CD: "All the Right Reasons" by Nickelback; RoadrunnerRecords

Release date: October 2005

Style: Rock

My take: Canadian-born foursome Nickelback broke into the main-stream with "How You Remind Me" off its 2001 album "Silver Side Up." Despite hitting it big at about the same time as many similar-sounding groups such as Staind, Lifehouse, 3 Doors Down and Puddle of Mudd, the band proved to have more staying power and affinity for realistic storytelling than its peers, later releasing several big radio hits: "Too Bad," "Never Again," "Someday" and the indescribably creepy "Figured You Out."

In 2005, the band released its fourth album on Roadrunner Records. If you've ever heard a Nickelback album, you probably have a list of expectations for it: about a dozen songs, all averaging the four-minute mark, lots of crunching guitar breaks, singer/lyricist Chad Kroeger sounding like he's singing while passing a kidney stone, and lots of verse-verse-chorus-verse-chorus formula. Such expectations are right on for "All the Right Reasons."

To be fair, the music spectrum has expanded, now including pianos and acoustic guitars; and Kroeger's lyrics temporarily leave behind anger and disappointment, leading some songs to venture into ballad range.

It may seem as though nothing's changed, especially during "Far Away," but when comparing material here to past work, the difference is noticeable. "Photograph," the band's lead single, is a good example. Despite its lack of a rhyme scheme, or any consistent cadence, the song is quite good at putting images of Kroeger's past in your head and conjuring up nostalgia in its listeners. Yes, there are lots of cliches, but that's not a bad thing for this song.

Another highlight is "Next Contestant," centering on a gentlemen's-club bouncer who dreads having to protect the strippers from drunken customers, male and female, and their libidinous intentions.

"Side of a Bullet," Kroeger's tribute to the late Dimebag Darrel, front man for metal band Pantera, is quite good; and "Fight for All the Wrong Reasons" is noteworthy at worst.

If you're a big Nickelback fan, there's no denying you will enjoy what you'll hear. Otherwise, it's similar to what you've already heard and was performed better a few years ago. (Check out "Breathe" and "Leader of Men" from 2000's "The State" for reference.)

Fans on the fence about buying this album are advised to listen before dropping money on it.

Jeremy Castillo is a student at Windward Community College and editor of the college's newspaper, Ka 'Ohana.