Nickelback recently released Nickelback - All the Right Reasons, their latest album in a line of what have been well-selling and well-received albums. So, that in mind, I didn’t have a real sense of foreboding when I purchased All the Right Reasons. However, upon listening to the album, I was more than disappointed. Not only does the CD sound exactly like their previous two albums, but the lyrics have degenerated to such a state that anyone with the slightest amount of taste would be offended by what Nickelback is trying to pass off as “music.”Sonically, All the Right Reasons, sounds exactly like their previous record Nickelback - The Long Road, which in turn sounds almost identical to its predecessor Nickelback - Silver Side Up. This might not necessarily be a bad thing, as many bands have lost fans because they decided to experiment with their sound. However, in Nickelback’s case it’s a drawback. All the songs seem blandly formalistic, with some simplistic heavy guitar riff, a little angry drumming, and a boring arrangement that makes almost every song sound alike. It’s almost as though they have a formula for songwriting and never deviate from it. So instead of an experimenting or developing a more complex sound, it feels as though Nickelback has taken all their old songs, changed a few notes, and repackaged them for the masses. What’s even more discouraging is that Nickelback wasn’t always like this.
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