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THE REVIEW
The year was 2002, and the Canadians Sum 41, after the media and commercial success in 2001 with "All Killer No Filler", were desperately trying to maintain their success while sticking to their (only) career idea: 'new album, new style'. This is more or less how "Does This Look Infected?" was born, an evidently more aggressive album with darker atmospheres than its predecessor, which featured a cheerful tracklist of pure pop-punk. And perhaps, in their own small way, the four of them succeeded. They presented an album that managed to retain the success gained in 2001, presenting 12 songs of a genre not well defined, halfway between punk-rock and punk-pop, of which the singles "The Hell Song" and "Still Waiting" climbed the charts worldwide, thanks to the musical quality displayed, rather than the party and fun style of "Fat Lip" and "In too deep".
No Intro this time, it starts off spectacularly with "The Hell Song", where guitar riffs paired with a phenomenal chorus have a simply grand effect. The same goes for track No. 2, "Over my Head (better off Dead)", which fully immerses you into the album's atmosphere, only to emerge 35 minutes later. It continues with "My direction" and "Still Waiting", the second single. This particular song is perhaps one of the best in Sum 41's entire discography. The song is a confirmation, besides the evident change in sound, of the shift in themes addressed by the Canadians. Now much more serious, like the only episode from the previous album, "Fat Lip". An unfortunate episode for "A.N.I.C", a 30-second song that, despite being amusing, visibly clashes with the whole.
From "A.N.I.C" begins the so-called Mazzi e cazzi finché non stramazzi, which means an epic string of seven tracks with guitar riffs and shouted choruses worthy of the best Offspring. Particularly beautiful in the 'Post A.N.I.C' part are "All Messed Up" and "Thanks for Nothing". While on par with "The Hell Song" and "Still Waiting" there's certainly "No Brains" which starts shouted by Derick's voice and ends shouted by Derick's voice. An anthology ending for "Hooch", very fast for the first two minutes and slow for the next two, perfect conclusion of 40 minutes of absolute energy. "Forty minutes of Power", to stay on theme.
Yet another happy episode for Sum 41, who with "Does this Look Infected?" reaffirm themselves as absolute guardians of Pop-Punk (and not only, as shown by the subsequent "Chuck") in the 2000s.
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Summary by Bot
Sum 41's 2002 album Does This Look Infected? marks a successful shift towards a darker, more aggressive pop-punk style. The band balances serious themes with energetic guitar riffs and memorable choruses. Standout singles like The Hell Song and Still Waiting showcase the band’s musical growth. Despite a short outlier track, the album remains energetic and impactful throughout its 40-minute runtime, reaffirming Sum 41's position in 2000s pop-punk.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band associated with pop punk and punk rock, formed in 1996 in Ajax, Ontario. Reviews highlight their early pop-punk success and a notable heavier shift culminating in the album “Chuck,” followed by more divisive later-era releases.18 Reviews
Other reviews
By Gallagher87
It sounds like listening to the same song repeated several times with different keys.
I do not recommend spending money on this LP; maybe borrow it or ask Emule for help.
By Dany94
"I wrote this review to counter the general opinion of Sum 41, considered the typical preppy pseudo-punk band, while the themes of their songs are very serious and full of meaning."
"I think the drummer is the most valuable component of the band."
