Nickelback are back (after nearly three years) and better than ever with their eleventh studio album, Everything Under The Sun.
By Katie Stewart
Straight off the bat, Rattle the Cage (feat. John 5) sets the tone for what can only be described as a purely professional, insanely skilled, immensely powerful, kick-ass album.
The metal-hard rock sound in this banger of an opener feels almost oxymoronic for the genre, as it remains inescapably polished, clean and clear. Much of this quality is, I think, achieved through lead singer Chad Kroeger’s iconically radiant vocals.
Kroeger’s signature raspy voice feels, on the surface, as though it’s rough around the edges, but it actually has this beautiful ability to cut through the accompanying music like a knife. The sheer clarity of Kroeger’s voice really allows each song to fly.
It could even be argued that this quality of diction, present throughout Nickelback’s catalogue, has played a central role in their universal success. Some of the band’s most well-known and well-loved songs, including Rockstar, Photograph and How You Remind Me, achieved incredible commercial success largely down to a raw yet articulate vocal performance – delivering often very fast-paced, descriptive, narrative lyrics with difficult ease.
Nickelback as a band has this incredible, unique yet textbook quality. Kroeger’s undeniably indomitable vocals combine with tight, ever-fresh instrumentals in which every ingredient works in unison. The result is music of undeniable quality, always exciting and consistently injected, pulsing, with a sense of power and crispy-ness.
Although it’s only the first track on the album, Rattle the Cage may already be my favourite. The heavy guitar riff is addictive, chewy and piercing. Combined with a catchy, rhythmic chorus, where each syllable hits the beat with real passion and urgency, you’ll find yourself unable to resist chanting along. It’s a great hype song.
The second track, Bones for the Crows, opens with intense, archaic, thundering bass drum pounding. Cinematic, this song paces forward with a compelling, rolling momentum. The percussion hits incredibly hard; it’s rib-shaking in the best way possible. With simple yet effective imagery and mixed metaphors, the storytelling in this track feels like a love-letter to classic, leather-jacket, devil-horns, metal music. A fitting song as we head into winter; dark, impactful and fantastical.
I Already Know flexes Nickelback’s muscles in making a great pop-rock song. Young musicians could hail this track as a demonstration of every musical component being performed with precision, while maintaining a simplicity that is deceptively difficult to get right. With echoing backing vocals – like a softer, nostalgic, wistful battle cry – this upbeat song has a surprisingly emotional edge. Bringing back that moreish late 90s/early 2000s pop-rock sound that has been missing from recent releases. It’s not pretentious, despite being skill of the highest level.
If I Don’t Go starts as an acoustic track, allowing that aforementioned rustic-yet-smooth diction to truly shine. A masterclass in storytelling, it revisits that recurring theme of reflecting on the past through the lens of wisdom gained over time. Sitting nearly halfway through the album, this honest and personal track becomes a poignant anthem for growth and for appreciating the difficult experiences that make that growth possible.
Overall, there’s this strong sense of gratitude running through the song. On the surface, it tells the story of packing up home and venturing into the unknown in pursuit of a different life path. “If I don’t go, I’m gonna die here” explores a feeling many listeners will relate to in some way: the longing to escape mundanity and take big risks in pursuit of something that feels just out of reach, yet temptingly, despairingly achievable.
I first heard Make Me Love You the other morning on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show. I immediately recognised that classic Nickelback sound and quickly fell deep into the song. Completely satisfying from start to finish, with a chorus that’s instantly memorable and endlessly repeatable, this is a genuine gem and the perfect choice for a pre-release single.
Chasin’ Famous is edgier, grittier, more alternative. Still built around Nickelback’s distinctive heavy electric guitar sound, there’s also more of a staccato feel to this song. Jabby vocals match jabby guitar strikes, while a fragmented, textured, dynamic drumming pattern tips and taps with a more complex attention to detail than their other tracks.
A guitar solo around the three-quarter mark firmly cements the song in that iconic road trip style of rock. Nickelback consistently balance metallic heaviness with a clean, complete-feeling, production style.
Technicolour Steamboat samples a line from the 1971 masterpiece movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. A totally stripped-back song (compared to their other tracks) built around acoustic sounds, a dreamy soft bassline and a lighter vocal effect, this track completely embraces a dream-like, near-existential atmosphere. Complete with a lute-esque string element that gently twangs in the song’s undercurrent, highlighting the song’s hazy, hallucinogenic quality. This feels like a track that will be fun upon repeated listens, revealing more and more of itself each time.
Everything Under The Sun is Nickelback at their most confident, packed with expertly crafted rock songs that remind you why they’ve received a timeless status within the music industry.
The album will be touring soon – you can purchase tickets here.
Everything Under The Sun is out now, and you can listen to it below.