Sum 41 - Screaming Bloody Murder

I'm so over this band by 2011 and now they surface again after four years with Screaming Bloody Murder the funny thing is that when they are doing what they usually do best, pop punk they fail nearly every time. It's when they drop a song like "What Am I To Say" they shine brighter. I don't know why they can't write spunky concise pop punk anymore without sounding nearly emo/screamo.

The band gets their Panic! @ The Disco, Fallout Boy, My Chemical Romance going on much of the album always sitting deep inside those bands shadow. Whibley and company don't embrace their love of glam rock and heavy metal enough this time which would have been a much better emulation of sound for the album. I'd prefer to hear a new Treble Charger album a band that does this sound to a much better end and one listen to "Sick Of Everyone" will prove that without malice. When Sum 41 does lean towards their metal influences the music is much more interesting as "Happiness Machine-gun" proves. Probably the most cohesive progressive tune on the album that works the Nirvana style loud-soft-loud-soft-loud formula to a very good conclusion.

The piano ballad "Crash" sounds like it was stolen off of a Something Corporate album and that's not saying much considering how derivative that band turned out to be. The dirgy crush of "Blood In My Eyes" is one of the albums most successful moments. It's probably the last song they wrote in the studio because it seems to have a spark and spontaneity that is otherwise missing on the record. It's not a Billy Talent or AFI quality song but it walks in their footsteps for sure. The AFI comparisson continues onto the next song "Baby You Don't Wanna Know" and it is another of the standouts that keep the album from being a total piece of dog doo doo. The airy breeze of "Exit" and it's short length make it a nice closing to a very weak and disappointing album after having four years to write and create and record. It's time for this band to re-invent themselves and figure out who they want to be because neutered wanna be pop punk with a Queen bend isn't what will keep this band from heading to has been land.