... Chuck is really what they're about. This is their best album by a mile and if you are new to them, definately start here. The only way for them now is forward... Read review
A review by contrastdrummer on Chuck [ECD] - Sum 41 March 29th, 2005
Author's product rating:
Originality
Groundbreaking
Lyrics
Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks
Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Outstanding
Value for Money
Excellent
Advantages:
A brilliant mix of punk, soft rock and thrash
Disadvantages:
Some songs sound samey
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
This is Sum 41's 4th studio album, released in late 2004. This is their first 'serious' album. No joke songs.
Intro is a beautiful short clean intro leading into the first song, No Reason.
No Reason is a great way to open the album. Headbanging hard punk rock. Pretty typical recent Sum 41, but brilliant song. Only disappointment is the lyrics. It seems that the rhyming is forced e.g. 'How can we fake this anymore/Turn our backs away and choose to just ignore' - Come on guys, you can do better than that! Great song, nevertheless.
We're All To Blame was the first hit single from this album. This is definately one of my favourites on the album. Heavy verse with shouting vocals, then a beautiful quiet chorus. Brilliant thrash middle section.
Angels With Dirty Faces is one of the darkest tracks on the album. Only just over 2 minutes long, but really heavy and dark with lyrics about love and obsession. Great song. It's really grown on me.
Some Say sounds quite Oasis-esqua at the beginning. I was really surprised when I first heard it, but as the song goes on, it sounds a little bit like 'Handle This', one of the better tracks from All Killer No Filler. Some Say is far better though. Far more memorable (the anthemic chant of 'think before you make up your mind'). I love this one.
The Bitter End is my second favourite on the album. This is Sum 41's attempt at thrash, and they do a f*cking damn good job of it. If you take the vocals out, you would think this is Metallica or Megadeth or something. Phenomenal solo from Dave Baksh, the best guitarist in punk hands down. Awesome song. They should do more songs like this.
Open Your Eyes, like No Reason, is a brilliant head banging hard punk song, but the lyrics seem a bit forced again. Great song though.
Slipping Away is a soft, depressing clean song which is really needed in the album after 2 heavy songs. This shows how versatile Sum 41 really are.
I'm Not The One is a good hard punk song, but there isn't anything that much special in it. Fortunately, they make up for that with the wonderful heavy metal middle section, which will leave you headbanging.
Welcome To Hell is the only real disappointment on the album, apart from some lyrics. I don't really like this song. This is quite NOFX-esque and I'm not a fan of them at all. It's an OK song, though.
Pieces is the forthcoming single from this album and is my favourite on the album. It's a wonderful, fairly up-tempo ballad. Really emotional. Great vocal harmonies. Excellent song overall. This is one for everyone.
There's No Solution, like I'm Not The One, doesn't really have anythign special about it. It's a pretty good song, but doesn't have the edge.
88 has really grown on me and is one of my favourites on the album. Awesome vocal harmonies. Great thrash middle section and wicked solo, then it all dies down with one clean guitar and low, depressing vocals. It's just perfect.
