All the Right Reasons - Nickelback

By: Tony Merevick

“Photograph,” evokes the same amount emotions and feelings a real photograph would. Listening to the lead single of this album, a beautiful, nostalgic picture is painted in your mind’s eye, marking Nickelback’s fourth album as a doubtless success.

They have come back with All The Right Reasons, following their enormously successful third album, The Long Road. This time, Nickelback returns to the studio with a new drummer and extra celebrity contributions to the brilliant eleven tracks. Daniel Adair brings his vivacious creativity to the album’s new tone and ZZ Top guitarist, Billy Gibbons. solos in “Follow You Home”.

With Chad Kroger’s tough guy voice, and the noticeably more incorporated drumming, the album definitely starts off on the right foot with “Follow You Home.” Billy Gibbons contributes perfectly, giving the song the extra kick in the butt that it needed. The album continues to go on with a fast pace and strong stature. Track two, “Fight for All the Wrong Reasons,” takes on a hint of System of a Down’s beefy guitar riffs. “Far Away,” and “Savin’ Me,” lower things to a mellower tone. Nickelback can be described as the American Stereophonics as both bands are gifted with unique vocalists and excellent guitar use. Only the Atlantic Ocean and a sea of different influences stand between them.

After the last mellow notes of “Photograph” fade away, “Animal,” jumps back into the fast paced, high energy, foot-stomping action, that rages on in “Next Contestant,” and “Side of a Bullet,” the latter created as a commemoration to Kroeger’s good friend and ex-Pantera guitarist, the late Dimebag Darrel. Like most albums, another sad song follows the more aggressive, middle songs. “If Everyone Cared” returns the listener to the emotional narrative that Nickelback is so good at creating. The song envisions a utopia, where “everyone cared, nobody died,” and pictured a place where “everyone loved and nobody lied.”

If you think rest of the album would end on a slow, somber note, you’re wrong! The refreshing aggressiveness emerges in “Someone That You’re With”, which gets your foot tapping the floor again—maybe your head bobbing too. The last song “Rockstar,” begins slow, but progresses into a mild song, both light and shadowy at times. The song paints vivid pictures such as “Elvis, but without the tassels,” and create a movies in your mind that tells the story the Nickelback way. Daniel Adair hits it again with excellent drumming, Chad’s brother Mike blasts away with bass, and guitarist Ryan Peake meshes it all together with seemingly abundant rhythmic guitar riffs.

This album is a keeper! The “Photograph,” will never fade with time, and the scenes that play in your mind will never lose their appeal or clarity. A new drummer was a great decision and enthusiastically welcomed. The celebrity contributions and inspiration sparkled within the songs, making this album a gleaming jewel on the shelf of your local music store.