AMG Review of Scars & Souvenirs

Katherine Fulton
All Music Guide

Scars and Souvenirs, the third album from Theory of a Deadman, sounds like a rehash of the band's first two albums -- which is to say that it sounds like Nickelback. Chad Kroeger signed them to his 604 Records label in 2001, and throughout Scars and Souvenirs, Theory of a Deadman draw upon the melodies, vocals, choruses, and riffs of Kroeger and company. Many examples abound, but the best is "Not Meant to Be," a song whose melody and chorus bear more than a passing resemblance to All the Right Reasons' "Rockstar." Like their previous effort, Gasoline, Theory of a Deadman turned to producer Howard Benson on Scars and Souvenirs, which could explain why the album sticks to the same sounds and formulas instead of branching out in a new direction. It makes Scars and Souvenirs less then essential, given that nothing has changed.