Silver Side Up＜限定盤＞

Q (12/02, p.67) - Included in Q Magazine's "The 50 Best Albums of 2002." Q (11/01, p.125) - 3 out of 5 stars - "...What sets them apart from many of their contemporaries...is the genuine anger and strong hooks that light up their dark tales of domestic abuse, parental desertion and revenge..."

Industrial-strength rock & roll is back with a vengeance on the earnest Silver Side Up by Nickelback. The band wastes no time in getting into its brand of dark, high-octane rock. The album opener "Never Again," about spousal abuse, thrusts out of the starting gate with rocket-fueled intensity. Lead singer/guitarist/lyricist Chad Kroeger does not mince words in his portrayals of the darker sides of the human experience, and that is what Silver Side Up is essentially about. Nickelbacks music is issue-oriented on the domestic and personal front, and its a refreshing change of pace in 2001s sea of angry rockers. Another familial subject is tackled on the pounding "Too Bad." The song describes an emotionally and physically absent father figure as seen through the eyes of a regretful adult-child looking back. The cut that broke the band to mainstream audiences is "How You Remind Me," a thundering, mid-tempo rock track marked by thick chords and a brooding tone. Kroegers voice is filled with weariness as he well captures the self-defeated feelings one experiences when being emotionally dissected by a lover. Such words as "cause living with me must have damn near killed you" painfully zero in on the breakdown of the human spirit when its badgered enough. Because, sadly, many have found themselves in this situation, the song connects with listeners. Coupled with a powerful and moody soundtrack, its no wonder it took off on the radio. Grunge pays a visit on the sets closing number, "Good Times Gone." This well-crafted song slowly builds in intensity -- from the intros fingered guitar notes and understated vocals, to the gradual addition of instruments, to Kroegers explosive vocal release at the songs end, which retreats back into softly strummed guitar notes. "Good Times Gone" is reminiscent of a Pearl Jam number, and this is no surprise; Silver Side Up was co-produced by Rick Parashar, who has worked with Seattles finest. Nickelbacks style is edgy aggressive rock peppered with a taste of grunge. The band can easily sit alongside Staind and 3 Doors Down, among other like acts. However, what Nickelback has in spades and what gives the group an upper hand over its peers is intensity, realistic storytelling, and raw passion. ~ Liana Jonas