![nickelback album artwork nickelback album artwork](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-euqB0eaYUFs/TIJyJNs-SfI/AAAAAAAADXU/etwgnp7dv_I/s500/nickelback_the_long_road.png)
The intro to the cheesy rocker “Must Be Nice,” while pretty standard for Nickelback’s typical cock-rock fare, is so groovy and bluesy that the flaws are much less noticeable by comparison. That said, the variety is still fun once in a while. Hearing the heavy downtuned - and even surprisingly progressive - metal anthem “The Betrayal (Act III)” coupled with bland ballads like “Every Time We’re Together” and “Song on Fire” might end up causing rifts in Nickelback’s already-polarized fanbase, just as the varied levels of lyrical quality could as well. The oddest thing about Feed the Machine, and the reason that it ultimately falls short of greatness, is that it straddles multiple styles in a seriously imbalanced way. One wishes the band’s potential could have been touched upon years ago, but you know the old saying: “better late than never.” If anything, it’s a somewhat solid mainstream rock offering with strong hints of alternative metal strewn about. And, all things considered, this is not a bad album by any means. Yep, after a whole 16 years of nonstop mockery and hate mail, Chad Kroeger and his band of post-grungers have decided to give us something a bit more dignified and well-written. Feed the Machine, while pulling the same old stops for a Nickelback album, is easily the band’s most refined and energized product since their breakthrough hit Silver Side Up. But before you walk away from this review, keep reading. I’m going to confront the elephant in the room head-on: no, this is not a grand reinvention of Nickelback’s tried-and-true style.Īs much as many people want to see that (and seem to be expecting it), it might be too much to ask a band with such a recognizable comfort zone to immediately pull a 180-degree turn into new territory. Review Summary: A bit different, a bit of the same.