Review by Phil Rozier for MPM
Virgin Radio started playing Nickelback’s ‘How You Remind Me’ back in the early 2000’s. I remember driving around with my works van, and Virgin Radio was the only radio station that just about scraped the surface of rock. It couldn’t do anything 80’s hair metal, and it couldn’t do developing Nu Metal. It could just about manage Metallica’s ‘Nothing Else Matters’, a smattering of Green Day the ‘American Idiot’ album, but generally it was awash with aging Brit Pop and 90’s Indie.
And that’s where Nickelback found themselves. Right there. Where they were heavier than 90’s Indie, but not as ear crushing as the likes of Korn, Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park’s debut record.
And whether that’s planned or otherwise, that’s where they really resonated with rockers such as myself. They provided something heavier than Pulp, and something more brain friendly than Korn. And because it was accessible, the radio lapped them up, and a result, one of the worlds most discussed rock bands, is back with a new album. No coincidence then, that ‘Everything Under the Sun’ is released via Virgin Music.
50,000 million album sales later, a couple of official documentaries, over a thousand stadium shows I expect; Chad, Mike, and the gang are back to rock our little socks off.
And my socks are truly off. But that’s not a surprise with an opening banger like ‘Rattle The Cage’. Accompanied by the oddly unexpected, but purely brilliant, John 5 on guitar, this riff monster is a classic heavy stadium roof raiser. I can feel the heat from the pyro and audience energy already. Let’s just hope Chad hasn’t yet given up on the flared jeans and wide legged staged stance!
‘Bones for the Crows’ starts with a softer acoustic chime, and the familiar gravel of Mr Kroeger’s voice echoes throughout my living room (a significant upgrade from the Citroen Berlingo speakers of the early 2000’s). Transitioning into another heavy chorus of monster riffs, it has got ‘classic Nickelback’ written all over it.
Track 3 begins with a piano opener, soon opening into a Bon Jovi-esque family friendly pop rock belter. ‘I Already Know’ is probably more akin to what I’d expect Nickelback to sound like after a couple of heavier starters to the album.
Speaking of Bon Jovi, the first bars, well, not even bars, the first ‘noise’ to come out of ‘Leave me Behind’, tell me that’s not ‘Blaze of Glory’? ‘If I Don’t Go’ and ‘Make Me Love You’ continue the albums singalong softer edge. With heart felt emotion, Nickelback have a touch of the modern-day power ballad about them. Often revered by less confident rock bands, or die hard wanna be’s, the power ballad has been left on the shelf for a while now. But, Nickelback haven’t been afraid to pick it up and play it. And play it well. They can bring power to a ballad like very few can match. And let’s be honest, its only the insecure and weak-minded rockers that can’t admit they love an 80’s inspired ballad. Come on, admit it! It’s a safe space here at Metal Planet!?
‘Chasin Famous’ brings us back out of ballad land, and comes in with a heavier opening, similar to the album’s openers. ‘Simple Song’ isn’t just a clever title. This little 4-minute ditty is an upbeat crowd pleaser for sure. If you still had lighters, you’d be raising them and trying not to burn the fella’s hair in front of you.
We’re into the back half of the album now, and there’s still 6-7 tracks to go. I’d say a 15-track record is pretty long by modern day standards. One of the things I love about the album is the short track timings. Not because I want the track to finish, but, I’m more ‘punk’ than ‘prog’ and I’m not a huge fan of the lengthy storey telling in songs. Yawn! I’m more, turn up, rock out, have a beer. Go home. And because if this, whilst 15 songs in length, this album remains entertaining and a joy to listen to.
Quite often, bands either want a label, like a label, ignore the label, or, wait for the listeners to give them a label. And I actually think Nickelback are kind of awkward to pinpoint or give a predetermined label. One minute you’ve got the nearing on country ‘Technicolor Steamboat’, then you’ve got the opening monster that is ‘Rattle the Cage’. Typically, you’d describe them as radio friendly, but, there’s a few radio edits that will be needed if this album got full airtime.
‘At least that shit was fun’ echoes Kroeger during ‘Last Night was Fun’. With a touch of aging nostalgia, teen rebel and acceptance of what I’d say is the ‘no need to grow up’, the album I think can be many things to many people.
The final track ‘Up to Know Good’ perhaps represents the same kind life approach and steps up the tempo and riffage to close out the previous more family friendly songs. Throughout the album, there’s a maturity, but a childlike approach to song writing. The music and musicianship are clearly well practiced and hugely established over what has been a career exceeding 30 years.
The album is a mix of stadium rockers, country twang swayers and enough cheek to make the radio blush. Its very typically Nickelback, and oddly, I think they’ve paved the way for a lot of recent newcomers to the market. If you put, for example, a Florence Black album inside a Nickelback CD case, it’d take you a while to realise who were listening to.
Nickelback are hitting the UK stages in 2027, and tickets are on sale now. Get ya cowboy hat on, and mind your hair on the pyro. See you there
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