Since Trapt usurped them as the most despised rock band in existence, and really since their 2017 album Feed The Machine, Nickelback have undergone a curious critical reinvention. While nobody is ever going to pretend they’re some sort of 6+ minute progressive metal masters or something, it’s not like they’re pretending to be anyone they’re not, either. After all, they have sold over 50 million albums worldwide, and they still sell out shows in Canada and North America in general. So, it’s not like they have anything left to prove.
Even so, however, Nickelback are generally accepted to be a far more interesting band when they remove the sappy mid-tempo ballads and focus on rocking out. Even the biggest detractors of the band can often appreciate songs like “Burn It To The Ground” and “Side Of A Bullet”, where the band border on metal (relatively speaking) territory.
The band has been working on a new full-length album, though, and while there’s no release date for it just yet, it appears the first salvo of music from it is coming rather soon. The band released a short teaser of it, and it apparently has… panic chords? Seriously, we’re not joking. Tons of musicians in the scene are talking about it, and the praise is pretty much effusive. Honestly, it’s quite the redemption arc. And considering the title track to “Feed The Machine” is a good barometer of what happens when Nickelback actually puts out some solid hard rock tunes, we’re pretty stoked for it. We’re just waiting for the inevitable Knocked Loose + Nickelback collaboration.
Excuse me!? https://t.co/0AEOZngGVQ
— Pac (@TheCandyKaine) August 23, 2022
this is my future breed machine https://t.co/0qR1fYgxf3
— brendan murphy (@brendan905) August 23, 2022
@Nickelback metalcore album when? https://t.co/FrZXhdD02u
— xfailedxdesignx (@BradleyDillon12) August 23, 2022
I would like to be the first to formally welcome Nickelback into the Scene
👁👄👁 https://t.co/TapoF1sjEJ— the elder emo (@theelderemox) August 23, 2022
Nickelback sounding heavier than Architects was not on my 2022 bingo card https://t.co/BKyf3jAFpH
— Blakedowns (@MetalBlakedowns) August 22, 2022
