Album Review: Nickelback's Curb

So....I am about to lose some credibility with this one fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

The subject of today’s review has been the target of ridicule for ages. Considered by the massive majority of music fans to be repetitive, highly commercial, vapid, and giant sellouts, it may surprise a lot of you at one point that the band in question actually had potential for future greatness. A band that, at least in their earliest material, came across like they actually producing good music for people to listen to, and it holds up shockingly well to this day. What band & what album is an example of this, you may ask? Well, sit back, relax, and let’s take a look at my review of Curb.....from Nickelback.

Background
Taken from Wikipedia:

“Curb is the debut studio album by Canadian rock band Nickelback. Recorded at Turtle Recording Studios in Richmond, British Columbia, with producer Larry Anschell, it was originally released exclusively in Canada by FACTOR (the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings) on May 15, 1996. The album was reissued locally later in the year by Shoreline Records. After Nickelback signed with Roadrunner Records in 1999, Curb was remastered and released internationally on June 25, 2002. However, the remastered edition is controversial for its audio quality compared to the original issue as its dynamic range was significantly reduced and introduced severe clipping problems throughout.

After releasing their debut EP Hesher earlier in the year, Nickelback recorded their debut full-length album in 1996. Much of the material dates back as far as 1993, and was written primarily by the band's lead vocalist and guitarist Chad Kroeger, although all four band members are credited equally. Two songs from Hesher, "Where?" and "Left", were re-recorded for the album, while the original versions of "Fly" and "Window Shopper" were only remixed and remastered. Chad Kroeger, in an interview in 2000, described Curb as "raw" with "a lot of good songs".

In 2000, according to Nickelback's website, Curb sold more than 10,000 units. Upon its international re-release in 2002, Curb registered at number 182 on the US Billboard 200 and number 185 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was certified gold by Music Canada in 2010 and silver by the British Phonographic Industry in 2015. "Fly" was issued as the only single and music video from Curb.”

Basic Description
There’s something here.

Like I alluded to earlier, there was potential for Nickelback in their first 3 albums. The band seemed far more about jamming, rocking out, and putting out good music for people to listen to, and it’s felt on Curb. Maybe not fully (More on that later), but it’s evident from a majority of the songs on this record that everybody definitely put in a lot of effort. The instrumentation is on game, Chad Kroeger’s vocal work doesn’t sound phoned-in for the most part, and the recording & production on Curb is great (But there is a catch). It’s surprising at how good I thought this was the 1st time I listened to this album a few days ago, and while I will probably never seek it out again, I won’t necessarily ask someone to switch albums if they’re playing it.

Best Track
Sea Groove for whatever reason just works for me. Though the first part of the song’s name is just confusing to me, it easily embodies the 2nd part very much so: this tune is very much in the Groove Metal realm: the guitars & bass bring the groove, the drumming brings the groove, and even Chad Kroeger’s vocal work seems more groovy on this song that the others. While you could easily compare this to other similar songs of it’s time, there just something about Sea Groove that got it’s hooks it me almost immediately, and it hasn’t loosened even a few days after listening to it for the first time.

Sea Groove

Worst Track
While I said that the band showed potential on their first 3 albums, and I still stand by that, there are some unfortunately obvious hints as to what they would become after their 3rd record. There’s some repetition with the instrumentation, the beats & rhythms are a little in the commercial realm, and some of the lyrics are vapid adjacent. They’re not all the way in that space on Curb, but little blemishes are certainly seen. 

Also, there’s the matter of the releases. Like practically every album I listen to for these kind of reviews, I use Youtube. The version that I had listened to was the 2002 reissue version of Curb (Along with it’s album cover), and that had some issues back in the day. Mainly, the 2002 edition’s audio had it’s dynamic range significantly reduced and introduced severe clipping problems throughout the record. I did not notice this when listening to it on Youtube, but that’s more than likely due to how it was edited. 

