CD Review: 3 Doors Down

Ever since 2000, when 3 Doors Down blasted onto the modern rock scene with the megahit Kryptonite, the juggernaut that is 3 Doors Down has been gaining momentum ever since. With only a slight hiccup with 2005's Seventeen Days, 3 Doors Down's CD's have been getting better with every effort. Fast forward to 2008, and we are now talking about 3DD's fourth studio effort. Simply self-titled, the new album mixes some new and old 3DD sounds, and for the most part, sounds freaking brilliant. The opener, Train, is fueled by gutty guitar riffs, and although equated to the southern rock sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd, I can tell you this, Lynyrd Skynyrd never sounded like this. Train is a great opener, and it does have a more open, rawer sound than anything on Seventeen Days. The second song, Citizen/Soldier, was a song that was released earlier as a US Army National Guard song, and due to the results of fan voting on 3DD's website, the song was included on the new CD. The song itself is a great tribute to the Armed Forces, and finds itself situated nicely among 3DD's regular fare. The third song, and lead single off the album, It's Not My Time, has been a big hit this summer on the radio. It's Not My Time is 3DD's first #1 hit in five years. The middle of the CD, starting off with Let Me Be Myself, is where 3DD's musical progress is shown. Let Me Be Myself, is according to Brad Arnold, his favorite track off the entire album. A slow tempo song, much like their song Be Like That, is a song that would probably be a golden hit on mainstream radio. The next track on the CD, Pages, is a soul-bearing song that starts off slow, then during the chorus rises to a higher volume level. Pages is great album filler, something that diehard 3DD fans will eat up. The 6th song, It's The Only One You've Got, is another filler-type song, a slower tempo song that fits the sound of Lifehouse more than 3DD. The next track, the hidden gem of the album, named Give It To Me, is a raw song fueled by aggravation and a bit of angst. A definite must-listen for any 3DD or rock music fan. However, the next song, These Days, could be considered the weakest point of the album. It sounds very generic, and never can decide whether it's trying be a slow or fast tempo song, it always sounds like its straddling the fence, so to speak. The 9th track, Your Arms Feel Like Home, is a nice slow song, much like the song Here Without You. Not much of a listener for the harder rock fans, but it will suffice for everyone else.
The next track, Runaway, is a very nice example of 3DD's musical progression. A good pop-ish, head bopping tune, Runaway is a great song. The following song, When It's Over, is another great tune, starting off slow but turning into a gut-wrencher of a chorus. Many recommendations for this song, it's definitely a very 3DD-sounding song. The ending track, She Don't Want The World, is a very surprising song. The softest song 3 Doors Down has ever recorded, it never gets loud at all. Needless to say, this album goes out with a whimper.

Now we get to the bonus songs. These bonus songs should have been included on all regular versions of the CD, because they are great tunes that sound more at home on the CD than about a third of the songs on the CD. The 1st bonus track, Feet In The Water, could stand alone as a single itself. The song is that good! Featuring great drumwork and the usual perfection of Matt Roberts and Chris Henderson on guitar, it's a MUST listen for 3DD fans. The 2nd bonus track, Who Are You, is actually my personal favorite song off the entire album. Dealing with the subject of a bad relationship in which the singer finally says enough is enough, Who Are You has the catchiest chorus in my opinion of any of 3DD's new songs.

Next I'm going to talk about a 3DD song that has nothing to do with the new CD. 3 Doors Down has the official 2008 USA Olympics Theme Song, named "The Champion In Me." This song can be caught right now on the TV coverage of the games, and the song is also available on iTunes. A fast paced song, this song would fit right in on a album.

Overall Album Score: 4 out of 5 stars.