Sum 41 – Heaven :x: Hell (Album Review)

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Paul 'Browny' Brown

Sum 41 – Heaven :x: Hell
Released: March 29, 2024

Lineup

Deryck Whibley // Vocalist & Guitarist
Cone McCaslin // Bassist
Tom Thacker // Guitarist
Dave Brownsound // Guitarist
Frank Zummo // Drummer

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“Once I heard the music, I was confident enough to say, ‘This is the record I’d like to go out on.’ We’ve made a double album of pop punk and metal, and it makes sense. It took a long time for us to pave this lane for ourselves, but we did, and it’s unique to us.” – Deryck Whibley

This is it. This is the final Sum 41 album to ever hit my ears, and to say I’m devastated would be an understatement. The Sums have been an integral part of our alternative music-loving lives since our early 2000s high school misfit years, and with every release, came a new way to relate to the Canadian-born rockers through their maturing yet stellar catalogue – some of which was well ahead of its time upon initial release.

So here we have album #8 Heaven :x: Hell with the Heaven side representing their pop punk roots and the Hell side reflecting their heavier, riff-centred rock and metal jams – brought together one last time before the group disband following a hefty final world tour.

Let’s enter the gates of Heaven…

Kicking things off is the latest single ‘Waiting On A Twist Of Fate‘ and it’s got big ~~dick~~ album opening energy. Soaring uptempo guitars take us to Deryck’s iconic vocals and immediately we’re taken back to the 2000s pop punk explosion. I’m hearing throwback sounds to the 2007 ‘Underclass Hero’ era (and a similar vibe to blink-182 too) and despite being under 3 minutes, it packs a worthy punch and immediately hooks you. ‘Landmines‘ is next and since its initial release in September 2023, I have found myself going back and being completely mesmerised by the arrangement. This is peak pop punk Sum 41 with short and punchy riffs and all killer (no filler) drum parts. As for the lyrics, you’ll without a doubt be screaming them along during these final shows – just like you did with ‘Fat Lip‘ or ‘In Too Deep‘ when you first saw them live for the first time. It’s fresh, yet nostalgic as fuck.

‘I Can’t Wait‘ turns the punk up to 11 and wouldn’t be out of place on a Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtrack. With its simple cord progression and fierce solos, it’s the upbeat anthem you’ve been searching for. ‘Time Won’t Wait‘ slows things down momentarily with a balladesque opening as Whibley sings, ‘It’s about time I call up to meet you / don’t say it’s too late to make a move / I know what us two could lead to / heartaches, good sex and some bad tattoos,’ before the rest of the band join in for a fun, rousing entry about taking the plunge with the one you love… or pine for. Frank Zummo stands out on the drums for this number, keeping you bopping along from start to climax. ‘Future Primitive‘ turns the tempo right up and we’re back again with another circle-pit-inducing fastie complete with plenty of perfectly utilised ‘woah ohhhhs’. It’s now that the production hits me and everything sounds clean and flowing together, especially with that Dave Brownsound guitar solo – you don’t have instruments trying to overshadow each other – everything is perfectly balanced.

If you’re looking for a dopamine hit, you might not get what you’re chasing with ‘Dopamine‘ – it’s a mid-tempo track with similar guitar parts used in ‘Landmines‘ and sadly the band lost a point for that. Zummo increases his performance and channels his inner Travis Barker – adding plenty of fills and explosions with his playing. The chorus will have you whine-singing along (it’s a thing), but don’t expect anything groundbreaking. ‘Not Quite Myself’ on the other hand, is much more memorable. High notes, tangoing guitars and some chuggy riffs will have your ears prickling as Deryck fast sings throughout before slowing down on the chorus. It’s a mental health anthem and the more of these songs loose in the world, the better. If you find it hard to articulate how you’re doing in life, maybe chuck this on repeat until you feel seen… or scene; either way is fine, just look out for you. ‘Bad Mistake‘ started off slow for this reviewer/fan, but the climax brought me back into it. Firstly, you’re met with an almost acoustic intro that may play in the background as your attention is directed elsewhere; both chorus and verses roll into each other without any extra OOMPH! feeling, but when that stop down commences, you’ll be instantly drawn to the closer with another tasty riff solo from Davey B – in this case, he saves the song from being another album filler song.

‘Johnny Libertine‘ is short, punchy punk rock coming atcha in 96 seconds flat. It may feel like it’s over before it gets started, but it wastes no time capturing your attention from the get-go and doesn’t yield throughout its duration. Think of those short and fast joke songs blink-182 drop on their releases – it’s like that but without the joke aspect. Up next, it’s time to slow things riiiiiiight down for ‘Radio Silence‘ – which will without an ounce of doubt draw tears from those eye sockets. This one is the Deryck Whibley show – who pulls on the heartstrings with this emotional delivery both soft and rocky where it needs to be before closing off with a fading piano ensemble. It gives off album closer energy, with a balladesque sombre feel, and overpowering sense of – ending. I can see sparklers, lighters and phone torches up in the air as they play this live, but will it make it into their farewell setlist? I sure hope so. It’s a soothing way to say goodbye in music form; but, we’re only just saying goodbye to the pop punk side…

