Sum 41 - 13 Voices

Sum 41
13 Voices
2016
Spotify

Sum 41 on the surface seem to have a distinct sound, but when you really peer in they seem to change vastly album to album fitting in to whatever mood the band is in or what popular culture is into. This new album 13 Voices seems to fall on the harder side of rock things complete with plenty of guitar solos and double bass drum. The opener is a bit confusing with it's orchestral intro that drags on forever, but it is the second track which really sets the tone for the record. While the elements may be a bit more "hard rock" don't be fooled from top to bottom this is just as pop punk as anything that the band have done before. There are plenty of catchy hooks and more than enough guitar heavy pop to fill an album but in terms of making any kind of impact it falls flat. You can tell the bands primary writer Derek Wimbley has gone through a lot in the past few years with titles like: "Goddamn I'm Dead Again", "Faking My Own Death" and "War". His battles with addiction have been pretty widely publicized, however the conclusions he reaches on this album seem so surface level. It's all of the pop punk musical elements, just with the darkness turned up sucking all the fun out of the music.

It would be nice if the pace changed or if something new and exciting was used but track after track is exactly the same and follows and very clear and direct formula. At 37 minutes the record is graciously short, but you really cannot think of a time where this music may have been fresh. At least at the beginning of their career Sum 41 did not take themselves all that serious and allowed for some fun and jokes to seep into their music. Here however everything is dark and brooding a look that just does not fit on them. It's not like this is new territory, Sum 41 have been slipping further and further away from the mainstream for many years, but this is the first time that they were so egregiously bad. They always say if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all so in terms of this album...

2.0 out of 10