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Chuck
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 11 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 54 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Island
Release Date: 12 October 2004
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Alternative, Rock
Summary
The Canadian punk-pop outfit returns with a fourth LP, produced by Greig Nori. The disc is named after a UN worker (Chuck Pelletier) who helped the band escape violence in the Congo while they were there shooting a film.
Also By This Artist: Does This Look Infected? Underclass Hero
Also On The Web: Sum 41 @ Island
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
E! Online
But whether they're being snotty or serious, there is a constant thread at work: those catchy melodies.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
It may sound heinous on paper, but trust us, the first single, "We're All To Blame," is far better than it has a right to be. [8 Oct 2004, p.112]
All Music Guide
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.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
Chuck's heavy melodies find a balance between ADD guitar wank and next year's prom-night hit. [28 Oct 2004, p.102]
Blender
The ceaselessly blistering tone does get overbearing. [Nov 2004, p.145]
Alternative Press
Unfortunately, the band overcompensate for all the testosterone with modern-rock romps like "Some Say" and with bland ballads like "Slipping Away." [Dec 2004, p.142]
Dot Music
Crucially, if you stick with a formula, the least you can do is improve it. Unfortunately "Chuck" doesn’t and there’s nothing that’s even remotely equal to "Fat Lip" or "All Messed Up".
Read Full Review >New Musical Express
[Their] penchant for pastiche has evolved... into full-blown plagiarism. [9 Oct 2004, p.57]
The Guardian
The spiky quartet furnish their usual shouty vocals with grinding riffola and twiddly guitar solos, just as the rest of the post-Linkin Park world are realising nu metal wasn't such a good idea.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
Too melodic for metal fans and too heavy for the pop-punk kids who made them famous. [Nov 2004, p.127]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 54 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Ross S. gave it a10:
All sum 41 music is awesome!!!
Music Lover gave it a6:
The album was okay, but I expected more from the Ajax boys.
J Arch gave it a9:
Excellent CD, with a substantially different siund to the previous albums. A heavier more mature sound from a group that has claerly undergone change. Most noticeably different are the lyrics, which are no longer just teen ramblings, but based upon their experiences they had prior to the album recording, when they were in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
DIPP ADAMS gave it an8:
The first melodies are good, but the rest of th
Zift K gave it an8:
Probably my favorite group of this generation, and a great CD for any Sum 41 fan.
Ignacio B gave it a9:
I'm a fan from Sum 41 and I listen them from Half Hour of Power. Chuck show us a well-mixed crossover of all of the Sum 41 styles from the early Pop-Punk to their Alternative Rock and Metal, this is probably the best record of Sum 41 ever. Since this record they are not anymore something like "the shadow of blink" or "the younger brothers of Green Day" but they now shown a new signature style that give Sum 41 more identity and differs them a little more from similar bands. The bests songs of the rescord are "No Reason", "We're All To Blame", "Angels With Dirty Faces" and "Welcome To Hell" because in them they mixed every of the genres of the album. Another good songs are the alternative rock style "Pieces" and the classic metal inspired "The Bitter End".
Max R gave it a9:
When you judge Sum 41 you have to put it in to perspective. Saying that they are un-original, copying guitar riffs, or plagairizing is irrelevant. You must realize this before you degrade them. So one of their lines came out sounding like it was ripped from another band. I must ask, so what? All bands materialize their form through influence, and that's what keeps a solid popular theme of music alive. If they aren't allowed to be somewhat like any other band...what are they supposed to do? As far as I know, the word "Original and new" doesn't exist in this genre anymore or any other music for that matter until some new kind of music is created. Every band is essentially composed of musicians that have been tainted by the success of other musicians, so the idea of one band suddenly sounding like another is inevitable. It really is a non-issue. Back to Sum 41, I must say that I have grown to be very fond of their music despite the fact that I have absolutely no past experience with band obsessions. I listened to their albums backwards in reverse timeline, from Chuck to Half hour of Power. Chuck is no doubt their best album to date. Through-out all of their music you can sense that they are "growing up". From "All killer" to "chuck!" there is a huge maturity gap that they have crossed and it takes a real music lover to notice and appreciate that. To be blatant, their music went from up-beat/Pop-rock such as Blink 182(that they display in all killer no filler) to a hardcore, emo sort of metal/rock(which they showed in chuck!). With "Does this look infected?" in the middle, seeming very much like their crossing point. Don't put Sum 41 on the big scale yet, because it's true. They are still finding their "thing", their style, their band's personality. But at the very least it would be a crime to say that they are not close to figuring out what they do best. Chuck to me is a 9 because they are finally finding themselves, and they are preaching it through the right kind of music. The only reason I wouldn't give it a 10 is because Sum 41's style and music has been all but consistent. But that is normal and with Chuck it is very clear that they are on to something, and I can't wait to see what they will discover about themselves next.
