Canadians Sum 41 are a band who have managed to slowly change their sound over the past couple of years and develop into a completely different band. ‘All Killer No Filler’ and ‘Half Hour of Power’ were pure Pop Punk, whereas 2002s ‘Does This Look Infected’ was far more Rock orientated. This year sees Sum 41 develop further still into a rather respectable Metal band. If you had told me 3 years ago that Sum 41 would one day develop into the Metal band they are today I would never have believed it as they were at the time just another fresh faced Pop Punk sensation we all thought we’d see the last of within the year. How wrong could we all possibly be? Sum 41 are still going strong and I think they are now at the best they have ever been.
The newfound Heavy Metal sound really suits the band and it really seems to suit the voice of Deryck Whibley to sing like this. On the bands previous releases I have always found them at their best on the heavier moments so having ‘Chuck’ really is amazing as it is that heavy moment maintained for an entire album. There are some amazing guitar solos on display on this album with some truly classic Heavy Metal riffs that are sure to put a smile on the face of even the hardest of critics. Some people have always seen the band as a bit of a joke in the past and never really understood their appeal – these guitar solos will surely set the record straight and those people will almost definitely understand the appeal of the band and appreciate their music a bit more.
Debut ‘Chuck’ single ‘We’re All To Blame’ borrows heavily from System Of A Down track ‘Chop Suey’ with its chorus having the exact same feel about it. This is definitely not a flaw as the track sounds amazing and going from heavy to melodic really does sound astonishingly good when being done by the almighty Sum 41. It suits their style well and makes way for an awesome single – a truly amazing single for first snippet of the album. ‘Some Say’ is another classic yet the sound to this one is completely different. This track and ‘Pieces’ really do seem to be hinting at Brit Rock and on them the band are sounding as amazing as ever. It is a definite nod towards bands such as Oasis and again this sound suits the band perfectly.
‘Noots’ rounds the CD off nicely and leaves you wishing for more as it comes to a climax. It really is a good track, in fact there are no bad tracks on this album which is a bit of a surprise as in the past I have always felt that a few tracks have been letting the side down and marring an otherwise perfect album. In ‘Chuck,’ Sum 41 have definitely reached perfection with every song sounding amazingly well rounded and a joy to listen to. I really don’t know where the band will go from here as after this album being so great they are really letting themselves in for disappointment next time round as they surely can’t top this effort.
If you have ever been a fan of Sum 41 then chances are you will love this album. Even if you don’t believe it to be one of your greatest albums it will no doubt find a special space in your heart and fill you with warmth every time you listen to it in its entirety. The band have come a long way since ‘Half Hour of Power’ and along the way have foreseen a change in style and grown up so much as musicians. Sum 41 are now creating music which is truly intelligent and more of a joy than ever to listen to.
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UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.
