A More Metal Direction (Chuck - Sum 41)

Member Name: rleigh

Product:	Chuck - Sum 41
Date:	02/04/08 (61 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An excellent change in sound for Sum 41, superb use of guitars.

Disadvantages: Fans of the bands Pop Punk sound may not appreciate this album quite so much.

Canadian band Sum 41 is one that has managed to slowly change sound over the past few years and develop into a completely different band. The bands first two releases 'All Killer, No Filler' and 'Half Hour of Power' were pure Pop Punk, whereas 2002s 'Does This Look Infected' was far more Rock orientated. 'Chuck' saw Sum 41 develop further still into a rather respectable Metal band. If you had told me 3 years previously to the release of this album that Sum 41 would one day develop into the Metal band they were here then I would never have believed it as they were at the time just another fresh faced Pop Punk sensation that I personally thought we'd see the last of within the year. How wrong I was as Sum 41 are still going strong, a further album has been released since 'Chuck' in the form of 'Underclass Hero' and I think they are now at the best they have ever been.

The Heavy Metal sound that Sum 41 here produced suits the band perfectly and it really seems to suit the voice of Deryck Whibley to sing in the way he has done here. The vocals are harder edged, more aggressive, and ultimately a lot more enjoyable to listen to. On the bands previous releases I had always found Sum 41 to be at their best during their heavier moments so recording and releasing 'Chuck' I feel was an excellent move as it takes those heavy moments and maintains them for the entirety of an album. There are some amazing guitar solos on display here 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 may well have always seen the band as a bit of a joke in the past and never really understood the mass appeal of Sum 41 - these guitar solos will surely have set the record straight though and I do not doubt that many people were converted fans having heard the heavier, edgier Sum 41 music of 'Chuck'.

The first track released commercially from this 'Chuck' album was the single 'We're All To Blame', a track that borrows heavily from System Of A Down's 'Chop Suey' with its chorus having the exact same feel about it in fact. This is definitely not a flaw though as the track sounds amazing and in shifting between heavy and melodic it really does sound astonishingly good when being put forward by the almighty Sum 41. It suits their style well and truly does make way for an awesome sound. 'Some Say' is another classic yet the sound to this one is here completely different. The tracks 'Some Say' and 'Pieces' from this album seem to be hinting at more of a Brit Rock influence, the band sounds as amazing as ever though in experimenting with this excellent new noise. It is a definite nod towards bands such as Oasis and I personally am a huge fan of these two tracks. In this album Sum 41 tread a lot of new ground, it's predominantly metal but as evidenced in these two tracks there are other influences showcased on this album also.

'Noots' rounds the album off nicely and leaves you wanting and wishing for more as 'Chuck' comes to a climax. It really is an excellent track, in fact there are no bad tracks whatsoever on this album which is a bit of a surprise really as in the past I had always felt with the albums of Sum 41 that a few tracks had been letting the side down a little and marring an otherwise perfect album. In 'Chuck', Sum 41 have definitely reached perfection with every song sounding amazingly well rounded and an absolute joy to listen to. I really didn't know where the band would go from here as after this album being so great I felt surely that Sum 41 could not top this effort. Whether or not Sum 41 did indeed top this album with their next is debatable, what the band did do however was release another exceptional album after this in the form of 'Underclass Hero'.

If you have ever been a fan of Sum 41 then chances are that you will love this album. Even if you don't believe it to be one of the greatest albums ever then it will no doubt find a special place 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. 'Chuck' is brilliant, so too is everything that went before it though and also the 'Underclass Hero' album which was released three years later. Sum 41 has never disappointed as a band, always the music has impressed and never in this 'Chuck' album does the band ever show any signs whatsoever of weakness.


Label: Mercury
Release Date: 11th October 2004

Originally posted by me on my website Alt-UK.com
Source: http://www.alt-uk.com/modules.php?name=Reviews

Summary: An excellent album from Sum 41, the change in direction here is truly exquisite.