Here Comes Hell…

The aforementioned piano continues and leads us into ‘Preparasi A Salire‘, a prelude for the metallic jam ‘Rise Up‘ which left a lasting positive impression on Sum 41‘s fanbase upon release. Both songs played back to back make more sense as it’s not such an ‘in-your-face’ explosion as experienced with the single drop, it’s made to be listened to from start to finish and if this is the beginning of this heavier side, we’re coming out the gates swinging. As I stated when the single first got released, there are notable throwbacks to their Does This Look Infected? era with Deryck and guitarists Davey B and Tom Thacker playing cat and mouse with the spotlight. The screams are top-tier, that guitar solo still holds up after all this time and it’s evidence that the band are going out on top. ‘Stranger In These Times‘ is pure Sum 41 master musicianship wrapped up in under 3 minutes. Fast singing, frantic drums and soaring guitars throughout will have you on the edge of your seat until the closing seconds. While I can’t exactly pinpoint specific eras of the band, I feel this song captures the essence of this group’s long history, adding in their best bits to make a Frankenstein song of sorts that’ll become a household name amongst us Skumfuks in no time. ‘I Don’t Need Anyone‘ blends hard rock with a sexy metal makeover about halfway through – that breakdown/solo combo was *chef’s kiss* and I’m really going to miss hearing Brownsound shredding like this alongside his Sum 41 brothers in future years… If you’re not sold on the first spin, go back again straight away – it’ll hit you then.

‘Over The Edge‘ is another action-packed, circle-pit starter that’s sharp, fast, furious and hard-hitting – especially when you catch onto what’s being sung.

‘Over the edge and it’s too late ’cause now I’m letting go / in the end I can’t stay in the cycle of control / It’s hard to breathe, I can’t find reasons to believe / so this is the end and it’s the last you’ll hear from me’

If breakdowns are your Achilles heel, you’ll be shit outta luck walking after this one is done. Another fantastic musical arrangement from the lads. The piano returns to lead us into ‘House Of Liars‘ with a loud opening number. The production once again gets a mention as it sounds like we’re venturing into a rock opera realm – and it’s all fairly mixed to give every instrument its time to shine. ‘You Wanted War‘ is as abrasive and edgy as it sounds. The guitarists become showmen as they tantalise us with solos and a riff-off part that’ll be hella cool witnessing live – it leaves you wanting more, so it’s best to go in for a second spin straight away.

Up next though – it’s time for a cover! The iconic Rolling Stones anthem ‘Paint It Black‘ is given a much-needed Canadian rock/metal makeover as Deryck moves quicker than Mick Jagger through the lyrics while the rest of the band keeps up with his accelerated delivery. If you’re going to cover a song, add some of your own personal flavour to it, so it’s not just a copy/paste job of the original – the Sums take this in their stride and effortlessly increase the tempo without taking anything away from the impact. Note: we’ll be adding this new rendition to our Killer Covers Playlist – it’s a no-brainer. The ferocity is picked up for ‘It’s ALL ME‘ and we’re met with distorted screams and Whibley’s ebb and flow rap singing executed perfectly. Once again Davey B shreds within an inch of his life as Frank Zummo tries his best to keep up on the skins. It’s a surefire way to get the blood pumping and will be heaps of fun to play on your own guitar.

But grab the tissues for this next bit…

It’s closing time which brings us to the despairing anthem ‘How The End Begins‘. The closing number of this double album is raw, authentic and sets itself up for big finale energy from the second it commences. Drawing you in with a subdued, yet effective instrumental hook, Deryck takes us for a ride inside his mind where he battles internal thoughts brought on by the always-evolving music industry. He vulnerably questions his place in a world where those around him are changing or slowly fading away, and despite his efforts, he always comes up short.

‘Now it’s the end / we can’t get it back / why doesn’t anything good ever last / I gave it all I could give / only to question it / this is how the end begins and I should have knooown’

If you’re overcome with feelings after this, you won’t be alone. It’s a powerful, raw, emotional journey to the end for one of our favourite scene frontmen, and his band of misfits behind him. I hope the guys know how much they are loved and the fact this is the last dance, doesn’t mean they too will fade into oblivion.

Sum 41‘s final album is packed full of punchy, high-octane punk jams and tear-inducing, shred-filled metal anthems that’ll withstand the test of time and remind us of the calibre of talent this band produced in their 28-year long journey. For those who were fast to pigeonhole the group into “just another pop punk band” territory, go back and listen to my interview with Cone from 2019 – where he explains the band has always been a hard rock/metal act, that got placed alongside pop punk peers early on due to similarities at the time. They’ve always gone much harder in their heavier records (especially their last few) and it’d be great for the rest of the world to acknowledge their efforts from there to now.

They truly have been one of the most unparalleled genre-crossing rock bands of our generation and it’ll be sad to see them go as we fast approach this bitter end…

Long Live Sum 41.

Sum 41 – Heaven :x: Hell tracklisting

1. Waiting On A Twist Of Fate
2. Landmines
3. I Can’t Wait
4. Time Won’t Wait
5. Future Primitive
6. Dopamine
7. Not Quite Myself
8. Bad Mistake
9. Johnny Libertine
10. Radio Silence
11. Preparasi A Salire
12. Rise Up
13. Stranger In These Times
14. I Don’t Need Anyone
15. Over The Edge
16. House Of Liars
17. You Wanted War
18. Paint It Black (Rolling Stones Cover)
19. It’s ALL ME
20. How The End Begins