The "Place your SBM reviews here" Thread

[Heather]

I haven't read any reviews here or in mags/blogs, I just wrote down how I felt about the songs, didn't get technical or anything

First, Deryck's voice = OMG

Reason To Believe: Love the fade in intro, very horror flick like, bells really bring it in. I got use to the start/stop first part of the song, took a bit and the last "exist" is amazing, but it doesn't really flow well into the middle. Love how the "on" goes down vocally, just awesome melody. The piano is amazing, duh. The last line gives me chills. Acoustic version is great!

Screaming Bloody Murder: I still think this song is one of the most powerful ones on the album, it's just in your face and more conventional than the rest of the album, great intro/outro

Skumfuk: LOVE, LOVE new intro, wish it was a whole song, the "oh" are just breathtaking. Again, still think this song is very upbeat and almost has an AKNF vibe with the energy. The outro has some of my fave lyrics and vibrato is his voice is amazing.

Time For You To Go: great vibe, great energy, just a good rock song. killer bass line! Love D's yelling in the background on the last chorus. I'm thinking this and BYDWK were the two songs he went back and recorded, they do sound different and don't really fit to a degree, but are a fun break from the darkness of the album.

Jessica Kill: Badass lead guitar melody, very explosive chorus. "tell me the difference between love and death. you feel them both as they take your breath" = OMG lyrics. Cool outro transition from bridge to chorus too.

What Am I To Say: you guys knew I'd like this one. Just so honest and pure. The verses almost remind me of Switchfoot in a way. But what really gets me in the song in that guitar catch in the chorus, amazing.

Holy Image of Lies: The song is just out of nowhere and so unexpected . Fave part of the 12 min as a whole, fave song on album, fave lyrics on the album. "you don't need to worry, I'm just fine, I've just lost my mind" "look in my eyes, tell me I'm alright, I don't know if I'm still alive". Then "The Riff" with this just overwhelming bridge "in just one life how can we live enough to rest in peace". Then HELLO ending, piano, "ohs" just OMG. The whole song makes you want to go yell it off the edge of cliff or something, gives you this enormous feeling. I'll go as far as to say that is one of the best songs Sum41 has ever done.

Sick of Everyone: verse came out of nowhere, loved though, very different, very cool, amazing vocal melody. Kickass fuck you lyrics, explosive chorus. awesome melodic bridge and another bass line!

Happiness Machines: The verses were unexpected and don't quite fit with the amazing chorus, but its unique, and I like the chorus a lot plus the ending. bridge is very unique as well, cool vibe. Only thing I don't like about this song is how the bridge just stops and the chorus comes back in, almost feels like the guitar should have been left hanging or a crash come in something like in BIMEs.

Crash: I can see how people would think it's about the divorce, but we know the truth. It's a very humbling song, makes you think and I like how it's very raw and real, piano balled is a success.

Blood In My Eyes: when it came out I loved the intro and first part of the verse, still do and it fits perfectly with the album, and you gotta love the "eyes" scream. Bridge is still intense.

Baby You Don't Wanna Know: killer rock song, period. The "ooos" remind me of the Stones. love the guitar tone in the bridge after that insane solo. Again, it doesn't really "fit" but they way its put in the track list works, the two songs balance each other at #4 and #12.

Back Where I Belong: The intro guitar reminded me of a video game..haha, guess thats cool. Once again, very explosive chorus, kinda sounds like SOE, but the transition is kinda not there. I like the acoustic guitar tone, totally wasn't expecting that vocal melody to go with it, but it works with the "dark" tone. Bridge reminds me of BIMEs sorta. End is totally reminiscent of "A Time Around". Freaky fade into Exit Song, but it's so cool. Probably the most Chuck-like song.

Exit Song: I love Look At Me, so I knew I'd love this one. So real and honest. Feels like you're floating in the middle of the ocean or something, gives you a very alone feeling.

We're The Same: very catchy, great message. You can tell Cone worked on this with the more predominate bass and just overall feel to the song, cool to hear a collab between them, its a new sound. Like Op meets 41.


And I'd love to describe what I like about the drums in each song because they really drive the album, but I don't know enough about the sets ups and beats to explain it all....lol I just like all the change ups from fast to slow and the different tones/vibes.

Overall this album this album seems very heavy and intense but it's actually really melodic and artistic. In my mind it's like a bigger, badder continuation of UH. The lyrics just seem to be a step off of UH and even many of the guitar tones are similar. That drum beat in SOE has kind of a Ma Poubelle vibe to it, and there are some other drum beats like the one related to With Me. And really I don't think he could have written this album without writing UH. The guitar riffs are badass no doubt, but in most places carry the song's mood without just being a badass riff thrown in there which I think is new to them. And if you think back to UC.... WD, SOTD, PTC all had soft endings, which is used in this album to an even more artistic sense along with intros. So from a personal perspective, this isn't like DTLI or CHUCK it's another dimension of UH which I LOVE. But at the same time, it's so unconventional that it takes that influence and creates something brand new that I personally have never heard, that 12 min is ridiculous.

