Nickelback - Here And Now

There are so many Rock bands out there that people either love or hate. This normally comes after a band has achieved global dominance and appeal. Names like Kiss, Metallica, Van Halen, Bon Jovi, and nowadays Nickelback are on that list too. I think that's something they can celebrate.

I personally like Nickelback because of the album tracks that barely ever hit the radio. Their albums can usually be split in two. The crap that girls like to hear and is totally radio friendly, then all of the cool stuff.

I personally think this bands biggest problem is they don't know if they want to be Kiss or Bon Jovi, Metallica or Def Leppard, AC/DC or Aerosmith, so they give us this weird hybrid that both sucks and rocks at the same time.

This Means War kicks off the album. It's a good heavy number, with a really thick, yet simple, rhythm end. This is the type of song I like from this Canadian quartet. It's one of those album tracks that totally blow my mind, because they never get the air play they deserve. Although I think this may have become a signle.

The next song is the reason why so many people look down on Nickelback. It's your standard drinking/party song. Also full of the chugging, heavy riffs that I like about them. This song would be their Have A Drink On Me (AC/DC for those that don't know). This is the type of song that is meant to be drank too. The short solo is also pretty decent too.

It's songs like When We Stand Together that people look at these guys and go "douche bags", but really this is a very upbeat message. "One more depending on a prayer / And we all look away / People pretending everywhere / It's just another day / There's bullets flying through the air / And they still carry on / We watch it happen over there / And then just turn it off / (chorus) / They tell us everything's alright / And we just go along / How can we fall asleep at night? / When something's clearly wrong / When we could feed a starving world / With what we throw away / But all we serve are empty words / That always taste the same / (chorus) / The right thing to guide us / Is right here, inside us / No one can divide us / When the light is nearly gone / But just like a heartbeat / The drumbeat carries on / And the drumbeat carries on / (Just like a heartbeat)". Not douchey, just trying to raise awareness of the basic things that so many take for granted.

Midnight Queen is your standard run of the mill Nickelback song about that woman you know is revving Chad's engine every night. And while I admit a chorus like, "She's gonna be my Midnight Queen. / Lock and load and I'm ready to go. / She's gonna lick my pistol clean. / She's got ahold of me and ain't letting go. / And I can't get enough of the things that she does, alright." Seems childish and silly, but you know that's exactly what you want. They do it with some heavy ass rock as well.

The same idea continues in Gotta Get Me Some, but it's done with a slower groove, that totally gets you going. I will garautee that some girl with daddy issues is stripping to this song as I write this, and if there isn't I want to know why not. I mean this is grade "A" dirty fun.

Every Nickelback album has to have at least one song for the girls, and the Pop Rock radio stations. Lullaby is that song and it sounds just like every other lame ass sissy ballad they have already done. So, ladies enjoy your shitty track that's clogging up a decent Rock album. On the other hand it gets the band pussy, so I guess they need to let their's show too. Sorry, I know that's rude, but I don't fucking care. I'm tired of these craptastic songs.

The next song has got to be the best example I have ever seen of rockstars ripping off rappers. Kiss it Goodbye has an awesome opening/post chorus riff that i swear was lifted from 2 In A Room's Wiggle It. I mean you can sing the Chorus from the rap song easily over the Nickelback riff. I'm sure it wasn't done on purpose, but it totally works, and sounds cool.

Trying Not To Love You is the exact same as Lullaby. Crap put on the album so girls keep buying them. I'd also like to point out that I say girls because women like the heavy stuff, and understand that's where it's really at. This continues into Holding On To Heaven, which is a little heavier, but still complete ass.

The one song on this album I think is just overkill on the sexual content is Everything I Wanna Do. It's really not a good song. It has a pretty kickin' solo section, but that doesn't redeem it. It's filler, that I'm sure someone that reads this will curse me out for bad mouthing.

The album finishes with Don't Ever Let It End. This is yet another girl friendly song, but I take it a little more as an honest confession for that special someone. Not in a stupid, "I don't ever want to be separated because our love is eternal" way. But more in a "I'm enjoying the time of my life, with my best friend that is finally seeing me the way I see her." I only like this song because it actually touches those special heart strings, that tells me Chad and I share very simular tastes in women.

All in all it's a good album, or as good as any of the other last few. There are signs of a little growth, but most of it is in production. I personally would like to see these guys drop the commercial shit and start working on some serious material. You can hear the potential that's there for it.

7/10 - content

8/10 - production

7/10 - personal bias