I shouldn’t enjoy this as much as I do. I’ve got a confession: I actually like Nickelback. I know it’s fun and cool to hate on them, but you can’t deny that they have some bangers in their catalog. Songs like “How You Remind Me,” “Animals,” “Photograph,” and of course, “Rockstar.” Of course Nickelback isn’t exactly a country band, but they’ve definitely been dipping their toe into the country world here lately. This past summer they headlined the Rock the Country festival series alongside Kid Rock, and last year they released a Live From Nashville album that featured guest appearances from several country artists, including a live duet with Ernest of his stone-cold country hit “Flower Shops.” Nickelback also teamed up with HARDY for a CMT Crossroads (which was an awesome show, by the way), and that one makes a lot of sense because HARDY is one of the more rock-leaning country artists out there right now. But you probably wouldn’t expect them to collab with…Shenandoah, the ’90s country hitmakers behind songs like “Two Dozen Roses,” “Moon Over Georgia” and “Sundays In The South.” It was definitely a little surprising to see that Shenandoah had teamed up with Nickelback for a new version of their 1989 hit “The Church on Cumberland Road,” the second single from their album The Road Not Taken and the band’s first #1 hit. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I hit play, but honestly…it kind of rips. Speaking on the opportunity to collaborate with Nickelback, Shenandoah lead singer Marty Raybon (one of the greatest voices in country music, by the way) admitted that it might seem like an odd pairing, but he called it one of the coolest things the band has ever done: “First, let me say that it’s always a great opportunity to befriend those in the music industry, regardless of the genre. Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger and I had the chance to talk about their music and ours and the parallels of some of the tunes that could be swapped out on the setlists. The idea came up, and after a few text messages, we were off and running with what is one of the coolest things we’ve ever done. Shenandoah and Nickelback. Who would have thunk it.” Kroeger, meanwhile, had high praise for Shenandoah and the legacy that they’ve created over their iconic career: “We’ve always had a deep respect for the artists who came before us, and Shenandoah is one of those bands that helped define an era. Getting the chance to collaborate with them on ‘The Church On Cumberland Road’ was an absolute blast. It’s a song that feels as vibrant today as it did when it first came out.” The new version stays pretty true to the original, which no doubt helps with fans who have been spinning the song for over 30 years now. But the addition of Kroeger’s vocals adds a new grittiness to the barnburner that somehow just drives up the energy and gives the classic song a new life. I was skeptical at first but after listening to it…I’m all in. Hey, if it works it works. And this one works. The post Shenandoah Teams Up With Nickelback For New Version Of “The Church On Cumberland Road” – And It Kind Of Rips first appeared on Whiskey Riff.