Chuck
Not many rock bands would name their album after a United Nations representative. But that's exactly what Sum 41 did after fighting erupted while the group was filming a documentary on the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo last May and they were evacuated to safety by the U.N.'s Chuck Pelletier. Unfortunately the Canadian quartet's third disc is not as compelling as the story behind its title. Their thrashing punk-pop and metallic riffs don't add up to anything new. Songs like the politically tinged single "We're All to Blame" and the racing rocker "No Reason" are testosterone-fueled tracks for angry teenage boys to work out their aggression. Lead singer Deryck Whibley (Avril Lavigne's beau) brings the appropriate snarl to his vocals, which go from a boyish whine to a primal scream. He and the band show a surprisingly affecting soft side on the TRL-ready breakup ballad "Pieces," on which Whibley confesses, "I tried to be perfect/It just wasn't worth it." —C.A.
• DOWNLOAD THIS: "Pieces"
