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Dark Horse

(2008, Rock, by Nickelback, Label: Roadrunner Records)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 15, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 16.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Ratchets up the raunch with tales of sex and drugs.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 16 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    "Burn It To The Ground" is about getting drunk and wreaking havoc. Other songs reference prostitution, skirting the law, and having casual sex.
  • Violence:

    Not an issue.
  • Sex:

    At least half of the songs on this album explore mature sexual themes. Several songs such as "Something in Your Mouth" profile women who use sex to get money. "Next Go Round" is all about marathon sex, and includes references to using a vibrator, sexual positions, and getting covered in Jell-O. Although every line in the song is sexual, here's one of the more explicit, "we're gonna do it hangin upside down… I want you naked with your favorite heels on, slap John Deere across my a-- and ride me up and down the lawn." Another song about golddiggers/prostitutes is "Shakin' Hands." ("She didn't make it this far by just shaking hands...she says they all taste the same in the back of the Benz.")
  • Language:

    Expletives are not excessively used, however a--, s--t and t-ts are included in several lines.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    "Burn It To The Ground" details a drunken party at the bar, while "This Afternoon" celebrates smoking pot and lounging around -- "Lookin' like another Bob Marley day, hittin' from the bong like a diesel train." Conversely, "Just to Get High" examines the downward spiral of using hard drugs and the pain of addiction.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Dark Horse

Parents need to know that this album is more sexually charged than some of Nickelback's previous releases. Also, several of the songs on this album glamorize drinking and smoking marijuana.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about how a band can create multiple images for themselves. Nickelback may appeal to a female audience because of their tender ballads, but their testosterone-charged tales of sex and drinking might give them credibility with male audiences. Do you think a band can be both?

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Our Members Say

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See all 13 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    I rate this title iffy for age 15 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

    EHHHH

    Very rough on words

  2. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Missouri
    I rate this title iffy for age 16 and give it 1.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative message
    • Negative role models

  3. I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message

    awesome

    okay some bad language here but mostly in the first 2 songs. Track 1 should be 5 for the explicitness

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title on for age 16 and give it 3.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message

    Eh

    The only song I like on here is "If Today Was Your Last Day".

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Kansas
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate language
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • Negative message

    perfect for teens

    love it

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