Reviews

I've been reading a few of the many reviews for this quasi-anticipated album, Underclass Hero, and needless to say, the critics have held no punches. For the most part, I agree with what they are saying, calling this album completely unoriginal, and even criticizing the "American Idiot-esque" marketing and promotion behind it. Everybody has made comments about the recent departure of original guitarist, Dave Baksh, however, very few people are really talking about the sound itself and how it has changed. Sum 41 is a band that has made a name for themselves in the punk scene, consistently releasing solid albums with sing along choruses and enough metal riffs to cause their drummer to worry about spontaneous combustion. I could honestly spend a good two pages reviewing this album, and Sum 41 in general, but I will try to keep it short.

The common thread in most reviews of Underclass Hero is the complete and utter unoriginality. I have mixed feelings about the songs on this album. While there is a noticeable digression from their previous albums' writing style, in essence, there are still some decent pop punk songs on this album. Everybody wants originality, but if everybody is doing something new, who will be producing the music we grew up loving and hope to continue listening too? All I'm saying is there are bands that are just good at what they do, such as Sum 41, and there are bands dead set on redefining a genre. Neither is better then the other, but I don't feel a review pegging these guys as completely "unoriginal" is fitting. I think it's better to call it another batch of pop punk songs you hate to love, lacking new direction, but certainly building on the foundation they started several years ago.

The songs are decent; there are certainly a few gems, and more then a few duds. I'm going to have to start the music portion of this review with a sever hand slap to Sum 41 though ... You cannot begin your new album with a rip off of your breakthrough song from 6 years ago, you just can't do it. The first track of Underclass Hero is undeniably similar to Fat Lip from the bands 2001 album, All Killer, No Filler. From the rap/rock verses to the catchy as hell chorus, it's just a little to close, and they should have known that. Moving on, song #2 catches my attention because of the nauseating drama being translated into music (if you can call it that); it picks up the pace a little ways into the song, but ultimately still feels like a train wreck. Track #11, "King of Contradiction," is a much needed throw back to old Sum 41, but just not enough to reel me in to listening to this album again.

There's just something about this album that troubles me. The production is incredibly overdone, the lyrics are melodramatic, and the music is sub par at best. Something tells me this album is the product of an impressive development and marketing team attempting to ride the coat tails of Green Day's punk Opera and falling very, very short. When I sit down and listen to Chuck (released in 2004) or Does this Look infected (released in 2002), I can feel the energy and I can tell these guys are proud of what they're playing ... not so much on this album. Everybody sounds like a studio musician playing a pre-written part to a pre-written song and hating every second of it. My advice would be to remember your roots if you are a band in this genre. There is no need to reinvent the wheel every time you release an album, play what you love and play with every ounce of passion you have, and for Christ's sake, put pictures of the rest of your band members somewhere in the booklet! In the end, everybody in this band has 1,000 different projects going on and it sounds like this album just wasn't a priority.