SUM 41 Vinilo y CD

Review: Following two sold out farewell shows at the Scotiabank Arena in their hometown of Toronto at the end of January 2025, Canadian early 2000s pop punk megastars Sum 41 have bowed out gracefully upon their own terms. With that sombre farewell in mind, what better time to repress and revisit their surprisingly dynamic back catalogue of records, including 2007's much underrated Underclass Hero? Their fourth full-length (or possibly fifth, as many fans still often debate whether 2000's Half Hour Of Power can be considered their debut album) marked the first of two consecutive projects without founding lead guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh, who would amicably depart to focus solely on his Brown Brigade solo-work. Following up the thrash-metal indebted mature left turn that was 2004's Chuck, which truly began to take shape on 2002's snarling The Offspring-worshipping grunge-punk career height Does This Look Infected?; losing their highly skilled axeman known for his juxtaposition of face-melting guitar solos next to anthemic hooks, led to somewhat of a revert to the more familiar pop-punk joviality of their earlier work, yet bolstered by more seasoned songwriting chops. Utilising an extensive array of acoustic guitars, synthesisers and a more expansive sonic scope to make up for their whittled down line up, the material has often been compared to that of Green Day's high-concept theatrical opus American Idiot or My Chemical Romance's even bolder The Black Parade. At a hefty (by punk standards) 52 minutes, this was the band's lengthiest LP to date, boasting some of their most dynamic and heartfelt cuts such as the triumphant opening title-track as well as the emo-tinged skate-punk longtime fan favourite 'Walking Disaster', culminating in a (now) near two-decade old pop punk rock opera. A bold swing for the fences in search of new direction, the Underclass Hero deserves your sincere reappraisal.

Review: The upcoming eighth and final studio album by Canadian punk and metal rockers Sum 41, Heaven :x: Hell centres on the ultimate duality of their sound. Divided into two parts, the first disc, Heaven, hears a return to the pop punk cant of the band's earlier career, while the Hell-ish second disc reflects their latter-day exploration of heavy metal. Though the name references a dualistic theme, the ultimate goal is the synthesis of the two sounds, showing just how far the band have come in their nearly 30-year career. Lead single 'Landmines', which on the surface of things tends more towards the aforementioned pop punk heaven, captures this tendency, incorporating rapidfire metal fills and deathly vocal snarls.

Review: Originally released in 2007, the fourth album (or fifth, depending on whether you consider Half Hour Of Power to be their debut full-length) from Canadian pop-punk mainstays Sum 41 marked their first of two as a trio, with lead guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh departing during this era to focus on his own Brown Brigade project. Following on from the heavily thrash-metal indebted mature left turn of Chuck, which began in earnest with the metallic early The Offspring vibe of Does This Look Infected?, while losing their axeman who brought so many of the face-melting guitar solos that peppered those LPs, Underclass Hero offered somewhat of a revert to the more jovial pop-punk found on their earlier work, yet elevated by the seasoned writing chops acquired over time. Making up for their whittled down line up with extensive use of acoustic guitars, synthesisers and a more expansive sonic scope, many have since compared the material to that of Green Day's American Idiot or My Chemical Romance's The Black Parade in terms of theatricality and concept. Clocking in at a lengthy (by punk standards) 52 minutes, and boasting some of the band's most dynamic and emotive cuts such as the emo-tinged longtime fan favourite 'Walking Disaster' as well as the anthemic opening title-track, Sum 41's near two decade old pop punk rock opera attempt deserves major reappraisal offered by this lush fluorescent pink swirl vinyl reissue, arriving just as the band gear up to unveil their swan song LP Heaven :x: Hell this March before embarking on their final run of shows.