Sum41 - Chuck - Release Date: October 12, 2004 - Island Records
Sum41's first cds and singles were mostly ridiculous pop-punk songs without much musicianship. Everyone thought these guys were trying to be Blink 182. With their second release, 2002's Does This Look Infected, they began to redefine their sound as more mature, more metal influenced, and less stupid. With the release of Chuck, fans will be floored. Other than the vocals, one would have little to no idea that this was the same band that put out "Fat Lip" just a few short summers ago. They have completely abandoned their early half pop punk/half rap sound and have toughened up a lot. Sum41 often tours with established independent pop-punk acts, and sometimes the odd hardcore band (remember when they toured with H20?), and it really shows on this record. The songs are fast and metal-sounding. The majority of them are fast-paced speed-metal songs, ala old metallica, but slightly heavier. The drum beats and guitar parts are pretty simple, but it fits the songs. This is certainly not any ground-breaking, cutting edge cd, but for Sum41, this cd is a HUGE leap from where they came from.
This album features very few obvious studio effects, really bringing out the metal guitars and big harmonies in the choruses. The band does throw in a few slower, more mellow songs to keep the songs from all blending together. My only criticisms is that this cd is the band's influences are very obvious; you can tell what they were listening to at the time of writing certain tracks (ie "Some Say" is almost an exact match for Avril Lavigne- Complicated). There are other parts of the cd, most particularly the speed-metal soloing in songs like "The Bitter End" where it sounds like these parts are lifted straight off a Metallica or Megadeth cd. "The Bitter End" in particular has solo sections that are almost identical to those in Metallica- Seek and Destroy. Most of the cd reflects some Judas Priest, old Metallica, slayer...mostly old thrash bands. Not to say that this is a terribly bad thing, those bands all sold millions of records for a reason. Sum41 even busts out the random hardcore breakdown, as in the songs "I'm not the One". And "Chuck" is the prime example of why bonus tracks are overdone...what purpose does having 3 serve? This will cd will definitely open them up to new listeners, especially those in the non-14 year old RIOT GRRRRL department.
OVERALL: 4 out of 5 stars. Even if it is predictable, it is still killer and worth checking out.
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