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below: 

Curb

Overall Impression & Rating
Curb definitely deserves criticism, that’s for sure. However, it doesn’t deserve every bit of that criticism. Nickelback definitely come across like they’re trying to be genuine musicians on this album, as a giant majority of the music really feels good. Yes, what the band would be eventually criticized for has some noticeable spots, but they don’t overwhelm the otherwise good parts of the record. As I said above, I’m certainly not going to go out of my way to listen to Curb, but I’m not exactly going to complain if someone else does.    

Curb gets a 7.5 out of 10.

And that was my review on Curb. Certainly surprising to anyone that’s only even known about Nickelback’s most modern material, it definitely catches any first-time listener off guard with how good it can be at times. Definitely not great, but certainly good. Well, the Summer Of Grunge has now concluded, so see you all sometime in September. Until then, take care.

Album Review: Foo Fighter's Foo Fighters

Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I don’t think I said it in my last post, but I want to apologize for dragging my butt. Normally, I’ve been on point with my schedule, but I’ve been oddly slow for this month. If I’m being honest about this year, I’ve been slow with fixing older posts (Though I am about halfway through 2016). Fortunately, I’m just about done with my look back at Grunge, so when I’m complete I should be going through them some more at a faster rate. In the meantime, here’s a band I spoke about a few days back, and one that even casual music listeners are familiar with! Since 1995, Dave Grohl and the spiritual successor to Nirvana have continued to carry the torch of Grunge throughout the rest of the 1990s & even into 2026, yet they always changed things up here & there to make things different. Let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look at the inaugural record from the Foo Fighters. Let’s begin!  

Background
Taken from Wikipedia: 

“Foo Fighters is the debut studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on June 26, 1995, through Roswell and Capitol Records in the United Kingdom and on July 4, 1995 in the United States. Former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl wrote the entire album. He recorded it himself in six days with the assistance of producer Barrett Jones at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle, Washington, in 1994.

Grohl said that he recorded the album just for fun, describing it as a cathartic experience to recover from the suicide of Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain in 1994. The album, featuring more traditional rock stylings than what was typical in grunge, is considered to have established the post-grunge genre.

After Grohl completed the recordings, he passed cassette copies of the sessions to personal friends, using the name "Foo Fighters" to conceal his involvement. When the tapes attracted record label interest, Grohl signed with Capitol and formed a backing band to perform the songs live. The album was promoted through extensive tours and four singles, two of which were accompanied by music videos.

Upon its release, Foo Fighters earned critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its songwriting and performances, and was also a commercial success, becoming the band's second-best-selling album in the United States. It also peaked within the top five of charts of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.”

Basic Description
Nirvana In Spirit.

Dave Grohl will always carry the vibe & energy of his closest friend with him until the day he dies. Without Kurt Cobain in his life, he may very well not have had the amazing career he currently still has. That’s essentially what Foo Fighters is: Nirvana, but more so of the spirit of that band rather than the letter. The soul of the self-titled album is very much in the realm of Grunge when it is, but everything else is different. Yeah there’s times where a song or two sounds like something Nirvana would do, but more often than not Dave Grohl is trying new things to keep the noise fresh. It’s ironic that the record sounds as upbeat as it does, when Foo Fighters was formed as a way to keep the depression at bay from losing such a close friend. 

Best Track
Big Me is a silly little song I can’t help but love. Coming in at just 2 minutes & 12 seconds, it’s the shortest song I’ve ever placed in a “Best Track” song in a review, but I just can’t help but smile when I listen to it! The repetitive but well-played instrumentation just feels cozy, and Dave Grohl’s vocal work feels warm & friendly. Again, it’s run time is it’s biggest fault, but outside of that I have a pleasant experience listening to this.

Big Me

Worst Track
Exhausted is the only track on the band’s debut album I’d say is bad. The drumming is good, as well as the vocals, but for whatever reason I can’t stand the effects that were put onto the guitars (I’m assuming it was put on the Bass as well). It comes across as incredibly scratchy, and it’s so bad in places that for some reason it made me feel weird. If this song was closer towards the beginning or middle, I might not judge it so harshly. Instead, it’s the last tune on this release, and that’s just frustrating!

