In an interview earlier this year, Nickelback bassist Mike Kroeger expounded upon his love for metal — the real stuff, not Nickelback’s variety of “metal” — saying that Meshuggah, Gojira and Lamb of God are in his regularly listening rotation before completely fanboying out about Animals as Leaders. He also said this: “I would do a Slayer cover album if I could. That’s where my heart lies. There are just never enough hours in the day to do everything, but let’s just say I wouldn’t count it out.”

This being the internet, some folks took to that to mean “Nickelback will be making a metal record or recording Slayer covers!” which is not at all what Mike said… but, once again, this is the internet. So Kroeger was forced to clarify in a recent chat with the New Hampshire Union Leader.

But before we get to that, a quick diversion: Kroeger did his homework prior to the interview and name-checked fucking SCISSORFIGHT!!! Fuuuuck yes! Quite obviously New Hampshire’s finest ever metal export, and not a band many folks seem to know about these days. Mike, wanna hang out some time, rock Scissorfight jams, drink beers and light shit on fire? You know where to find me.

Back to the issue at hand, this is how the conversation about Nickelback making a metal album or a Slayer cover record went down:

I read that Nickelback is interested in doing a Slayer covers album. “Yeah, this is a good one. As a journalist yourself, you realize the importance of context and how context can be manipulated. I can’t remember who I was talking to, but I know this got somewhat distorted, and then it was put on a wire and then everybody got it.” What happened? “I said this in an interview with somebody in, I think, Australia, and then it got regurgitated and switched around and then reformatted it into this clickbait form. What I said was, “I would like to make a Slayer cover record or have a Slayer cover band or make a metal album.” I didn’t say (it involved) Nickelback … Like, ‘Hey, everybody, be outraged because Nickelback wants to make a heavy metal album.” It’s surprising to hear you like metal. “I’m a metal head, love metal music, love Slayer in particular; they’re one of my favorites. And I would love to play that music, but I couldn’t speak for Nickelback in saying that we want to do a Slayer cover band or make a death-metal record.” That could be an awkward conversation with the band. “I know that the drummer, Daniel, he’s a big fan of metal. I don’t know if he wants to be in a metal band. He might. I know Chad and Ryan both like heavy metal, but I don’t know if they wanna make a record of it or play in a band that plays Slayer covers. I sincerely doubt it.”

Any sane person could’ve told you Nickelback were never in a million years going to record a Slayer cover album… but there you have it.

Elsewhere in the interview, Kroeger elaborates on his love of Slayer and also talks about a bunch of Nickelback-related stuff you probably won’t care about it. Check it out here.

[via Loudwire]