Chuck - Sum 41
  • Band Name: Sum 41
  • Record Label: Island
  • Release Date: Oct 12, 2004
Chuck Image
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 68 Ratings

  • 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.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 11
  2. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. 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]
  2. 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.
  3. 60
    The ceaselessly blistering tone does get overbearing. [Nov 2004, p.145]
  4. 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".

See all 11 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 48
  2. Negative: 1 out of 48
  1. RossS.
    10
    All sum 41 music is awesome!!!
  2. DIPPADAMS
    8
    The first melodies are good, but the rest of th
  3. Mark
    7
    There are some great tracks, but the slow ones aren't memorable. My beef is that they don't incorporate their influences; they STEAL them. "We're all to blame" = Chop Suey by System of a Down. "Bitter End" = Battery by Metallica. "Some Say" = something by Oasis (don't know the title). There's more, I just can't place them yet (it's only been a day). I mean I love the fire Sum plays with, and the message, but they really need to get better at using all of their influences to build their own product. That's why this album doesn't flow consistently. BTW, as a metal fan, the guitar is actually really good at times... just wait until they hear some Scandinavian metal. Expand
  4. GregC
    4
    After "Does This Look Infected", I have to say that I'm very disappointed. While DTLI wasn't really original sounding, they had some good lyrics and were getting far as a band (and I still think that their first two albums had better songs with a more distinctive sound). But "Chuck" is just.... following the trend... a dieing trend. I guess they could have called this cd "Beating a Dead Horse" because that's all they're doing. I just got the cd and I wish I could return it, because I just wasted almost an hour that could have been used to do some work. So in the end, Sum 41 moved too far away from their good pop-punk/beastie boy sound that made them. Bless them for trying, but for the love of god go back to "All Killer No Filler" and stop this psuedo nu-metal BS. Expand

See all 48 User Reviews