November 26, 2002 - Does This Look Infected?

A week after my last release and a year and half since "All Killer No Filler", Sum 41 released their second album "Does This Look Infected?" on November 26, 2002. Sum 41 still play the same pop-punk style as their last album, but this one is a little heavier and (unsurprisingly given that fact) it's also the only full album I have by Sum 41! Let's check out the latest!

The album kicks off with it's second single "The Hell Song" and Dave Baksh leads the way with a pretty simple, but also pretty catchy lead guitar riff and the rest of the band follows behind him nicely. Deryck Whibley sings a pop-y verse overtop and things move smoothly into a louder but still pretty pop-y chorus. Baksh delivers a decent little guitar solo after a couple rounds, then it's predictably back to the main riff for a final verse and jam out several choruses. A decent tune for sure, but very made-for-radio. Up next is another single called "Over My Head (Better Off Dead)" and Baksh plays some cool lead guitar while Whibley and Jason McCaslin provide a nice heavy rhythm section. Whibley sings another pop-y but catchy verse and the rest of the band echoes him in the chorus as everyone punk-ily shouts out the chorus and things sound pretty solid! After a couple rounds there's a very simple and pop-y new part that is a little light for me, but most of this short song was pretty catchy and cool. Track 3 is "My Direction" and they jump right into a pop-y, punk-y chorus that is pretty simple, but then shift into a fast-paced verse with some cool guitars that sounds better. This song is just two minutes long so they don't stray far from the main drag but it was a decently upbeat little song. The next track is the album's lead single "Still Waiting" and Baksh leads the way with a cool guitar riff that is quiet at first while Whibley sings softly, then things slam into a heavy verse with some great loud guitars and some pretty heavy yelling by Whibley as well! He returns to his usual pop-punk singing in the chorus but everything sounds pretty catchy for such a fast-paced and heavier song! After a couple rounds Whibley holds some long notes in a new part and Baksh delivers a short but solid guitar solo as well before they predictably wrap things up. Pretty cool song, especially for a single! Track 5 is called "A.N.I.C." and it's just 39 seconds long! They speed through a couple short punk verses and it's not bad at all, just very fast and it's over! Up next is "No Brains" and Baksh jumps right into a pretty heavy main riff that sounds solid while Whibley jumps right into a solid verse. Baksh is all over this song with some pretty sweet guitar throughout, including easily his best solo of the album which includes some nice shredding! This is definitely a cool song! Track 7 is "All Messed Up" and it's got a light and pop-y guitar riff to lead the way and some pretty pop-y singing by Whibley as well. The chorus follows pretty smoothly and similarly and this like the definition of pop-punk, blending the two styles pretty perfectly. Steve Jocz shows off a bit with a couple pretty good drum fills and I like the punk, not so much the pop. The next track is "Mr. Amsterdam" and it's a fast-paced punk tune that even has a couple pretty heavy screams by Whibley! The guitars are speedy and solid the whole way through and this is definitely the kind of Sum 41 I can get behind! Another above average song! Track 9 is "Thanks For Nothing" and it starts slow before they jump nicely into an upbeat pop-punk main riff. Jocz adds some rapping vocals that gives off some "Fat Lip" vibes, but the chorus is super pop-y with everyone shouting it out. Baksh plays some more cool guitar and most of this song is pretty good, aside from the pop-y and repetitive chorus. Up next is "Hyper-Insomnia-Para-Condrioid" and Whibley starts up a solid rhythm guitar riff before Baksh enters with some heavy lead guitar and they play off each other nicely. Whibley leads a typical pop-punk verse with a similarly simple chorus and this song is decent, but not one of their best. Track 11 is "Billy Spleen" and it's got a heavy and pretty cool main riff with solid guitars by both Whibley and Baksh. Whibley yells a fast verse overtop and things sound pretty good and they shift smoothly into a lighter and more pop-y chorus that is still decent. Baksh has some fun with a little guitar break, then they nicely return to predictably finish off this pretty cool tune. The final song on the album is "Hooch" and they dive right into a loud, nice and heavy and pretty catchy main riff that is hard not to headbang along to! Whibley's verse is solid as well and the chorus is unbelievably catchy and it hits all the right heavy notes. Baksh adds a pretty awesome guitar solo to complete an awesome first two minutes, then the final minute and a half is a whole other vibe with a slow and soft guitar riff and Whibley singing a pop-y slow verse overtop. The first couple minutes: amazing! The finish: not so much.

That is the end of "Does This Look Infecfed?" and I thought it was a solid album. It still had some pop-y parts that weren't my favourite, but it is in my opinion Sum 41's best album for sure with lots to enjoy! It's my only full album by Sum 41, but they still have a couple appearances to make!