Review Summary: Why doesn't anything good ever last? / I gave it all I could give...
Sum 41's career feels uniquely tied to the legacy of pop-punk as a whole. Their 2001 debut
All Killer No Filler was released at the peak of the style's second mainstream wave, while hits like 'Fat Lip' and 'In Too Deep' not only earned the band unprecedented levels of fame, but also became instantly identifiable calling cards (and key cornerstones) of the genre's early 00's success.
Does This Look Infected took Sum 41's raw, rebellious attitude and polished it a little, resulting in an even tighter collection of songs including 'Over My Head' and 'Still Waiting', which took the band's seemingly unstoppable momentum and kept it rolling right into their first (and only?) true evolution in sound, the metallic-laced
Chuck. Fans will recall this three album stretch as not only the band's undeniable heyday, but also as an important catalyst to what was arguably pop-punk's most popular era.
For all the fame they achieved in a comparatively brief four year span, it's hard to believe how sharply they declined afterwards.
Underclass Hero was the obvious inflection point, aiming to create their own version of the at-the-time monumentally popular and influential
American Idiot – a zenith that Sum 41 never arrived at themselves.
Underclass Hero is, in hindsight, probably a bit better than the critical rebuke it received at the time; however, the absurd stabs at establishing itself as a "concept album" with something important to say (especially when Sum 41 has never been a band of lyrical aptitude) ultimately sank it. It was slim pickings afterwards as well, with
Screaming Bloody Murder fairing poorly both commercially and critically only to be followed by a five year gap and
13 Voices, which also failed to move the needle in any appreciable way. The first real sign of Sum 41 recapturing their earlier magic came in 2019, with a return-to-roots approach that included some politically-charged lyrics amid the chaos of the Trump years. It wasn't on par with the group's
All Killer/Infected/Chuck holy trinity, but it
felt like Sum 41, and that was enough.
Pop-punkers: may I finally present to you the long-awaited follow-up to 2004's
Chuck.
Despite red flags abound – "final album" / "double album" / that meme-like artwork – Sum 41 actually pulled it off. The record is split in two: Disc One, or
Heaven, is a pop-punk album through-and-through akin to
All Killer No Filler, while Disc Two, or
Hell, marks a return to the glory days of
Chuck. When diehard followers look back on the group's career, those are the two albums that stand out the most – so it makes sense from a fan service standpoint that Sum 41 would do their best to recreate the catchiness and intensity of those two eras, respectively. What's a bit unexpected is just how wildly they'd succeed.
To preface things, there's an obvious prerequisite to appreciating these two records – because if you've never enjoyed Sum 41 (or pop-punk at all, for that matter), then
Heaven :x: Hell will do absolutely nothing to change that. It's a victory lap, not an evolution.
But – if you've grown up with and/or appreciate 2000s pop-punk for all its infectious hooks and silly
whoah ohs, then you're in for a great time and a trip down memory lane. It should be obvious from the opening notes of 'Waiting on a Twist of Fate' – and the way Deryck Whibley screams during the verses – that this is not going to be another phoned-in effort. The energy and intensity is immediately back in a way that it hasn't been for literal decades, and the alternating punchy choruses/riff-laden verses wash over your ears like a tidal wave of nostalgia. The
immensely catchy refrains to 'Landmines' and 'Dopamine' rank up there with any of Sum 41's classic earworms, and that's before you even reach the biggest anthem of either disc – the heartfelt, stadium-filling, sing-along chorus to 'Radio Silence'. The group's penchant for weaving excellent guitar work throughout their effortless melody-crafting also returns intact, giving us ten straight bangers on the
Heaven LP.
What
Heaven does for
All Killer/Infected fans,
Hell does for
Chuck disciples. As the metal-leaning half of the double album, the drumming, riffing, breakdowns, and solos all go harder. There are actually many moments across
Hell that might make you question if it's even heavier than
Chuck, which is an impressive feat when you consider the band's pop-punk roots. The single 'Rise Up', with its fusion of captivating melodies and blistering riffs/solos, is the best place to set expectations for what the second disc has in store at-large, but
Hell peaks around 'I Don't Need Anyone''s tension-building pause (a moment full of subdued, glitchy electronic backbeats) and its riffy, intricate, downright
gnarly breakdown – which is quite possibly the most impressive instrumental moment in
all of Sum 41's entire discography. 'House of Liars' is the most well-rounded song on the
Hell disc, sacrificing some of the intensity to showcase Whibley's best vocal performance in recent memory while also tying in a particularly biting condemnation of modern government: "Burn down this house of liars now I say, you're guilty as you can be / I want to watch it all go down in flames / Burn, there's no shadow of a doubt, I blame you all for every goddamn thing / God help us it's all fucked up now, the further we go, we wind up in hell." From front to end, there's nary a weak moment to be found on
Hell – it's a wholly satisfying package of ten scorching, searing metal-punk tunes that continue to deliver melodies in high doses while surprising even the most ardent
Chuck fans with its instrumental complexity.
Despite the tremendously satisfying hooks and quality of songwriting present across
Heaven :x: Hell, the same shortcomings that have always plagued Sum 41 – even on their most well-received "classics" – still exist here. They're a band that resides comfortably within their niche, and here they play to their known strengths even if it means facing a lot of the same criticisms that have been levied against them for their entire existence. Although we get some unexpected moments like the piano outro to 'Over The Edge', the songs generally lack variety. The lyrics are occasionally good, but primarily serve to convey
feelings of depression and rebellion without the emotional core or sense of purpose, respectively, to back either one up. However, these weaknesses are more inherent to Sum 41's DNA than they are to
Heaven :x: Hell specifically, which just makes the album feel even more like a summation of Sum 41's career: this is
them, flaws and all.
As a whole, it's difficult to think of a better way for Sum 41 to end their careers. It's an album that is emblematic of who they are, showcases their greatest strengths, and represents their most popular eras as a band. Across twenty songs, some end up being more memorable than others, but none are subpar – and they're
all brimming with fun hooks and youthful energy. It's twenty fleeting moments of Sum 41 leaving it all on the table, one more time. It's as Whibley sings on the record's finale and the band's swan song: "Why doesn't anything good ever last? / I gave it all I could give". With
Heaven :x: Hell, what Sum 41 has given us is a true grand finale, and it's one worth reveling in.
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