Sum 41 - Chuck

There are few things more depressing than a goofy punk rock band that suddenly decides it needs to be taken seriously. Sum 41 did a brilliant job parodying corporate rock, pop and a large chunk of the '80s with breakthrough hit "Fat Lip." But over three albums, the Canadian band has unwittingly gravitated in that very direction. On Chuck, its hard to tell whether the quartet is poking fun at the platinum class or merely paying tribute by copping entire melodies and verses from some of MTV's biggest stars--Metallica's "Battery" on "The Bitter End" and Linkin Park's "One Step Closer" on "No Reason," respectively. More troubling, however, its formerly tongue-in-cheek awe for cheap metal bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest seems to have turned into a full-on admiration. That's clearly no laughing matter. --Aidin Vaziri Amazon.com

You should chuck this CD

There's nothing with getting more serious with your music as you age. I mean, you can't always sing about chicks and skateboarding. But, this just doesn't seem to fit Sum 41 and the image they created. It's too quick of a depature. It's like that friend you have who goes to college their freshman year and then come back after a semester "civilized". They criticize your coffee, and are now "above" acting like a kid. Too fast Sum 41, too fast.


September 1, 2008

mature CD for a hard bashing crashing play it loud band

Sum41 grew up musically and got creative with this album without management or record label telling them what to do. Great music and lyrics for a band that knows how to rock hard! February 10, 2007

GREAT AND DIFFERENT

This is overall Sum41's best album. It has a nice mix of slow tracks the best of which are Some Say and Pieces. This album, however, is a lot different than their previous albums; these guys are no longer the sarcastic punks they were in All Killer and Does This Look Infected. This music is much more serious and mature. Another plus is that none of the songs seem just thrown together. I remember listening to All Killer No Filler and thinking "Great hook, but where'd that other part come from?" Every part of each song goes together to make a great song which makes a great album. There is also no one song that is really that much better than the others, although No Reason is probably my favorite. Overall, buy this album, it's a lot better value than their other albums.

P.S.
Although this is their best overall album, The Hell Song and Fat Lip are still my favorites! :) January 17, 2007

Rock on Sum 41

I heard of Sum 41 from the Cheaper by the Dozen soundtrack. They sang "In too Deep" I love that song so I check out some other songs by them. This album is pretty good, I like three songs on it: Pieces, Some Say, and There's No Solution. They're mostly Punk and Hard Rock. Sometimes they'll play some metal. I don't like metal. Anyway, this album is pretty good. I'm not sure why I never heard them on the radio. They rock hard! if you like Green Day you'll probably like Sum41 September 4, 2006

Sometimes Rock, Other Times Punk

This is a good, decent record. It's not their best, but it is a good decent record. It seems that Sum 41 is attempting a sort of evolution toward a more serious rock band. Given their brief history, it's an interesting choice. I can't decide if they have decided to embrace their punk roots or shed them with this record.

Tracks like "Welcome To Hell" and "No Reason" will remind you of "All Killer No Filler," while it seems out of the blue, come "Pieces," "Some Say" and "There's No Solution" that almost sound like they could have come from a different band. These tracks are more mellow and melodic. These are more pop songs. They are good; I enjoy them, but they are unexpected.

That's not all. You also have "The Bitter End" and "88" that sound more metal.

So, Sum 41's problem in marketing this is just this: Who are they? What are they about? Are they about easy to listen to radio melodies, hard rock or punk? I also think that they rushed their "growing up" a little. I still think that deep down, they'd rather be about the fun that was "All Killer."

All that being said, I really enjoy most of the tracks on this CD. It's not a slam dunk by any means, but unless you are a loyalist to the punk movement, you will likely be very entertained by what SUM 41 produced here. Enjoy! July 29, 2006

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