Nickelback, winners of Canada's Juno Award for Best New Band and Creed's tour-mates, are heavily influenced by the anthemic and articulate soulfulness of Pearl Jam. The State is consciously dramatic--sweet strums are overwhelmed by crashing waves of distorted guitar. Singer Chad Kroeger meaningfully wails tales of small-town woe, centering on complex relationships, a claustrophobic underground culture, and the struggle between staying and leaving. Yet Nickelback are at their best when they set aside their Pearl Jam debts, as with the heavy "Deep," the grinding "Not Leavin' Yet," and the more experimental "Worthy to Say." Nickelback are good, but still growing--possibly into something great. --Dominic Wills

I can't listen to mainstream rock anymore and these guys are to blame. Everything sounds the same - I don't know if these guys are trying to sound like everyone else, or if everyone else is trying to sound like them. Either way, it just makes me want to throw my radio out the window and learn to play music myself. Anyone with any musical aptitude can write and perform better than this drivel.

not as good as their "reason" cd. This one is sort of like a bunch of racket. Gets better each time one listens to it

This was the album before the stupid song that everyone has heard 50000000000 times in bathrooms or bars or radio all over. Nickleback suck.

I received what I wanted in a very timely fashion, would do it again.

In my opinion, this is the only Nickleback album worth buying. All of their following albums sound like they are trying to make radio friendly songs, as opposed to a great album. Not that this album is great, but at least it sounds like they made an attempt. The same can not be said for their other albums. Do yourself a favor and don't bother with any Nickleback album other than this one.