it, but the outcome is this: It's a new beginning.

[89] They created an early promotional video on their website featuring clips of them in the studio as well as footage of the physical transit of Venus.

[103] Brad Walst's brother, Matt (of My Darkest Days), became the band's new lead singer and they commenced their 2013 tour with Shinedown and P.O.D.

[110] In an interview with Billboard, Brad Walst stated that the album was almost complete and confirmed it would be released the following year.

[129] Having written and recorded around 20 songs, the band selected each track "based on vibe," so the album could "have a good sequence to it" according to Walst.

[132] Their sixth studio album titled, Outsider was announced on January 25, 2018, and released the lead single, "The Mountain" with an accompanying music video that same day.

[151] Three months later, on February 17, 2022, the band released a promotional single, titled "Neurotic", featuring Lukas Rossi.

[164] Gontier reunited with the band a second time during their October 10, 2023, show in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has relocated after leaving Three Days Grace.

[165] On October 2, 2024, the band revealed via social media that they were in the studio with Gontier teasing a possibility of new music in the works, posting a video with the caption ending "Three Days Grace 2X.

[5] The album drew comparison with the likes of Linkin Park, Chevelle, Depswa and Shinedown for their alternative metal and hard rock sound.

[31][190] On their second album, One-X, the band continued with their alternative metal sound and features songs more personal to Gontier.

[184][39] Music critics praised the album's lyrics for its "simple and direct approach" that adds a certain charm, despite its predictability.

[184][46] However, on their third album, Life Starts Now, the group departs from the angry tone of the band's previous releases into a lyrical style with more optimism while maintaining their hard rock sound.

[191] These influences are evident on tracks such as "Chalk Outline" and "The High Road", adding a layer of thickness to the guitar-heavy work.

[192] On their fifth album, Human, the group shifted away from using electronic elements and went back to their post-grunge and alternative metal sound.

[197] Billboard has ranked Three Days Grace at number three on their "Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Artists" list.

[203] Adam Gontier has been considered to have a, "passionate vocal style, naturally husky sound, and lyricism chock full of [the] angst and torment" making him a unique singer that many teenagers and others living through hardships found relatable.