Under The Influence #64: My Latest Failure on “Does This Look Infected?” by Sum 41!

Following the huge success of their platinum selling debut album “All Killer No Filler” and big single “Fat Lip” in 2001 it was back to the drawing board for Canadian Pop Punks Sum 41. Taking their sound and injecting more aggression in the form of Melodic Hardcore, Horror Punk and Thrash Metal and filtering out the Pop elements shows a band maturing but still having fun while making an album about problems like HIV, our dependence on technology and drugs. While the album reached 28 on Rock Sound Magazine’s “The 51 Most Essential Pop Punk Albums of All Time“, it didn’t have the commercial success of it’s predecessor, which sounds ironic given that it also went platinum. Now regular followers of this feature will know that normally one band member will have picked out their choice and share their point of view but this time out, each member of London Hardcore Punks My Latest Failure have each given their two pennies worth on their selection and if you haven’t heard their single “Selfish” well…

Chris (Guitarist/Vocalist) comments: “What an album, when I was growing up Punk Rock was the “alternative scene”. Bands like Blink-182, Green day, The Offspring were at the height of their music (personal opinion), then Sum 41 dropped their follow up to All Killer No Filler and WOW! Musically dabbing between the line of Punk and Metal, the album starts where they left off with the catchy Hell Song, Over My Head (Better Of Dead) and My Direction then Sum 41 just kick it up a notch with Still Waiting, blistering shouting verses that gets the blood pumping and as the album goes you start to hear the more aggressive, harder tones of Sum 41 coming out. Lyrically replaced “party fun time” for personal modern day doom and gloom and by the time you get to Mr. Amsterdam throwing in metal breakdown riffs, couple of screams that had me jumping around in my bedroom and Hooch is just a brilliant way to end the album, loud in your face punk into a metal solo then end  a calm depressive aftermath that slows down the mood instantly, “I don’t believe that this is real” fade out…. album ends and your still sitting there in silence with the lyrics whispering in your head. Glorious. This album is just a massive influence, I’m getting all excited talking about it. This shaped the music I listen to, and at the time peaked my interest into heavier music, it’s like my gateway drug to metal! Haha.”

Jamie (Drums) adds: “It’s a great album, Steve Jocz’s drumming made me want to improve as a drummer.”

Andy (Bass/Vocals) adds: “This album was one of the first examples of an album where I couldn’t stop it half way through, I would already be waiting for the next track as one was ending, especially noticed with the flow from All Messed Up to Thanks for Nothing. Also holds my benchmark riff, The Hell Song. If I come up with a riff I always compare to this song, sadly I never come up with anything that gets ingrained in the memory as that riff, but that’s my aim! Might as well aim high. ”

Chris comments: “Definitely influenced our music, the in your face, shouting verses, catchy sing-a-long chorus, that’s us all over.”