[stevie486]

My Review
Stevie486 (Sum 41 fan)

Reason To Believe
I like it, feels like something from Chuck era with something else
Screaming Bloody Murder
well loved this song after first listen, it's like Chuck with something new and it keeps that Sum 41 feel to it.
Scumfuk
liked this song straight away when first heard it.
Time For You To Go
something totally different for Sum 41 again, doesn't match their style music, got Oasis feel to it and something else like old punk/rock n' roll, but really good song, I like it a lot.
Jessica Kill
I like it, the Chorus bit's my favourite bit
What Am I To Say
Nice song but kinda feels it's a missing song from UH era but as well it's something different
Holy Image Of Lies
I like opening riff but wish had done riff alone first then brought the singing then the rest and I think should left quiet breakdown bit out of it then it would have been better but I still like it all the same.
Sick Of Everyone
Even though my favourite bits are start riff, chorus and esp end bit I'm really digging it. It has Tom/Gob feel to it.
Baby You Don't Wanna Know would do.
Happiness Machine
Not so keen bits of this song,but it's still not bad either though, it also has some cool riffs.
Crash
This is beautiful song Deryck, totally different to what Sum 41's style or what done before, though It does have a slight "The Script" feeling to it but only very little, lol
Blood In My Eyes
Love the riffs, like the song very much, some people didn't get it or like it cos tempo changes, suppose might been more better if was all fast through it but I really like this song and think it's fine the way it is.
Baby You Don't Wanna Know
Really like this song,very catchy, it's not really Sum 41's style though, sounds something like Oasis / indie band would do but really like it for them being different.
Back Where I Belong
Like this one, it has that Sum 41 style of Chuck but also something totally different also.
Exit Song
Lovely song, I get why critics are saying slow songs n that but I like it, I'm eclectic, maybe not their usual style but hey nothing wrong with evolving and trying something new. I mean I used to just like the pop-punk but now I like heavy stuff as well and acoustic laid back stuff.

Overall after 2 listens I'd give it whole album: 8 out 10
Can't wait to hear it in full quality though when my CD comes, leak got is just slightly crackly.

[ÜBERCUNT]

Wow- this is some of the best material that I have ever heard!! Derycks voice goes so high!! it is incredible!! perfect songs!! 10/10

Reason to Believe good way to kick off the album. Like the build up, very epic. Although it was a bit hard to get a grip for the song because, it didnt seem to have like a chorus or bridge. It seemed kinda random. The piano at the end was beautiful though!! 8.5/10

Screaming Bloody Murder Great song, chorus is very pushing. Good intro with the rim shots and guitar. EPIC BRIDGE!! 9/10

Skumfuck Intro seemed a bit out of place...Still trying to figure out the transition..It was a little funky, but still rockin!! 8/10

Time for you to Go COOL. Posistive feel, dig the beat. It didnt sound like Sum 41. Well written song. Doesnt really fit the album. Wouldve made a good underclass hero song..but i like it alot. 9/10

Jessica Kill amazing, best sum 41 song that i have ever heard!! this is my favorite song on the album. And probably my favorite song ever. The bridge made me ejaculate. 10/10

What Am I to Say <3 sums slow songs. Gentle rock ballad this song was. Simalar to "Some Say"

Holy Image of Lies EpIc!!! at first i was very confused, but then the riff happened, and i had an orgasim 9.5/10

Sick of Everyone SOOO good, I like the involvment of the piano. The riff is a real ripper. 10/10

Happiness Machines this song was a good way to end dark road out of hell. The song written was very well done. I like the spazz out sound in the beggining 8.5/10

Crash i cryed 10/10

Blood in My eyes the most badass riff that sum 41 has ever created!! GREAT lyrics!! I just wish they played the riff more than twice. Especially after the last chorus- It wouldve really kicked!! but its a really good song. Deryck really screams it out in thiss song 9.5/10

Baby You dont wanna know felt unusual, didnt sound like it fit the album. The song didnt feel like the sum 41 vibe. BUT IT WAS SO SEXY!! 7.5/10

Back Where I Belong great way to end the album. It is written well and the instrumental at the end was unstoppable!! 9/10

Exit Song Now what I REALLY love-is how the album ended how it started!! with the weird warped random vocal effects. Reminds me of the end of 88 after the instrumental breakdown. Good calm wind-down from the explosiveness of the album 9/10

[Volted]

Sorry, this might be long, and I was going to put this up on the day or day after the North American release, but I realized that I might be busy around those days, so today is as good a day.

Reason To Believe - To me, this track seems more like an introduction than an actual song, only because it doesn't follow a typical verse/chorus/verse format. This song is very varied in tempo, tone, and instruments, so to me, this song is a great introduction for the rest of the album which in a way, does the same thing; this song lets you know the rest of the album is not any straightforward album. The lyrics of the song slightly remind me of the beginning lyrics of 'Speak Of The Devil' in relation of a question of belief and a faith.

Screaming Bloody Murder - A very good choice for a first single, the introduction and ending of the song are similar, providing a good contrast for the majority of the song. This song is aggressive and contains one of my favorite riffs in the entire album; I only wish they used the riff again somewhere in the song. The chorus is memorable, and even after listening to the song so many times before the album came out, I still enjoy this song as part of a whole album. The song always reminds me of the video game Left 4 Dead 2 because I was playing that game at the time this song played on that radio that everyone was waiting on. To me, the song sounds like a loss of faith and a tirade against all the bad things that happens.

Skumfuk - Again, even though I've heard this song many times before the album was released, I still enjoy this song. The chorus is catchy, the verses are aggressive, and the intro and ending are soft but meaningful. The new introduction gives me the feeling of being near or around an airplane runway and feels very haunting. The end of the song has some very powerful lyrics. However, I don't see a link in the lyrics of the introduction/ending of the song to the majority of the song, being a complete lashing out at a specific individual.

Time For You To Go - This attempt for a different style ended up successful. However, with the aggression in the last track and the track after this, it seems a little out of place. It's really catchy, and I'm not one to hate a song because of how it differs. The guitars give the song a rock n roll feeling reminding me of The Hives more than anything. The solo is impressive.

