Nickelback, 'Dark Horse'

Nickelback sermonizes the holy trinity of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll on its latest, yet in the process makes all three sound completely unthreatening. Call girls, pot parties, junkie laments, and booze blowouts are all softened and smoothed for maximum commercial appeal on the band's sixth CD. It's as if Nickelback declares, "For those about to rock, we sedate you." But this follow-up to the multiplatinum "All the Right Reasons" is full of the same fuel that propelled the Canadian hard-rock quartet to the peak of popularity. Singer Chad Kroeger's tightly wound howl is the focal point around which the band manufactures a variety of stock rock poses. To its credit, and with help from crafty producer Mutt Lange, Nickelback makes a cohesive package with such diverse components as tough, Dimebag Darrell-inspired guitar riffs ("Burn It to the Ground"), prom-ready balladry ("I'd Come for You"), and twang-tinged party rock ("This Afternoon") tailor-made for a Kenny Chesney crossover remake. Yet this is entertainment oblivious to the irony of having a song about taking risks ("If Today Was Your Last Day") on the safest of records. "Dark Horse" is attractively adorned, but don't expect any sort of wild ride. (Out now)

ESSENTIAL "Burn It to the Ground"