Review Summary: This album is certainly not your typical Sum 41 or pop-punk album. Despite taking on a heavier sound the band really shines through on here and show what they are capable of.
Before releasing the third LP, Chuck, Sum 41 was widely regarded as your basic, bread and butter pop-punk band. Some loved this band for their fun songs and the simplicity that the songs were all about. Others hated them for that very reason. However, once Chuck was released the band seemed as if it completely changed its sound. No longer were the lyrics the lyrics all about fun and the music was much darker/heavier than before. Whether the new idea was a good idea was widely debated between music fans. There were Sum 41 fans you lost interest in the band, while other music enthusiasts (mainly metal fans) got into this band for the first time.
So why the sudden switch from typical pop-punk to metal? Well, Sum 41 has always regarded, even from their earliest days, that bands such as Iron Maiden and Metallica are their among their biggest influences and their favorite bands. Maybe in Chuck they thought they should pay homage to their idols and take their shot at a new direction. There could be another reason, however. Before Chuck was released the band took a trip to Congo to make a documentary on the civil war and the hardships that were taking place in the country. While they were there they saw and experienced things that changed their lives and made them open their eyes to the world around them. There was one point where the hotel that Sum 41 was staying in was being bombed, and the band said that they didn’t know if they were going to make it out alive. What happened in Congo made them angry, and that anger came out in the music.
Despite the different direction that Sum 41 has taken, there are still traces of the old, more poppy Sum 41. The Intro of the album does a great job of leading into
No Reason, which is one of the stronger songs on the album and has the most punk feel to it. The song explodes with a very energetic intro and has a more old-school Sum 41 chorus to it. Pieces was the strongest single off of the album, as it combines beautifully written lyrics with softer instrumental parts. A few other notable songs off of this album are the metal influenced
The Bitter End,
We’re All to Blame,
88,
Angels With Dirty Faces and
Open Your Eyes. The ballads
Slipping Away and [b] Some Say[b] are also solid numbers.
The instrumentals on Chuck are the strongest Sum 41 has ever shown in their career. Unlike their previous records, songs aren’t simply made up of three chords. The metal sound of the album really brings out solid instrumentals, especially in the guitar work. Derek shows he can shred when he wants to and write riffs that takes strong technical ability.
When it comes down to it, the album is a good solid piece of music. Sure, it’s not your typical pop-punk Sum 41 that so many people love, but the music on this CD bring out Sum 41’s real technical ability and their capability of writing solid metal songs and nice ballads. If you’re willing to try this out and aren’t afraid of something new from a band that is usually distinctively pop-punk, then you won’t be disappointed. If you’re looking for a fun pop-punk album, this probably isn’t for you and you are better off checking out the bands first LP, All Killer No Filler.
