In the midst of civil wars in Africa, a war on terrorism and an election in The U.S., even a Canadian pop punk band like those snotty brats of Sum 41 can get politically conscious.
The band shows off their political muscle and demeanor in overly zealous punk rock attitude on their fourth and most angry sounding album to date, Chuck.
Named after a U.N. worker who saved their lives when the band was in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sum 41 wrote much of the album in lieu of their experiences helping in a documentary in the country for
the charity group War Child Canada. Chuck kicks off not with the pop punk of the band's past, but with the heavy metal tinged "No Reason." The opener sets the tone for the remainder of the album, as Sum 41 rips through thrash riff after thrash riff, sounding like Judas Priest on speed. Though loud, abrasive and occasionally marked with a catchy chorus, there's nothing standing out in the "wall of guitars" riffing and wild solos. Sum 41 still sounds like they're adhering to a formula and comes out lacking that creative drive.
Lyrically, the band improves by leaps and bounds. Though not exactly introspective poets, Sum 41 takes their pissed off suburban teen angst energy and harnesses it into a wake up call for change.
The album's first single, "We're all to Blame," gives a simple but forward insight into western consumer culture. Front man Deryck sings "how can we still succeed taking what we don't need/telling lies as alibis, selling all the hate that we breed/super size our tragedies/you can't define me or justify greed/bought into the land of the free."
True enough though, the rhymes become a little forced as the album continues, such as the chorus of "Open Your Eyes" which goes "this isn't me this isn't you/but it's just everything we do/till you open up your eyes/and understand this isn't real/this isn't me this isn't you/this is everything but true."
Still, the plain approach Sum 41 uses for lyrical content on Chuck shows you don't have to be a genius to motivate the masses in the idea of change.
Chuck is a mixed blessing. Though by far not the greatest piece of music out there, it's a definite improvement from a band that no one except high school juniors expected much of. It restores some confidence in the fact that punk rock, no matter how commercialized can still bring a different perspective to the average young adult and inspire them to do something about the world they live in.
