3 Doors Down: Away From The Sun : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

3 Doors Down burned the damn house to the ground in Y2K with their multi-platinum debut album The Better Life and its mega-hit single "Kryptonite." Alas, we live in a "That was soooo ten minutes ago!" world. So what have 3DD done for us lately? Enter Away From The Sun, a more even, mature effort than their attention-grabbing cherry-popper but, ironically, that could be the very thing that works against it. There isn't a track in the set -- including the very appealing first single "When I'm Gone" -- that comes within a superhero's stone throw of "Kryptonite"'s hookiness. The single-worthy title track stacks up well with its melodrama and spiraling guitars and there is plenty of great metal being hurled about too -- just check out the crunching "Sarah Yellin'." But overall, the highs aren't as high this time around and the creative payoff of rookie adventurism is missing. Rest assured, this is a measured, quality album, but that might not be enough for the "fans from 2000."

ADRIAN ZUPP
(November 12, 2002)