“Not a Leader of Men”
Nickelback gets a lot of flak from just about everyone nowadays. The top Urban Dictionary result is a delicious blend of musical ignorance and Canada-bashing:
“Another mediocre, somewhat popular nu-metal band, this time, from Canada, which isn’t a surprise considering their musical track record (Avril [Lavigne], Celine Dion, Barenaked Ladies, etc). Lead singer Chad is an extremely nasal “Marlboro Man” type vocalist who sounds constipated on a permanent basis. Guitar consists mostly of easy-to-play power chords that give the band a “tough” sound to the untrained ear, but a closer look reveals a band that has nothing to offer creatively. They were recently exposed recycling their music in their two hit singles, “How You Remind Me” and “Someday”, which sound nearly identical when played simultaneously.
Example: Nickelback should simply give up.”
“Nu-metal?” What in the…? OK, so despite the definition being completely wrong in some places, the point is clear. Hating Nickelback is a cultural phenomenon. Since their 2001 breakthrough album Silver Side Up brought Nickelback into the mainstream, music critics have ripped each subsequent release apart. The band is also at the butt of numerous jokes, from being the frequent subject of Reddit’s /r/circlejerk, to this incredibly useful link to thin out your Facebook friends, to crude but hilarious ‘Nickelderp’ memes. A pickle has gotten more fans than Nickelback. They just released a ‘Best of’ compilation, which means “there’s no songs on it, right?” People bash Nickelback harder than Chris Adler of Lamb of God punishes his poor bass drum. But most people just jump on the hatewagon blindly, repeating things they hear from others. They hate Nickelback because “they suck, dude.”
Nickelback rocks, on occasion. I know, that’s a BOLD statement, so let me back up and explain. It’s going to be a long one, so bear with me. Unbeknownst to most, even so-called “fans” of the post-grunge juggernaut, Nickelback actually started as a Nirvana cover band and released two albums before “How You Remind Me” hit the airwaves. And unlike (almost) everything else that they’ve done in the past 13 years, they don’t suck!
Let’s start at the beginning. Curb, released in 1996, is a grungy masterpiece, and in my opinion their best album. Curb is refreshingly clear of the overproduced mainstream rock drivel that appeals to the lowest denominator that Nickelback is now known for. From the soulful, yet heavy “Where?” to the experimental and bipolar “Curb,” each track screams honesty and originality from the lyrics to the guitar solos. Yes, there are guitar solos, and they’re great, adding a middle-eastern sounding flair to the tracks. The lyrics are full of meaning and angst, and cover some pretty dark themes of rejection, of anger, of frustration, and of abuse. Chad Kroeger’s voice is still as characteristically raspy as ever, but the rawness only adds to Curb’s musical authenticity.
Nickelback‘s 2000 sophomore effort The State is a natural progression from Curb. Say what you will about Chad Kroeger, but the man knows how to write a catchy song. That quality is present here, but there is still that sense of authenticity to this album that’s been lost ever since. The opening track “Breathe” makes both abundantly clear. The chorus is one of the catchiest Nickelback has ever produced, but the lyrics are so much deeper and more complex than anything off their modern releases (see “Something in Your Mouth”). The third song on The State is a killer track about magic mushrooms. It is my favorite Nickelback song of all time, and I do not think they will ever write something that can even remotely compare to it ever again. “Leader of Men” is interesting because there isn’t really a verse or a chorus, but a catchy vocal melody over a simple chord progression that tells of the tale of a mystical journey through a drug-induced dream world. Rock and roll. The solo on “Diggin’ This” is pretty fun too.
After The State, Nickelback’s overall quality takes a huge dive, but if you’re willing to sift through the garbage, there are some legitimately good songs, even if the lyrics aren’t quite as meaningful. “This Means War” off of 2011’s Here and Now and “Burn It to the Ground” off of 2009’s Dark Horse are both heavy rockers in the brutal tuning of Drop B. “Side of a Bullet,” Nickelback’s tribute to fallen guitar legend and former Pantera shredder Dimebag Darrell, is the one saving grace of 2007’s All the Right Reasons. It’s too bad it gets bogged down between shittastic tracks like “Photograph” and “Rockstar.” It’s a pattern that the band is all too happy to repeat on platinum-selling release after platinum-selling release.
Credit where credit is due. Nickelback was a good band. They can make a damn catchy song and some of them are even worth listening to, especially off of Curb or The State. They’re smart, they know what their fans want and this has made them incredibly successful. But their success has spawned a dreary trend of non-original cookie-cutter songwriting that is killing mainstream rock (I’m looking at you, Theory of a Deadman). Nickelback are big enough, influential enough, and rich enough to take risks and breed originality in mainstream rock. They just don’t. That is why I dislike Nickelback. Don’t just blindly jump on the hatewagon. Know why you hate Nickelback.
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