Disco de Sum 41: “Chuck”

This album Rocks. Every other song I've previously heard from Sum 41 was sugar coated, pop filled puke inducing ordinairyness. I've never liked the sugar coating on most music. This is true today as it was back in high school, too long ago.

Today, however, I was in a music store and heard We're All to Blame. I thought, "This is a group I could very easily get into!". My jaw hit the floor when I heard that it was in fact Sum 41. The salesperson, whom I've shopped from for several years, said it rocks.

He wasn't kidding. I picked it right up. It's just so nice to see that they've dropped the pop and found a hard edged style to their music.

Some might say that this is Metallica, just a different group. I beg to differ, however. This is very different, and has a much more modern tint to the songs. Yeah, there are similarities, but it still is a lot closer to the newer style of hard edged rock/metal.

They've added a deep, thoughtfulness to the lyrics.

We're All To Blame talks about how we, as a society, are all to blame for the issues of the day.

Some Say is of how kids, and others of today don't buy all the lies and hiding of facts from them. I suspect it's about censorship.

The Bitter end talks about the "After Life"

Open Your Eyes talks about realizing how bad a relationship is.

Welcome to Hell is about taking care of your own **** cause in the end you're the one who's responsible in the end.

Pieces is about trying to be everything to everyone and end up failing and being alone.

This album is very good, and a refeshing change from the previous releases by Sum 41 I've seen them on MTV, heard them on the radio, and on other TV shows. I've never been impressed with them. UNTIL NOW that is!

Great album, well worth the money!

I still don't understand why people need to express their "hardcore" feeling by ranting online. Sum 41 is an excellent band with a top-of-the-line CD here. And I also disagree with those who say this CD is ripping off other bands. I have nearly one thousand songs, most of this punk/rock/metal type music, and they are as original as any other band out there. Sure, they're straying from their comedic roots, but if you can find one band that has done the exact same thing over a period of five to seven years, I don't want to listen to them. Part of what makes a band good is change, especially when that change shows off hidden talents (hint: Chuck is ten times more metal than All Killer No Filler).

The point is, this CD has more insightful lyrics and excellent instrumental skills than most metal bands out there, and since half the headbangers out there only want to listen to music that screams out of their stereos, Sum 41's talent is lost. I'd like to see all those guys in fifty years trying to bob their arthritic necks to Disturbed.

So stop hatin', and try to open your mind to a different noise.

This is the Limited Edition Japanese Import of Chuck, the newest release by Sum 41. (Currently the available Amazon information is sketchy).

As far as the Sum 41 sound goes, you are not going to find any surprising changes here on Chuck. The distinctive vocals, choruses, and guitar sound are here in abundance. It's a very well produced CD and I am sure noone will be disappointed by it.

Sum 41 fans, new and old, will be pleased. I'm giving it 5 stars even if for just the sheer amount of Sum 41 material included here. The Japanese bonus tracks and the bonus DVD make this something more to own. Without the bonuses, I'd give the first 13 songs (in effect, the North American release) 3.5 to 4 stars.

Many will have already heard Chuck's first single, "We're All to Blame" and seen the video on MTV prior to its upcoming release for sale in the United States (October 12, 2004).

(*) The Japanese import includes a bonus DVD that includes performances from Summer Sonic 2004 in Chiba, Japan and from Make Bombs and Happy Endings, 2003, Tokyo, Japan. Some of the video tracks you may have already seen as part of a number of MTV specials done on the band this summer and over the past year.

The track listing is as follows: (currently there is no track information available on Amazon.com)

CD-1

Track 1: Intro

Track 2: No Reason

Track 3: We're All To blame

Track 4: Angels With Dirty Faces

Track 5: Some Say

Track 6: The Bitter End

Track 7: Open Your Eyes

Track 8: Slipping Away

Track 9: I'm Not The One

Track 10: Welcome To Hell

Track 11: Pieces

Track 12: There's No Solution

Track 13: 88

Track 14: Newts(?) (*)

Track 15: Moron (*)

Track 16: Subject To Change (*)

(*) Japanese Bonus Tracks - Actually these have turned out to be among my favorites off the entire CD

Bonus DVD

(From Summer Sonic, 2004/8/7, Chiba Marine Stadium, Japan)

1. Mister Amsterdam

2. The Hell Song

3. Over My Head (Better Off Dead)

4. Fat Lip

5. Still Waiting

(From Make Bombs and Happy Endings, Live In Tokyo, 2003/5/17, Tokyo Bay NK Hall, Tokyo, Japan)

6. All Messed Up

7. Machine Gun

8. Grab The Devil

9. Motivation

10. Pain For Pleasure

I bought this album almost when it came out last November and now i have decided to write this review. Wow I tell you when i look back,I ask myself, How could a snotty and downright bad band like Sum 41 write such good music? Well they have matured since their debut Half Hour of Power and All Killer No Filler. They have shown another side of themselves, a more serious, melodic and politically motivated one. I still have the opinion that Does This Look Infected was better than this album. I worshipped DTLI and thought it was an amazing album and had the realese date for Chuck marked on my calender. Since DTLi was released in 2002 i was waiting for two years for a new Sum album. I was happy to get it and loved most of the songs. I was dissapointed thought when i learned of the....similarities with other songs. Take Pieces and Coldplay's The Scientist. Same chord progression. hmmmmmm. All in all, it was a solid album with good songs but like the title says, get some originality like was seen on DTLI! Buy this album or DTLI or Megadeth's The System Has Failed

Although I really like sum 41, this album does not show the creative spark of their first three albums. According to the cd insert, the cd has something to do with war, somthing about the congo. If there is a story, if they are trying to get a point across, i am not getting the picture. Are they anti-war? anti-american? the cd relies too much on rhyming day ,away, and way and the lyrics aren't focusing on anything in particular across all the tracks. the guitarwork is great as usual, even if nothing creative or new from the first 3 albums. there were some stringed instruments on one track, nothing too fancy, similar to green day's use of strings

to me, it seems like the band was greatly affected by some experiences with war in some poverty-stricken nations, but they lack the social vision and maturity to convey exactly what is important about what they saw. they need some deep reflection and a larger vocabulary in order to grapple with topics like war. it doesn't really add anything to say "there's no solution", although day clearly rhymes with away as they demonstrate on at least half of the tracks. the band could be angry, or they could be making on stand on an issue, but i'm really not sure.