Sum 41 are more than just a punk band. They do soft and hard rock, metal and thrash. Do not judge them by Fat Lip and In Too Deep. They're over that phase. Chuck is really what they're about. This is their best album by a mile and if you are new to them, definately start here. The only way for them now is forward
More Reviews
Sum41 - Chuck Review ofChuck [ECD] - Sum 41by
RazzaLazza
Advantages: Excellent, A real progression for the band Disadvantages: May be a bit too progressive for some fans
Canadians Sum 41 are a band who have managed to slowly change their sound over the past couple of years and develop into a completely different band. 'All Killer No Filler' and 'Half Hour of Power' were pure Pop Punk, whereas 2002s 'Does This Look Infected' was far more Rock orientated. This year sees Sum 41 develop further still into a rather respectable Metal band. If you had told me 3 years ago that Sum 41 would one day develop into the Metal ... ...as they were at the time just another fresh faced Pop Punk sensation we all thought we'd see the last of within the year. How wrong could we all possibly be? Sum 41 are still going strong and I think they are now at the best they have ever been. The newfound Heavy Metal sound really suits the band and it really seems to suit the voice of Deryck Whibley to sing like this. On the bands previous releases I have always found them at their best on the ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Enjoyful, brilliant for parties, great rock group, awesome lyrics! Disadvantages: needs more tracks
This album caps off the success of the band sum 41. They have come along way from their oldest and greatest rock tunes such as 'in too deep' and 'over my head' which were from their old albums and have shown their success in rock music by producing this great new album called 'Chuck' which holds many new catchy tracks. 'Chuck' contains 15 songs which include 2 bonus tracks. The songs are better than you expect and the band have made an awesome album ... ...is more heavier than their others and their songs are more serious which might reflect their lives in the rock band and their journey into stardom - as if they are looking back and expressing their journey in this new album. One of their best tracks on 'Chuck' has to be 'We're all to blame' it has a great rocky rythem and is great at parties which gets the crowd rocking due to the electrifying beat of drums and the lead guitars. The lyrics are great ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Intros Disadvantages: Album hasn't been promoted at all
...listen to. But now, With Chuck Sum 41 has changed dramitcally and now their songs are a lot more heavy and are worthy of being classed in the Rock music group.
The starting track is explosive, "No Reason" really does hit home to people that this album is different to the albums, and it keeps the listener interested. And it doesn't stop there, the other songs on the album really are just as good. I have never ever brought a album before where I have ... ...exception. The intros to the songs are brilliant, hear "88" for example, A intro unlike any other which also leads into a brilliant song. There is one thing these songs have in common, they all start with the lower notes at the begining but change to the really instrumental chorus's not too far into the song. With 2 bonus tracks on this album I can't see why people shouldn't buy it. I really do think it is a outstanding album and I hope that my review ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Album Notes: English version contains an exclusive video for the making of the song "We're All To Blame". Sum 41's super-heavy 2002 album, DOES THIS LOOK INFECTED, was an exercise in speedy hardcore matched with thundering metal bombast, suggesting that the group might soon morph into a full-fledged thrash band. While CHUCK does refine that style even further than its predecessor, the 2004 album also signals a growing musical curiosity. "Intro," the disc's aptly titled opening song, features tersely picked guitar lines that recall some of the darker moments of Pink Floyd's THE WALL, while "Slipping Away" and "Pieces" are pure melodic power pop. "The Bitter End," on the other hand, sounds like a conscious tribute to or rewrite of Metallica's "Battery" (the first track on the 1986 thrash masterpiece MASTER OF PUPPETS). Throughout CHUCK, the group's energetic performances and finely honed chops pull together these disparate styles to create a bracing re-examination of what it means to be a pop-punk band. (Note: The album title is a thank-you to Chuck Pelletier, the UN representative who helped Sum 41 make a safe exit from the Republic of Congo when violence broke out while the group was there taking part in a documentary.)
Album Reviews: Rolling Stone (p.102) - 3 stars out of 5 - "With CHUCK, Sum 41 have pulled off a truly impressive knucklehead stunt: They've managed to grow up a little and still have something to say." Entertainment Weekly (pp.112-13) - "[T]hey fully embrace the riffage on CHUCK, front-loading their tunes with pyrotechnics a la Metallica." - Grade: B+
Titles on disc 1
1.: Intro
2.: No Reason
3.: We're All To Blame
4.: Angels With Dirty Faces
5.: Some Say
6.: Bitter End
7.: Open Your Eyes
8.: Slipping Away
9.: I'm Not The One
10.: Welcome To Hell
11.: Pieces
12.: There's No Solution
13.: 88
14.: Noots
15.: We're All To Blame (making the video)
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Listed on Ciao since : 29/03/2005
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