Review

3 Doors Down, perhaps unbeknownst to them, had something to prove on Seventeen Days. Their previous work has been somewhat uninspired and unoriginal thanks to a repetitive brand of rock that throws down a guitar riff, puts a simple beat over it, and follows suite with truly un-edgy vocals.

That being said, there wasn’t much to be expected from Seventeen Days. However, the first six tracks roll through with an uncharacteristic appeal that touches on most aspects of good song writing. “Right Where I Belong” implements more guitar growth than we’re familiar with from 3 Doors Down while “Let Me Go” offers a slower tempo sleeper hit that shows not all good rock ‘n’ roll songs have to be up-beat as long as they’re well crafted. Surprisingly, equally enjoyable is “Landing in London,” a track which features legendary singer and song-writer Bob Seger so it should come as no shock that it’s also the most lyrically impressive song on the album.

But then “Behind Those Eyes” kicks in and we’re suddenly left with a deja-vu feeling that we’ve heard this all before. It seems by this point in the record 3 Doors Down have run out of great hooks and riffs and resort to their old familiar ways for the remainder of the album. You can’t really tell the difference between tracks seven through eleven and all that was good with this album suddenly starts to go down the drain. You can only hear so many songs about “walking down this road alone” and “needing you here.”

At least half the album was noteworthy, and perhaps even for those hardcore 3 Doors Down fans you can enjoy the album in it’s entirety. But for the remainder of the rock fans out there, it’s safely sitting on the fence.

Review by Jason Schleweis

3 out of 5