Jessica Kill - Lyrically and musically one of my favorite tracks in the album. Even knowing the inspiration of the song and the synopsis of the song, the ambiguity of the lyrics leads to a darker and intense feeling of violence without having much violent imagery. To me, the song sounds like a desperate love for someone to the point of self-mutilation. The chorus is loud and aggressive while the verses are softer and definitely keeps the violent feelings contained, reserved for the chorus. Also one of the only songs in the album to not have lyrics that contains the song title (or a variation).

What Am I To Say - This softer song of the album very much reminds me of one of Sum 41's previous songs, but the meaning of the song is the exact opposite of said song. Given the events occuring between Underclass Hero and Screaming Bloody Murder, this song is more passionate. The song also contains one of my favorite lines in the album, "I don't believe in hell but I just might be there tonight" really separates this soft song from any of their previous work and adds the dark tone to this song.

Holy Image Of Lies - I really hate to say this but it might just be because I refuse to believe it, but the beginning of the song really sounds like My Chemical Romance up to the solo/riff/thing. This song is the first part of the epic twelve minute song. Like Reason To Believe was foreshadowing, this song is made up of several parts, and each part contrasts each other very much. Another one of my favorite lines is in this album "in just one life how can we live enough to rest in peace?" The song reflects a dream like state, possibly an out of body experience, involving desperate grasps of reality, and confusion of what is real or in the persona's mind. Despite these meanings, this song in my opinion is weakened by its lack of repeating chorus, and it really has to be part of something more.

Sick Of Everyone - I love the introduction of this song and how sudden it changes from the previous track. The meaning is obvious, and you can hear the aggression and anger in the chorus and the first riff of the song. The first verse is one my favorite parts of the song, with the piano/drum/vocal combination and I was hoping they'd include another verse in that fashion after the chorus. The chorus is very angry and I love it. Instead of being confused and self-analyzing like the last song, this song seems to take out anger towards everyone instead. Of the three songs in the twelve minute song, this song seems to be the one that can stand by itself more than the others.

Happiness Machine - The transition from the last song to this song is sudden. The verses are dark, but the chorus (the first couple of times) sound soft and melodic. I enjoyed the change the chorus takes from the beginning of the song to the end of the song. At one point, the bridge really reminds me of Avenged Sevenfold, vocally and instrumentally. Finally the chorus returns but with the aid of instruments. However, the space of silence between the last chorus and the end of the twelve minute song is too awkward. I like that it does repeat some of the lines in Holy Image Of Lies and strengthens the twelve minute song as a whole.

Crash - I know this was inspired by a car crash, but the lyrics are so ambiguous that it is easy to relate it to the divorce. The real meaning behind the song is to live every day doing what you like, and not to hold back, because something might happen to end what you enjoyed, whether it be a car crash ending your life, or a divorce ending a relationship. The vocals are impressive, but I really find the lyrics mediocre, the only line that I really enjoyed was "I was supposed to grow old with you". I'm not saying that the song is bad at all, but I expected more out of this song, maybe sadder imagery deper lyrics. The use of piano makes the song more sentimental than anything else.

Blood In My Eyes - I like the introduction of the song. The riff after the introduction is even better, a favorite and upon my first listen to this song, I really thought the rest of the song would be in an aggressive fashion. However, the verses and chorus are both considerably slower. Still a strong song though, there's a lot of tempo changes and you can hear Deryck use his voice differently in the verses, singing higher than I've ever heard before. The bridge is great, but I would have liked the bass to have a bigger part of it than the guitars. Definitely a song about the divorce, in a much more aggressive way than What Am I To Say. This song always reminds me of Nietzsche because I was reading his book when I found out this song was streaming, so I associate this song with that.

Baby You Don't Wanna Know - Being the other song that doesn't share the same dark sound as the rest of the album, I like this song more than Time For You To Go. I find the chorus of this song catchier than the one in Time For You To Go, and even more than some of the other songs in the album. It definitely has a garage rock sound to it. The solo/bridge thing adds a strength to the song. This is also the only song on the album that I'm not really sure what it is about.

Back Where I Belong - This can easily be a strong closing song for the album. The lyrics of the song indicate this song brings the album to a full circle, beginning with anguish and ending with acceptance. The chorus is one of my favorites of the album, screaming confidence and determination into the open, as a way of not giving up. The bridge is impressive, and the chorus sung with muted instruments is a great part of the song, followed by the screams of the chorus again. It's a very inspirational song, saying no matter what brings you down or how hopeless it seems, that you can be strong and fight everything off.

Exit Song - I really thought I'd hate this song, or be apathetic about it, but this song, along with the previous song, brings the album full circle. It indicates a hope for answers, and an acceptance for what life has brought. Also that there's nothing else to say about problems, and everything that has been said has been said (like in Blood In My Eyes)

This album is one of the strongest albums I've ever had the privilege of listening to. Sum 41 has definitely grown up; Deryck used the pain and anger from the experiences in his life and expressed them in a very artistic way. The band has made the album sound very diverse and personal, completely lacking in any political or general songs, and using a first person view for every song. Not quite a concept album, all the songs are linked somehow to these bad experiences in life and complement each other in a way.

