Sum 41

Does This Look Infected? (2002)

Pat41

Alright Im back. This album has already been reviewed but I thought I would do it on my own as… Pat41, back from the dead.

So here we go, the band no one will admit to liking. Well this time around they actually are a different band. They have put together an impressive effort that fails at times but still always makes the fans happy. Ditching a lot of the poppy vocals, cheesy rapping, and Blink 182-esque rhythms they have decided to drive towards their goal of becoming an 80's metal band for the new millenium. Of course you all knew that there would still be the pop songs and the short raps so that the kids would come out and by the albums and we can just leave those be because Im sure you will take care of that for me. But to tell you the truth if you actually opened your mind and gave Sum 41 a chance you might actually find that there is more there than you thought.

While the chorus of "My Direction" reminds me of Rancid's "Let Me Go" they put together a great pop punk song that isnt the pop punk that you are used to, and acts as my favorite on the album. Much faster and much harder. "A.N.I.C." acts as the obligatory punk rock song that hit on every album just like "Never Wake Up" and "T.H.T." Hard hitting metal guitar riffs, via Iron Maiden and the like, are all over this album.

Dont think this is an album of gems though… yea yea. They definitley have a long way to go before they completely ditch the sound that gave them their fame, as is noted quite obviously on obvious singles like "All Messed Up" and "Over My Head". But highlights on this album do include, "My Direction", "Mr. Amsterdam", "A.N.I.C." and "Hooch".

But Sum 41 isnt here to give us music that can be enjoyed throughout the ages and will be remembered all the way into the next millenium. Their job is and has always been to give us fun, high energy, catchy music that can be enjoyed by their fans. They dont care that you dont think they are punk and rip off whoever. All they want to do is what they want to do and thats what they are doing, and hopefully they can keep doing it… and piss you guys off just that much more.