The latest album by Sum 41 began to come to life in the mind of Deryck Whibley during the pandemic, shortly after the birth of her son. During those long days, the frontman of the Canadian band found himself nostalgically listening to the music of his youth, his high school records: Rancid, NOFX, Bad Religion. The transition from listening to writing was short. After several years, he found himself writing songs pop punk, like the ones he sang at the beginning of the group. A happy creative period, renamed Heaven, which produced 10 songs. But this youthful and energetic paradise was not enough to tell everything. Thus the darker guitar riffs and more menacing melodies reappeared, typical of Sum 41's second artistic phase. That of the last two albums: 13 Voices (2016) e Order in Decline (2019). To the top 10 pop punk songs by Heaven the same number of heavy metal songs by Hell, the hell. Thus, the album that concludes Sum 41's career took shape: Heaven :x: Hell (Rise Records/BMG).
Yes, Deryck Whibley, Dave Baksh, Jason McCaslin, Tom Thacker And Frank Zummo28 years after their foundation, have announced the dissolution of their group. Heaven :x: Hell will be their last album and “Tour Of The Setting Sum” will be their last tour (for Italian fans there is also a date at the I-Days of Milan, July 9). The 20 songs they chose to close their career reflect what their journey has been: a brilliant debut, which made them one of the world's queens of pop punk bands and thanks to which they engraved their name in the history of rock, and a more discontinuous and painful second part of their career, made up of ups and downs. In any case, Heaven :x: Hell it is an unscrupulous work, with the rare power of evoke youth. An album that has the ambition to be important. And not just because it will be Sum 41's last album.
Waiting On A Twist of Fate opens the album with a cascade of guitars and snare and kick drum hits. It's the beginning of Heaven, they are the roots. We start again from those things that Sum 41 do really well. The song's riff was hidden in some old tapes from 1997. A guitar part recovered from a demo by the ninetiesfound by chance by Whibley during the pandemic.
One of the strongest refrains is that of Landmines. «And I don't wanna believe that maybe this is the end»: the best way to exorcise this feeling is to attach ourselves to what made us feel good. And here Sum 41 strongly connects to that imaginary fact of school dancesof garages transformed into rehearsal rooms and of skateboard. The operation works, but the melancholy of knowing that there is now a Deryck Whibley singing remains 44 years old.
Future Primitives it sounds like an homage to the Offspring Of American, While Dopamines manages to stand out within a first part of the album in which almost everything works. Radio Silence closes Heaven with nostalgia, inspired by the generational hit of Sum 41 With Mecontained in Underclass Hero (2007). The second half, Hellbegins with Prepare to Climb (no, that's not the translation of the title, that's exactly what it's called). A sort of melodic introduction to Rise Up, which will be one of the most moshed songs during the live shows. The conclusion comes with How The End Begins. The decisive similarity with What I've Done of the Linkin Park it can only be a tribute to the deceased friend Chester Bennington. A painful reflection to close Hell consistently: «Are all of my best years behind me?».
Playlists
Modest Mouse, Poolside – Ocean Breathes Salty (Poolside Remix)
Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