You can hear there's a running theme and even if the band denies it, a lot of the song can be about the divorce. Songs like Blood In My Eyes and What Am I To Say are obvious in meaning, but in songs like Time For You To Go, Crash, even Baby You Don't Wanna Know (still don't really know what that song is about) can have some link and influence from the divorce, even if Deryck denies is. There's a lot of question in faith, question in belief, easily results from bad things happening in life and wondering who's to blame or wondering if it's all reality, seen in Reason To Believe, Screaming Bloody Murder, Dark Road Out Of Hell. However, it's a great thing that the album ends with Back Where I Belong and Exit Song, as both those songs sound reflective and bring the album to a good conclusion.

You can hear Deryck's voice in the album change a few times. I will admit that there are times when I hear his voice sounding like My Chemical Romance (Skumfuk, Holy Image Of Lies), Muse (Blood In My Eyes), and Green Day (Baby You Don't Wanna Know), but if Deryck's voice can change like that to match the song he's singing, then it's still his voice, and eventually will not be compared to anyone else's but his own. He's not ripping off other voices, he just has a way of utilizing his voice to match the tone of the song.

I really think that none of these songs can fit in any previous songs, and that Sum 41 has reinvented themselves with a new sound for the album, which is a good thing because a band should concentrate on recreating something new, making new sounds and images through their music, and not have to refer to old songs for that. Anyone wanting old Sum 41 should listen to old Sum 41, because Sum 41 grew up and they're not about to go back for the sake of people who never grew up.

For singles, it's easy to make Time For You To Go or Baby You Don't Wanna Know singles because they're so catchy. Crash could easily be their single to attract new fans. Even though I doubt it, I would love it if they made a video involving the band in a car driving down the desert (like the photoshoot) for the three tracks of Dark Road Out Of Hell, with different backgrounds/imagery for each of the three parts, and ending with them escaping the hell.

I didn't rank the songs or give them ratings because each song is a vital part of making this album a whole. They make Screaming Bloody Murder the album that it is, and the experience the album gives anyone requires each song in it. I've listened to this album so many times already, using it as the music I listen to when I study or do work in the library on campus, and I'm sure I'm going to be listening to it for a long time.

Also, obvious reasons why the acoustic Reason To Believe didn't make it is because that would make the album redundant, and sound like a collection of songs instead of an album. In my opinion, it's good, not amazing or anything. We're The Same is a great song, but does not fit the theme of the album, and has a slight political, or at least worldly, meaning. The song definitely has a b-side feel to it. It's less personal, and promotes the acceptance of differences among other people. Instrumentally, it sounds amazing too; the bass is incredible. If Deryck completely gets over his feelings of anger towards the bad years of his life, I would hope they use that song in a new album making a completely new sound.

[stevie486]

My Play.com Review - Rated 5 stars out of 5 stars

Just submitted

As a huge fan of this band. This album has a new and different sound to their previous work but it still keeps what fans like about Sum 41. They always have done something different each album, this album is truly great, possibly some of their best work yet. My favourite songs are "Reason To Believe", "Sick Of Everyone", "Time For You To Go", "Jessica Kill", "Blood In My Eyes", "Crash", plus "Scumfuk" and the first single "Screaming Bloody Murder" !

[Lars]

From some random site:

For new listeners to Sum 41, this album might be an awesome listen. But as an avid Sum 41 fan, Screaming Bloody Murder is a huge letdown. I can’t even be mad, just disappointed.

[drewd007]

Here's my review from my blog I just started that no one will read...

Sum 41 returns after a 3 1/2 year gap in between albums with their most "mature" album to date. As has been the case with their previous full lengths you'd be somewhat surprised to realize that it's the same band as before, but like previous albums it still has that distinctive Sum 41 touch to it. The album as a whole features several somewhat unconventional shifts from heavy and aggressive to soft and mellow throughout, which seems to be the case with several of the songs on the album. "Reason to Believe" is the first track off the album and the first to demonstrate this trait. It begins with a heavier feel to it, driven by the drums which then transitions to a faster middle and concludes with a soft touch accentuated by a piano.

The opening is followed by the title track "Screaming Bloody Murder" which begins and ends with a 'slow part' with the majority of the song being a kick your ass track somewhat reminiscent of the 'Chuck' era. This really is one of the highlights of the album and was an obvious choice for the first single. Next comes "Skumfuk", the main part of which was 'leaked' last summer. It appears on the album with an interesting intro tacked on which smoothly transitions into the meat of the song. The vocals of the song somewhat resemble My Chemical Romance, but in a Sum 41 kind of way if that makes any sort of sense.

Next comes somewhat of a head scratcher in "Time For You To Go". It's not that the song is bad, it's just that it does not really fit in with the sound of the rest of the album. I can't quite put my finger on what exactly kind of sound it is, but I guess it's kind of classic rock sound that seems like it'd fit in great in a movie montage where someone is driving down Route 66 or something. After this comes "Jessica Kill" just an aggressive song all the way through that seems like it would have fit in perfectly with 'Does This Look Infected?' From what I've gathered it's a song about a guy who is in love with a serial killer, which needlessly to say is an interesting concept.

"What Am I To Say" is the first slow song, which I think is fairly obviously about Deryck's breakup with Avril. I know quite a few people don't care for the slower songs, but I've always found Sum 41 to do them rather well. The chorus begins with what I think is just a wonderfully clever, yet heartbreaking lyric: 'How could you be the better part of me/When we're only half of what we used to be?' Deryck's vocals should also be commended here as I think he does a great job, especially in the bridge.

