The State

by JT Griffith The music on Nickelback's 2000 album The State is a consistent roots rock metal hybrid seemingly tailored for modern rock radio. Songs like "Breathe" and "Cowboy Hat" sound a bit like Fuel or Silverchair. Fans of Jimmy Eat World, Drowning Pool, Godsmack, P.O.D., and Stroke 9 will likely get into Nickelback, but little distinguishes them from so many other moderately bombastic rockers with acoustic leanings. And the inclusion of an acoustic version of "Leader of Men" would be more impressive if the song were not so bland and still strangely familiar. "Old Enough" may actually be familiar to the few who own the soundtrack to Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows. The State is a dull example of alternative generica.