So here comes my review:
Turning Away opens Sum‘s new album quite melodically. The piano is a bit surprising after knowing/and have listened to the first four singles. It also opens the album in a poppier way than expected. But towards the end of the song they show more aggression and even the way for the following songs. In all it sums up the album pretty well, which gives one the feeling of being well prepared for what comes next, too.
While
Out For Blood is a typical Sum 41 song, they surprise yet again with
The New Sensation. What I‘ve come to know by now after only 3 songs in running order is that this album follows the theme of experimenting as f**k, but sticking to the anthem like choruses we know and appreciate by them. In every song so far it‘s a similar structure: changing rhythms constantly in verses, almost as much that the song seems to fall apart, but then they keep the balance with each chorus, holding the song together after all. This is, in my opinion, a pretty smart concept.
There‘s a lot happening for sure.
A Death in The Family is a pretty good song, but seems almost boring in running order now.
Heads Will Roll again surprises with a country vibe one doesn‘t really connect Sum 41 to. The guitar by the way, as well as the intro of
The New Sensation remind me a lot of Marilyn Manson. Something totally unexpected.
What‘s clear by this point of listening to the album in running order is that there is a cohesive balance between drums and guitar. They leave each other enough space to unfold and create interesting layers. Because of fine nuances like these, the album seems pretty complex in comparison to
13 Voices. I‘ll give the credits for that to Dave for this is the first record he‘s been working on since Chuck. And it seems to me Sum 41 would have ended up with something like this after Chuck if Dave hadn‘t left the band back then.
Never There is to
Order To Decline what
Pieces is to
Chuck. It totally falls/stands out. In harmonies, quietness and rhythms. It‘s a really touching song, but may not be best placed between
45 and
Eat You Alive. It‘s a shocking cut in my opinion. At the same time it gives its listener a short break from all the rush and heaviness.
Eat You Alive seems to me to be a mix of
No Reason and
88, and yet again makes me think how Dave‘s added his touches to this album. I‘m really glad he‘s rejoined the band.
The People vs... is probably the most typical Sum 41 on the album. Very pop punk, very fast, very what we know by them, very davish guitar solo.
Catching Fire however closes the album in a rather untypical way. It‘s a very good closing. A bit cheesy, but it draws a sweet line to
Turning Away and complements the album.
What else? Nothing actually.
Order To Decline is
the Sum 41 album I have been waiting for since
Chuck.