The next three songs are part of one greater song in "Dark Road Out of Hell". It begins with "Holy Image of Lies" which continues the trend of the first three songs in the sudden shifts from the heavier to softer, etc I think now would be a good place to mention that Deryck recorded all the guitars for this album, which I think should shut up some of the doubters who claim the band isn't the same since Dave left (regardless of the fact that Deryck wrote pretty much everything except solos). The next part of the trio is "Sick of Everyone" which has a great intro and then with the verse has this catchy music and to me what is another great lyric: 'While looking for the answers only questions come to mind' and has a catchy chorus that Sum 41 is known for. Completing the trifecta is "Happiness Machines", which could almost be considered two songs in itself with 'Happiness Machines' being the bulk of the song and the last minute being an outro for the three songs. It is just a great song that once again has the hard and soft parts and the catchiness all in one neat little package. My only gripe is that I feel the outro could've been better connected to "Happiness Machines" as towards the end there are some background vocals that could've transitioned very nicely as opposed to the abrupt ending and then the outro.

Next up is "Crash" which is a piano ballad said to be about a car crash that Deryck had witnessed. It's a nice little song, but in someways it's a little cheesy. I'm sure some will mistake it for being about Avril, but once you get into it, it's quite obviously not. Going from a song that isn't about Avril to one that I think is, "Blood In My Eyes". Thus far it is certainly my favorite track. The main riff is somewhat Muse-eqsue and just has this great heavy sound throughout with just a rocking bridge and Deryck's vocals are top notch. Possibly my favorite lyric from the album is found here in: "And now war's declared, drawing the battle lines/And I can't see straight anymore with all of this blood in my eyes"

This is followed by "Baby You Don't Wanna Know" a song in the same classic rock driving music vein as "Time For You To Go", which again is not a bad song, but just doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album. "Back Where I Belong" sort of ties the whole album together with an aggressive song that would be the lovechild of 'Infected?' and 'Chuck'. Like I said it ties the album together as at the end some of the parts from "Reason to Believe" conclude the song.

But wait it's not over, we've been given 'Exit Song' a nice little mellow song that is just a subtle end to a great album. There's really no 'misses' on the album just a couple tracks may have been better off as B-sides as they kind of clash with the sound on the rest of the album. I mentioned a couple lyrics, but didn't comment on them as a whole and it once again shows growth from earlier material much like Underclass Hero (which may not have been as spectacularly musically, but I think had the best Sum 41 lyrics to date).

Grade: A
Need to listen to: "Screaming Bloody Murder", "Blood In My Eyes"

[Susanne]

I'd like to write one too, but I haven't listened to it enough to come up with any reasonable opinions. There's just a huge mess in my head and everything's all scattered :P But after a couple of days I think I'm gonna try.

[gejmik]

I'd like to write one too, but I haven't listened to it enough to come up with any reasonable opinions. There's just a huge mess in my head and everything's all scattered :P But after a couple of days I think I'm gonna try.

yeah, I feel the same. Right now I wouldn't find anything that I don't like about this album. (not saying I'll find anything, but I can't know :D) I just think, that right now I would make it best record ever made. Which it is for me right now, but yeah, there are some more epic ones out there.

[LTS]

Here's my review (more of running commentary than a review)

Starting from purchasing the CD to the end of the it, my thoughts.

* I hate Best Buy. This was on sale for $9 or so a few days back, and I ended up paying full price.

*Looking at the CD Spine, did they get a new typeface for their name?

*I like the cover. Band name and album name are present and not hard to find. And it doesn't feature Deryck spitting phlegm on the ground!

*If the shrinkwrap seal reads 'SUM 41- SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER (EXPLICIT)" why is there no PA sticker and why is Skumfuk censored on the back.

*Speaking of, what the hell's with the censoring only one letter thing? We all know what it is. Skumfek? Skumfok? Skumfik? Skumflk? Skumf$k? WHAT IS THAT ONE SINGLE LETTER THAT THEY CENSORED!!!

*14 tracks, that's more than UH had, right?

*Glancing at the tracklisting, I instantly noticed "Reason to Beleive'. Sigh. Another unoriginal song name. Pennywise & Dashboard Confesional have used that name.

*They sure do love that formula of putting the lead single as track 2.

*Is a Dark Road Out of Hell really a 3 part song? 3 part as in ultra long kind of like Jesus of Suburbia? Or just 3 tracks thrown on with an over-title?

*I love how the final track is called "Exit Song" Reminds me of The Doors' LA WOMAN, with the final track called "The End"

*Apparently, the Lord-Alge's are the only music mixers on the entire planet. try and find a CD without their name somewhere on it. It can't be done.

*Somewhat surprised to see it was produced by Deryck. I sorta kinda expected to see that guy from Treble Charger or that guy who worked with Nirvana.

*Opening it up after getting off the annoying shrink-wrap, I love the actual CD artwork. Nice simple, you know it's Sum 41 and nobody else.

*The CD isn't filled. Not even close. How long is this? Is this the reason why they didn't give track times on the back? Please don't tell me this is just a half hour [of power]...

*Looking at the back of the insert, it's interesting. When did Island merge with Def Jam?

*First page, "Look here's a photo of our band, and that other guy that plays guitar but he's not an actual member of our band even though he goes a little further than 'tour guitarist'

*Flipping through, a bunch of random looking photos. Kind of reminds me of that one Pearl Jam album's artwork.

*wow. No 3 page long "thank you" section, no 4 page long credits section. did they forget those in the booklet?

*oh, there's the thank you on the back inlet, "Thanks for everyone who made this record possible - the sums"
That takes not giving a fuck to a whole new level. Chuck's 'thank you' section was like a huge chunk of text. what they put in this seems like it was just copy and pasted onto the design seconds before it went to print.


