I’ve never liked Nickelback. I guess, perhaps, it was the perfectly polished ubiquity of How You’ll Remind Me that rubbed me up wrong and, since then, I’ve never given them a chance. Of course, you could argue that, as Nickelback became literally everyone’s favourite whipping boys, I didn’t want to like them, and there may be some truth to that. Since those early years, I’ve consciously avoided the band and sneered along with all the rest. And yet… I can’t help but think of that other band who courted at least as much antipathy as they did acclaim, especially in critical circles, only to be able to release a box set entitled 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can’t Be Wrong, which, as ripostes go, is pretty damn spectacular. So, here we are with Get Rollin’, Nickelback’s tenth album and the first to which I have ever listened from start to finish and I’m genuinely curious as to how it’s going to go, and how much humble pie I may have to eat before we’re through…
The album opens with the surprisingly crunchy San Quentin and already I fear I’ll need a knife and fork handy. With heavy drums and a satisfyingly meaty riff, Chad growls “about to do some shit that you ain’t seen before”, and we’re off into a heavy rocker that sits somewhere between Load-era Metallica and Godsmack. In all honesty, it is a tad too produced for my tastes, but it’s nowhere near as bad as my ingrained prejudice would love to have me write, and I can imagine this kicking off one hell of a live show. The band maintain the pace on Skinny Little Missy, which captures some of the melodic southern charm of Black Stone Cherry at their stadium-filling best. For sure, the underground metal scene will suffer no sleepless nights – this is music custom built for hulking great arenas – but it’s catchy, well played and has an addictive groove that, I fear, will be lodged in my head for some time to come. Bugger.
Not everything is as successful. Those Days is a pretty horrible ballad, complete with acoustic guitar, digital percussion and enough nostalgia to drown the cast of Dawson’s Creek. It is here that Nickelback remind me exactly why they are so contentious, and it is a track best skipped. Fortunately, the band are ready to kick it with High Time, a satisfying redneck rocker with a glint in its eye that suggests Nickelback have way more of a sense of humour than they’re credited with. Next up, the band hit you with another Metallica-sized riff for Vegas Bomb, reminding you that, if they could only rein in those lachrymose tendencies, Nickelback would get far less stick.
Alas, those tendencies are there, like them or not and, just as you’re getting back into the groove, the band summon another dud in the form of Tidal Wave. A track so unashamedly over the top, it should close an eighties’ rom com, it feels like a throwback in all the wrong ways, and you find yourself wondering briefly what decade it is. No better is the rippling acoustic balladry of Does Heaven Even Know You’re Missing? a title that somehow fails to convey the syrupy horror that resides within. It’s a low point and one that is not greatly redeemed by the heavier Steel Still Rusts, which feels like a retread of How You Remind Me. Change is in the air on horizon, which has a modern U2 vibe. It’s not for me, but it’s skilfully executed, as is Standing In The Dark, which inhabits similar territory. It leaves the surprisingly contemporary sounding Just One More to bring the album to a close, Nickelback showing that they’re not afraid to borrow from the youngsters when it comes to production tricks and stadium-filling grandstanding.
I don’t think I will ever like Nickelback, but I think, perhaps, this album has helped me to understand their appeal rather better. They are capable musicians, use their production budget effectively and they’re not afraid to try out new ideas. More to the point, when they do put the pedal to the metal, they really can rock. However, for every muscular rock song, there’s a power ballad waiting in the wings, and these are every bit as cringeworthy as I feared. But then, this isn’t music for me, and I am quite sure that Nickelback will be just fine in that knowledge, especially when a monstrous audience for power ballads is so clearly out there. Neither as bad as I feared, nor as good as I hoped, Get Rollin’ is a well-produced and varied album that will please Nickelback fans no end. 5/10
