Dark Horse - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Nickelback have established themselves as one of the biggest rock bands in the world. With over 26 million albums sold worldwide they have made their mark in rock and roll history. Their new album, 'Dark Horse', is one of the most anticipated releases this year. The band brought in legendary producer Mutt Lange to produce the record with Nickelback and longtime collaborator Joey Moi.

Customer Reviews: Read 50 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Welcome Back, Nickelback November 18, 2008
43 out of 52 found this review helpful

You know, I really try to approach every music review with very little expectations; I've found that it makes it much easier for me to truly sit back and enjoy what the artists are doing on any album. This may not make me the best critic in the world, however, because I tend to ignore some of what's come before musically, lyrically, historically, etc. ... but I think it keeps me true to myself.

That said, today's Nickelback doesn't sound like yesterday's Nickelback so much. Sure, three albums ago, they may've had a harder edge, whereas today's Nickelback does seem to flirt more with a mainstream sound. That isn't necessarily a bad thing; I think the great danger it poses to a group is that may develop a bit of predictability ... but ask any serious Nickelback fan from the group's first album IF he would've expected the band to end up here and I'll bet THAT he never would've predicted. It shows that the band has tried to evolve, which is more than many bands ever try to do. It shows that they're striving for staying power -- growing a fan base -- and I can give 'em props for that.

Something in Your Mouth (4.5 out of 5)
Wake the kids, folks, we're talking serious sex education here with rock'n'roll the way it was meant to be rocked and rolled.

Burn It to the Ground (5 out of 5)
Classic bad boy rock.

Gotta Be Somebody (4.5 out of 5)
Hear me out on this one, heavy metal purists. Somewhere between writing music and selling records, every artist has had to reach a compromise. Around the time the band penned & performed "Photograph," metal purists wrote off Nickelback saying that they went 'mainstream' in order to cash in But even Robert Downey Jr convinced Gwenyth Paltrow to take a role in IRON MAN by asking her, "Aren't you tired of making these great little films that no one sees?" Cut Nickelback some slack. With "Photograph" and tracks like "Gotta Be Somebody," they're selling MORE records, bringing more fans to their music, and growing the biz. Hats off, boys.

I'd Come for You (4.5 out of 5)
Nothing much to add other than the score. Like the sound, like the sentiments. I'll leave it at that.

Next Go Round (5 out of 5)
Serious headbangers are gonna need an MRI after listening to this one. Thank God for metal.

Just to Get High (3.5 out of 5)
Drugs destroy lives. It's about time someone started fighting back.

Never Gonna Be Alone (4.5 out ot 5)
Great rock ballad. Even safe for weddings! Love lasts. It ought to be celebrated.

Shakin' Hands (11 out of 5!!!)
Now that's what I call rock. "She ain't no Cinderella while she's getting undressed b/c she rocks it like the naughty Wicked Witch of the West!" Sure, she didn't get that far by "shakin' hands." Best bad li'l girl song I've heard in a long while.

S.E.X. (4.5 out of 5)
Spelling was never this fun in school. Only metal could write a song like this. You don't hear Martina McBride singing it.

If Today Was Your Last Day (3.5 out of 5)
This territory has already been probed by any musical style. Not a bad song, just nothing new here. Been there, done that. And, yes, Martina McBride has even sung about it.

This Afternoon (4 out of 5)
What?! Dare I say it ... a feel/good song? Major props for mentioning CCR (Credence Clearwater Revival, for the uninitiated). It's easy to forgive such confections, though it does feel more than just a bit out of place on this album.

Overall, a very solid experience. A bit uneven on sound -- maybe vacillating too much toward mainstream rock than most folks (even critics) would've liked, but I'll forgive Nickelback for putting in the effort. There's plenty here to celebrate, even for a "Dark Horse".

5 out of 5 stars

Great CD by a Great Band November 18, 2008
12 out of 16 found this review helpful

Highly recommended CD. There is a little change in style from previous records; perhaps "poppier".

I am not much of a writer but here I go with some highlights:

Gotta be Somebody (5/5) You all know this one by now !!
Something in Your Mouth (4/5) Hard Rocking song; great riffs
Just to get High (5/5): Another outstanding song !! Excellent guitar solo.
Never Gonna Be Alone: (5/5) Great Ballad; reminds be of Def Leppard.
Today Was Your Last Day (4/5) Yet another great song.

SEX, Burn It to the Ground are also good (not great) songs.

Definitely a must buy !!

2 out of 5 stars

Sonically Phenomenol-Lyrically Repugnant November 20, 2008
6 out of 10 found this review helpful

Nickelback's lyrics get worse with every CD. Maybe these 30 plus year old wanna-be frat boys should try consistantly writing songs about things that really matter. I'm mystified by the "party all day and night till we can't stand up" songs that bookend the album and yet smack in the middle of the set is a song lamenting the OD death of a best friend. Go figure. It's too bad because Mutt Langes' production is sonically perfect.

1 out of 5 stars

Not my style at all. November 23, 2008
6 out of 10 found this review helpful

Dark Horse by Nickelback is the type of "noise" that you just can't seem to get used to. There's always some type of metal head who is going to listen to this rubbish. A cross between mall metal and limpid rock, it's not appetizing at all. Transparent vocals, grindingly tedious guitar work and a dull country music ethic.

Not my style at all.

5 out of 5 stars

Nickelback deliver a monster album with the help of Mutt Lange. November 20, 2008
5 out of 8 found this review helpful

I've never been a Nickelback fan and don't love Kroeger's voice, yet I think this is one of the best rock albums of the past few years. Hiring the legendary Mutt Lange was a coup - sonically, it's amazingly lush, powerful & crisp. The sound is unbelievable.

Instead of weakening the band with too much of the overproduced Shania-thing, Mutt balances his strengths with the band's identity quite nicely. He also pushed the songwriting forward, and there are melodic hooks galore. And for once, Nickelback are playing actual guitar solos...not pointless wanking solos, but highly melodic and charged solos (as in the rocker Just To Get High). This disc expands Nickelback's appeal beyond the alt-rock & moody post-grunge thing to rock fans across the board. There's something for everyone. Songs like "If Today Was Your Last Day" or "This Afternoon" are instantly catchy in the way Def Leppard was with Hysteria (just updated), while rockers will find much to like in the opener "Something in Your Mouth", the aforementioned "Just to Get High" and stomper "Burn it to the Ground", among others. This album is tailor-made for world domination and will be massive. Yes, the lyrics are at times sexist and silly...but that's part & parcel of the hard rock game and Nickelback is no exception. It's brash, blunt, and sometimes cliched, but you can't argue with the great rock music. I didn't think Nickelback had it in them, and thought Mutt was past his expiration date when it came to rock, but they proved me wrong.

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