-Reason to Beleive: Nice drum beat. Guitar is heavier than I expected from the Sums. I'm kind surprised the bass is so clear. Normally, it's drowned out in the background. This album so far is better produced/mixed/whatever the hell than their previous albums. Oh! Piano part! awesome. This song is awesome so far.

-Screaming Bloody Murder: I'm hearing that certain guitar tone mixed with a bit of piano in the begginning that I think is starting to become Sum 41's signature tone, kind like how Green Day has that surf-rock riff. Wow. Guitar drums & bass are kicking it up a notch. "Bloody Murder we will scream" And they've mentioned the song/album name, good job! This album is sounding more like DTLI So far than anything from UH, especially with the heavier riffs. I like it. That solo is pretty nice. There's not much of a transition between tracks. Not too important, but it's always a nice touch when tracks 'bleed' into each other on albums.

-Skumfek : Opening riff almost sounded like something from A Downward Spiral by NIN for a second.
Random change in pace & structure. Some bands can't do that very well, but the Sums get away with it pretty good. I love the singing/piano only parts. Deryck's voice sounds different than it has in the past.

-Time for you to go: Another nice start to a track. It starts to waver off a bit around 1:10, and until the solo, is more 'meh' than "awesome'. BASS SOLO. Poor cone, always gets 5 second bass solos. Welcome to Hell is the only song I can think of off the top of my head where he gets a legitimate bass solo. The main riff in this song is weak. Ending is a typical 'pound the drums and slow down until end' that too many bands use nowadays.

-Jessica Kill: Sounds like the Hell song. Really, really like the Hell song in terms of style. now the 'tell me the difference between...' segment sounds like it's straight off of Chuck. If anyone's annoyed by my comparing to previous works, sorry, that's how I rate music. Ending of that song is awesome. And what's this? A transition between songs?!?

-What Am I to Say: And it starts off as the "Deryck wanted to do a slow song" that has to be on every album. Not complaining, they're good, but it kind of sticks out against the heavier stuff. Reminds me a bit of Walking Disaster or one of those more obscure songs from UH. that little solo at 2:50 sounds a lot like something that was inspired by a Slash solo of Use Your Illusion II

-A Dark Road out of hell:
holy image of lies: Woah. This doesn't even sound like a Sum 41 song. 1:18, very interesting drum beat there. Side note: Deryck needs to be banned from using the word goodbye. And that riff. This still doesn't sound like a Sum 41 song. That marching riff. Love it. that little slow down before the rapid-fire piano riff (NICE!) sounds exactly like the riff of 'Take me out' by Franz Ferdinand. What the hell is this? There is a piano, a fast piano, with instruments too! It's not just singing and slow piano.

-Sick of everyone: when I heard that piano bit, I expected the song to be in french. And more driving piano. Isn't this that same single key thing they did on that one single they released between the two albums?
at 1:48, what is that? It sounds like a wah-wahed bass or something. It's interesting, that's for sure. Also, please don't let them use the phrase 'I'm not okay" either. that part with the subtle bass is epic.

-Happiness Machine: Is Sum 41 trying Trash Metal? What the hell is going on? that guitar is awesome. And end the trashiness. Aww. and it's back, under a good sounding vocalities (i just made up a word!). And there's that 'signature riff' again. I swore i just heard the lyrics "I swear I don't have Japanese scars to heal"? Regrets over the Greatest hits album? Oh, that guitar part. This still doesn't sound like a Sum 41 song. namedrop that song title again! I just thought the song was over, but it was just a random full stopage of any music for a second or two. Why? Who knows. there's that 'record noises' again? Is it time to sing comedy songs in french? Nope, just the last bit

-Crash: It's called crash, because this is where the momentum of the album crashes. I like slower songs, but I've always thought if you're going to have much heavier ones, the slower ones need to be tacked onto the very end of the album. I imagine the conversations in the studio, "Please don't do any more slow songs" "That ain't gonna happen". And now time for the obglitory "is this song about Avril?" Sounds like it.

-Blood in my eyes: So they got blood in their eyes, while screaming bloody murder? that riff. If you take out the bumbling guitar part at the end of the riff, it totally sounds like a Green Day song. But once everything else picks up, It's clearly the Sums! Not Green Day 75 [has that reference run thin yet? Nope? Okay.] More DTLI Sounding stuff. I wonder what this album would have sounded like if Dave was still in the band. Steve's drum fills aren't anything special, but he does them so good, I like em each time. "leaving with blood in my eyes' hey, that's on the album art. whoah, 3:20 that part is epic epic epic epic epic epic. They should make those parts longer.

-Baby Don't Wanna Know: [Resist from saying it sounds like Green Day, Resist fromsayingitsoundslikeGreenDay] This song Sounds like pure Sum 41! [ResistfromsayingitsoundslikeGreenDay] Just nothing but good ol' Sum 41. [OH COME ON, EVEN THE RANDOM 'HEY' AT THE END OF THE SEGMENT] I like how much this sounds like Sum 41 band and no other bands I've ever heard, ever. So, so Original. [What's on May 4th in Japan? Yeah. that.] Sure do love this song! Best song on the album so far! [THANKGODITsOVER] Did anyone else think this song sounded a bit Green Day-y?

-Back Where I Belong: Now, I'll try and stop the comparing to other bands thing, but the beginning of this, and the title makes it sound like they are trying to emulate Linkin Park, circa 2004. Most of this album still doesn't sound like a Sum 41 album. There hasn't been a song that's jumped out and went "OH MY! CLICK REPEAT!" Hopefully they'll grow on me. "I'm back where I belong" Yup. That is, not singing slow songs with piano's in them. Phew. that riff is still pretty awesome. Backwards stuff at the end, plus the drum beat from that song from UH.