Exhausted

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below: 

Foo Fighters

Overall Impression & Rating
Foo Fighters’s first release definitely hits the ball past center field. Final track not withstanding, it’s obvious that Dave Grohl still believed in what Kurt Cobain was all about, and missed him dearly. Still very much in the realm of Grunge, none the less the band was beginning to move away from the style in ways that helped things evolve. People that hated Grunge might actually like this, and for anyone else interested, it’s worth your time & money.

Foo Fighters gets a 9 out of 10. Take out the final track, and I might make it a 9.5 out of 10. Maybe a full 10 out of 10 if I’m feeling nice about things.

And that was my review for the first Foo Fighters album. Again, if it wasn’t for the last song, I would say it genuinely perfect. As Grunge’s end was coming 2 years after this record’s release, it seemed only right to move away yet stay artistically inclined. So, join me at the end of the month for another Post-Grunge review. Until then, take care! 

3 Grunge Albums You Should Own

Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and welcome to part 3 of the Summer of Grunge!

A week ago, I looked at Nirvana’s final album, In Utero. Their most raw & personal album, it managed to be quite the commercial success while still being original and unique. However, like I said in that review, it would ultimately be their last, as a year later Kurt Cobain took his own life. Just a few short years after that, Grunge would no longer be in the spotlight, which was probably a reason to celebrate for elitest metalheads that made the genre out to be the Anti-Christ. Yet, many still look at the music fondly, and I certainly have this summer. So before I look at some Post-Grunge music, I though it was appropriate to make a list briefly talking about some Grunge albums that belong in your collection. This will be a little shorter than some, since I want 1 album from each month. One pre-Grunge, one Nirvana album, and one post-Grunge. Each choice here was deliberate, and perfectly shows off the power of what the genre could do. Let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look at 3 Grunge Albums You Should Own. Let’s begin!

1) Green River - Rehab Doll (Song)

Gluey Porch Treatments from the Melvis crawled & walked, just for Green River’s only album to run like hell. Rehab Doll took everything from the previously mention record, and refined every single aspect that might not have been perfect. The end result became the record I talked about back in June: a refined yet still in your face release that showed off what the burgeoning style was inspired by. It might come across as dated almost 40 years since it’s release, but it’s obvious to even casual music fans that there was definitely something special with Rehab Doll.

2) Nirvana - Nevermind (Song)

On a list of Grunge albums you should own, it would be insane to not have Nirvana’s second release here. Like I stated last month in my review, nobody was prepared for the cultural earthquake & it’s aftershocks when Nevermind was released. Bleach might have been their inaugural debut, but it was Nevermind that truly showed off what the band was about: a musical genre that wasn’t about generating a fantasy, and instead decided to sing about real things that mattered to more people than the haters are willing to admit. Nearly 35 years after it’s release, Nevermind continues to be a pinnacle of Grunge music, and nearly 35 years later, people remember why Kurt Cobain was such a legend.

3) Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters (Song)

So, this is a bit of an interesting release. Put out a year after Kurt’s suicide, it seems a little too soon to call this album Post-Grunge. With the genre still popular (Though not for much longer), it comes across a quickly trying to brush things under the rug. Yet, the inaugural album from the Foo Fighters is exactly that: a move away from Grunge, yet still has one foot planted within the past. There’s still a Grunge attitude & vibe, but different sources of inspiration were being brought in to diversify the music, and the sound seems more refined than before thanks to improved production. In short, a great album that spearheaded an off-shoot of a musical movement, but the start of a remarkable career in it’s own right.

And those were 3 Grunge albums that should be in your collection. All of them are wonderful, and all of them are worth your time. Whether you’re a long-time fan of Grunge, or you’ve always been curious about it, try at least one of these. So, with that out of the way, I’ll see you all around in a few days, when I’ll look again at Foo Fighters’s debut album. Until then, take care!