Chuck

by Sum 41

Overview

In June 2004, Sum 41 was in Congo filming a documentary for charity when they found themselves caught in the midst of the country's ongoing hostilities. But a UN aid worker named Chuck Pelletier was instrumental in getting the band to safety, and a grateful Sum 41 named their fourth album in his honor. As they say in their liners, "Without him, we'd be dead. Chuck rules!" The experience also seems to have mellowed the group's sarcastic streak. From its aggressive metal and hardcore overtones to lyrics that rail against societal ignorance and a world gone wrong, Chuck is a few steps ahead of the smirking, jocular anthems that populated Sum 41's previous output. This suddenly sober outlook hasn't lessened the rock power, though. "Why is there no reason we all can't change?" Deryck Whibley wonders in "No Reason," but the cut also binds the rapid-fire pace of hardcore to a great chorus hook. Lead single "We're All to Blame" lashes out at greed with some vicious metal riffing, "Bitter End" takes its cues from the double-bass kicks and furious lead solos of Anthrax, and "There's No Solution"'s layered vocals, psychological fretting, and explosive chorus shift give it a Linkin Park feel. Sum 41 also avoids employing too many "serious" add-ons, such as string sections or synthesizers. Chuck does have a few passages of acoustic guitar (most effectively on the low-key "Slipping Away"). But like Sum 41's previous efforts, it's a concise album that clocks in at just over a half-hour, with a basic understanding that fast and loud is what the band does best. But this time around, Sum 41 has made sure to set its message at the same high volume. ~ Johnny Loftus

Product Details

Release Date:	11/09/2004
Label:	Polydor
UPC:	0602498641910

Tracks

1. Intro (Sum 41-Chuck)
2. No Reason
3. We're All to Blame
4. Angels with Dirty Faces
5. Some Say
6. The 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

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Sum 41   Primary Artist
Dave Brownsound   Guitar,Sound Effects
Stevo   Drums
Cone McCaslin   Guitar (Bass),Bass
Biz   Keyboards,Vocals,Guitar,Piano,Mellotron

Technical Credits

Tom Lord-Alge   Audio Engineer,Mixing
Stevo   Group Member
Andy Wallace   Audio Engineer,Mixing
Greig Nori   Audio Production,Composer,Producer,Management
Biz   Group Member
Miles Wilson   Assistant
Cameron Webb   Engineer,Digital Editing
Steve Sisco   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Tara Podolsky   A&R
Steve Jocz   Composer
John O'Mahony   Digital Editing
Ariel Martin   Management
Chris Stringer   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Dan Druff   Guitar Technician
Matthew Davies   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Joe Nicholson   Drum Technician
Andrew Huggins   Administration,Recording Director
Robert Poteraj   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Bernie Grundman   Mastering
Jason Cupp   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Dave Brownsound   Group Member
Cone McCaslin   Group Member
Ed Krautner   Engineer,Digital Editing
Deryck Whibley   Composer
Ben Cook   Composer,Composer
Brian Gardner   Mastering
Matt Hyde   Engineer
Jorge Vivo   Editing
Pete Martinez   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Mike "Hitman" Wilson   Assistant Engineer
Femio Hernandez   Assistant Engineer
Sum 41   Composer
Robert Stevenson   A&R
Louis Marino   Design,Art Direction
Eric Wong   Marketing