-Exit Song: There's the trademark short sum 41 song that they just have to throw on. Completely pointless.


RANDOM: The Guitarwork on this album isn't a weakness. I'm kind of surprised. On UH, that was a weakness, in my opinion. It has been stepped up.

MORE RANDOM: I full expect a future song to have the lyrics: "Goodbye! I've had enough. I'm not okay. Goodbye. TIme has been goodbye. Enough of Goodbye this time. Enough of okay having goodbye. Baby, Goodbye, I've Time your goodbye enough of hading baby goodbye time enough! BITTER END"

RANDOM 3: This doesn't really feel like a Sum 41 album. This doesn't really feel like an album. This feels like 11 songs thrown together, plus a dark road out of hell, which practically could have been an EP on it's own.

RANDOM 4: Sum 41 has been around since 1999, and now have the same number of albums as Guns N' Roses. Who have been around for over 10 years more. I'm facepalming hard.

Overall Thoughts: Eh. Not their best work. It just felt weird. Like when you see an old friend and find out they're all different. In a bad way. I really enjoyed the harder parts in the beginning, but i feel they should have cut this album in half and just ended it after Happiness Machine, called it an EP, and moved on. It just sort of falls apart after that. The First half & specifically the Dark Road out of Hell segment saves it enough for me to give it a decent score.

Best Track: Happiness Machine
Worst Track: Baby You Don't Wanna Know

OVERALL GRADE I'd GIVE IT: 6 out of 10.



Here's how I Rank it with other Sum 41 albums:

1. Chuck- 9/10
2. Half Hour of Power- 8.4/10
3. Does This Look Infected- 8.3/ 10
4. Underclass Hero- 7.1/10
5. Screaming Bloody Murder 6/10
6. All Killer No Filler 5.8/10


Yes, I think All Killer no Filler is the worst sum 41 album. I'd almost have this tied with UH, but UH has a few songs that stand out as "I am definately listening to this over and over again" and I never really got that feeling with this album.



- I'll edit this post in a while after I listen to the album for a bit, this is the initial rection.
-EDIT: It has been edited

[Dylan]

H
*Somewhat surprised to see it was produced by Deryck. I sorta kinda expected to see that guy from Treble Charger or that guy who worked with Nirvana.

*Looking at the back of the insert, it's interesting. When did Island merge with Def Jam?

1) they'll never work with Nori again, and Butch Vig was never gonn be producer of this album, you're think of Gil Norton who worked with Foo Fighters.

2) uh... since always? actually, 1999 -at least always of sum 41's career.

[LTS]

H
*Somewhat surprised to see it was produced by Deryck. I sorta kinda expected to see that guy from Treble Charger or that guy who worked with Nirvana.

*Looking at the back of the insert, it's interesting. When did Island merge with Def Jam?

1) they'll never work with Nori again, and Butch Vig was never gonn be producer of this album, you're think of Gil Norton who worked with Foo Fighters.

2) uh... since always? actually, 1999 -at least always of sum 41's career.

1. NOOOOOO(ri)!
2. Hm. I just now noticed.

[JDM13]

to give this one a crack, I'm gonna split the album up into parts

Part 1: You can call this the 'start slow finish slow part' which features reason to believe, screaming bloody murder and scumfuk.

first impressions of this of course are "OMG SUM 41 <33333" but then you gotta really take a more in-depth look at the album. The first track, reason to believe, at first i loved, but to me is one of the weakest tracks on the album. It starts off so strong with the opening riff. But the soft finish is really a let down, the build up to the faster part is so epic and then suddenly stops. i feel that more could be added to the song.

next is screaming bloody murder, again starts soft, but really comes into an epic guitar riff. simple yet effective. this power and energy continues through the whole song, and really starts the album up. again ends soft, but it fits in really well with this song.

Scumfuk again starts soft. this intro seems really pointless to me and doesn't fit really well with the rest of the song. it sounds like a part of another song stuck infront of this song. however the rest of the song i really enjoy. it's short, powerful and can really get a crowd going with its energy live. the soft ending again also fits pretty well.

part 2 is where we see songs become more in-depth and energetic.

Time for you to go follows this track and has really come to be one of my favorites. simply because it's so different. the song is very reminiscent of pure rock and i really like the fact that they're experimenting with different sounds and styles. the solo is very un-sum 41 and i can see this track fitting into the setlist with a lot of energy.

next is jessica kill, probably the best song on the album. just pure epicness. the chorus is so powerful. not to mention the guitar tones. not much to say about this song because it's simply THAT good.

what am i to say sort of tones down the already set energy by previous songs. it draws similarities to with me, but it just blows with me out of the park. the guitar tones (the solo mainly), melodies, everything just seem to flow so well together. technically, this song is really good.

the next part features the 12 minute song, dark road out of hell.
starting things off is holy image of lies. i love this part. the way it uses lighter parts with heavier parts is really good. its very catchy and draws on a lot of energy at it's build up (the dadada dadada dadadadadada part).it just keeps building and building until sick of everyone comes in

sick of everyone i absolutely love. the riff is just so badass and catch you cant help but just wanting to rock the fuck out to it. again uses light/heavy linking parts really well. the chorus very catchy. however this seems to be where this song ends for me. adding the opening riff as an outro sort of sums up the song.

happiness machine to me doesnt seem part of the 12 minute song. it's a song in its own and just doesnt fit musically to the rest of the parts. however this doesn't mean it's not a good song. heavy, dark, just so good the way it flows in itself between light and heavy parts of the song. again showing that sum 41 aren't a one dimensional band.

