STACK #122 Dec 2015

Despite its apparent voraciousness, Nickelback laugh off the vitriol; in their world it seems any publicity is good publicity. In any case, much of the derision aimed at Nickelback is inevitably amplified by social media. Recently, a London resident named Craig Mandell tried to crowd-fund an anti-Nickelback campaign to keep them out of the English capital. For every dollar raised, he would email the band asking them not to visit. He got 60 backers and raised $339 – hardly the edge of an anti-Nickelback revolution (he claims on the campaign website that he donated the money to

The southern delta blues-fuelled Get ‘Em Up is tells the story of a bank robbery gone very wrong – disastrously, absurdly, utterly wrong. Speaking to Loudwire.com, Chad Kroeger said he’d always wanted to write a song about a bank robbery. “Instead of it being this scene out of the movie Heat – a very serious thing – I pictured these two guys who come up with this plan and it’s just going to be fantastic,“ he told the website at a press conference last month. “There’s going to be machine guns, and they’re going to roll up in this hot muscle car and they’re going to kick the front door in, get

The new album’s opener dives straight down the wormhole, and takes us right along with it. Chad Kroeger sings “take… two of these/and watch the walls begin to breathe.”Weirdly, this is really synthy; the band are having a major muck around down in the electronics department.Yes, Nickelback use synthesisers on the opening track of their new album: you might have to read that again.

There’s a moment in Million Miles an Hour and my son goes, ‘did he just say ‘trippin’ balls’? I was like, ‘Yeah your Uncle just said ‘trippin’ balls’ – right there

“What do we want?We want a change! And how are we going to get there? Revolution!” It won’t have the military industrial complex shaking in their boots

charity, and that it was not for personal gain). The band, if not quite seeing the funny side, do admit the constant attention keeps their name in the media. In October, after news of the Mandell campaign reached the band, Chad Kroeger ruefully admitted that, “if [the critics] had stopped writing all this stuff about us, there would be no controversy . . . and we probably would have died out years ago. They don’t know that they’re still responsible for us being around today.” The aptly titled No Fixed Address was recorded in several different locations over 2013 and 2014. Mike Kroeger lives in Maui, Hawaii, and several sessions took place there. Brother Chad was based in Los Angeles at various times in the last year, so some recording took place there as well. The band also recorded in Vancouver, and at several European locations while they were on tour. So, the album is literally and figuratively all over the map. While that explains the splash of styles across the album – from the electronic experimentation of the opener Million Miles an Hour to the funk of Got Me Running Around (featuring Flo Rida), there’s another element in No Fixed Address that might raise some eyebrows – humour.

the money and to get away scot free and head to Mexico. Then … they can’t find a place to park. They drive around the block a half a dozen times. Then they finally get parked, start walking towards the bank, go to kick the front door in, and it’s Sunday! The bank is closed! There are two cops standing across the street. I picture almost the Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels absurdity of it.” The other thing about Nickelback is that, despite not quite being ‘elder statesmen’, they are travelling toward a certain maturity. Chad Kroeger just turned 40 and got married, and brother Mike admits he’s had some funny moments playing the band’s music to his kids. “I get some honest feedback.” He said, speaking to Loudwire.com, “there’s a moment in Million Miles an Hour and my son – he stops the track – and goes, ‘did he just say ‘trippin’ balls’? I was like, ‘yeah son. Your uncle just said ‘trippin’ balls’, right there.’”

anytime soon, but Nickelback getting even vaguely political?That’s a first in anyone’s book.

Once, Chad Kroeger featured on a song called My Darkest Day with Ludacris, and one called Porn Star Dancing with ZakkWylde. Now a clean-living married man (he got hitched to April Lavigne a while back), this track has plenty of shimmy, but not as much sin. It’s a four on the floor, bass in your face, disco track.

In which Nickelback unleash a rapper. Yep, you read that right too – Flo Rida is here laying it down on this Latin flavoured, horn-fuelled funk-up.We’re guessing Santana wasn’t around to guest on the session.

No Fixed Address by Nickelback is available now via Universal Music.

Nickelback return to Australia in May 2015. Here are the tour dates! Rod Laver Arena , Melbourne May 15 / Adelaide Entertainment Centre May 18 / Brisbane Entertainment Centre May 20 / Allphones Arena , Sydney May 22 / Perth Arena May 26

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