part 3 has some of the best tracks in it. it really shows the band's musical broadness and how deep songs can go.

crash is next to calm the mood of the listener. this track is simply beautiful. it's just perfect. the piano, guitars and vocals just fit so perfect with each other.

blood in my eyes follows with high energy with one of the best riffs on the album. it's lyrics are so dark and the music really reflects on this. the breakdown is epic and when played live, i see fans going absolutely fucking mental!

baby you don't wanna know. i love this song. its one of my favourites. pure rock right here provides variety in the album. hearing this, you can't help but just to tap you feet along with it as it's THAT catchy.

back where i belong follows. strong, powerful lyrics combine well with the music. the bridge that follows the soft acoustic part is epic. again, see fans letting rip at this live.

exit song, ehhh i would of liked the album to end on a high but i guess it's alright to end it all. each instrument in the song combines really well with the lyrics. not much to really write about this song.

we're the same, a bonus track which is very unlucky to not make the cut of the album. a great song. absolutely love it. not much else to really say about it

Overall, this album is REALLY good. each song has its own persona about it. different guitar tones, their structure, just makes this album really good. i like the fact that each song is different, it really presents how broad sum 41 can be. i just don't see how this draws comparisons to MCR or greenday. sum 41 yet again, is always keeping things fresh. not a punk band anymore. i see them as just straight up rock.

[maxpayne4664]

My very quick track by track review on SBM (don't expect a lot of details):

1) Reason To Believe - By far the strongest aspect of this song is the "chorus". I really wish it kept that momentum instead of ending it with a piano outro.

2) Screaming Bloody Murder - One of the standout tracks on the album. It's fantastic as a whole and an excellent choice for the first single.

3) Skumfuk - I love the intro but I don't think it fits well with the rest of the song. That being said, I really enjoy Skumfuk. It's short and fast, catchy, and Deryck's vocals are strangely unique in this track.

4) Time For You To Go - Reminds me of Oasis. I liked this track a lot at first but after listening to it so many times, nothing really stands out. Not too much variety in the music department.

5) Jessica Kill - One of my favorites in the album. It's fast and furious. The lyrics are pretty cool (I love the "I JUST WANNA FEEL YOU CUM!). Definitely sounds like a track from Does This Look Infected?.

6) What Am I To Say - My least favorite song on the album. I find it very boring and bland. Only cool thing about it is the guitar solo/bridge section and the drums.

7) Holy Image of Lies - This is a very busy song. It starts off normally and does an epic transition near the middle. Later on, the piano comes in and we get these cymbal crashes. First half is okay, second half is awesome.

8) Sick of Everyone - Another fast paced song. It's also one of my favorites. Catchy chorus.

9) Happiness Machine - Very sluggish song. It's heavy but slow. The bridge section is pretty cool.

10) Crash - Probably in my top 3 if I had to rank the songs in SBM. Crash is basically Deryck all alone with a piano (and a guitar in the background). Lyricswise, I think it's one of Sum 41's best songs.

11) Blood In My Eyes - Badass riff. Shame that it only shows up twice in the song. Bridge section is crazy with some nifty bass work from Cone.

12) Baby You Don't Wanna Know - Another Oasis-esque song. Very enjoyable song. I like this more than Time For You To Go.

13) Back Where I Belong - It's a good song overall especially near the end when it goes bat**** crazy with that riff.

14) Exit Song - I guess you could say this is a nice way to close the album, although I wouldn't mind if this was taken out of the album.

Bonus tracks:
Reason To Believe (acoustic) - I love it. Both versions are great but Deryck's vocal delivery in the acoustic makes me prefer this version more.

We're The Same - Very upbeat and catchy song in my opinion with a cool solo.

[Jeremy Kill]

Well, I have let this album sink in for quite some time now and I've finally decided to do a short review (I hope it turns out short... I'm winging it from here). Keep in mind that this is all my opinion, but I'm just trying to avoid saying "I think" and "I feel"... etc. throughout the entire review.

The entire album is a cohesive mess of mood swings with many of the songs sharing a central theme. Reason to Believe is a powerful opener and sets the tone of the album and what to expect. The claps really accentuate the snapping of the snare drum and the growl in Deryck's voice when singing "a dead end in every direction" and "can't get everything you want now" provide a more believable anger that hasn't been present since Chuck and only slightly in King of Contradiction. The last half of the song creates an easy transition to the title track, which resembles the closest to a "classic" Sum 41 song.

There is some hit and miss on this album with some songs that don't have as much longevity as others. Songs such as Time for You to Go, What Am I to Say and Happiness Machine seemed to get old very quickly. A Dark Road Out of Hell is the definite highlight to the album and is a journey from one musical idea to the next. However, it is brushed off by some people for not being fully developed and more of a mess than an actual arranged song.

After many listens, the first half of the album comes off as more interesting and the most enjoyable compared to the second half where only one or two songs really hold my attention.

The lyrics are somewhat forgettable compared to Underclass Hero. The album has its moments though, where the lyrics do stick in your head like "In just one life..." from Holy Image of Lies. Deryck said himself he just wrote whatever came out and he wasn't even sure himself what some of the lyrics meant.

While it is possible that many songs could be improved by adding in an extra chorus or taking away a verse, the premise of the album is a "We're back, fuck you" attitude that even shows through the music. The music doesn't care if it doesn't flow and it doesn't care what the listener thinks. It just does whatever it wants.

This is Sum 41's most creative work to date, but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece. It's a step in the right direction though.