10 Most Underrated Rock Music Albums Of The 2000s
3. Chuck - Sum 41
If you were to place bets on which pop punk bands were going to go the distance, Sum 41 didn't really strike anyone as a prime candidate. From the first time you heard songs like In Too Deep or Fat Lip, these felt like the guys that were going to stick around for one summer beach party and then be quickly forgotten by next year. Behind everyone's backs though, the pop punk brats actually decided to give us a bit of a bait and switch on Chuck.
Given their previous track record, this is one of the more musically sophisticated Sum 41 records that they've ever made, leaning a lot more into their strengths as players and lyricists. Taking a few cues from the Iraq war that was about to start, the anger on this record goes a lot further than just whining, looking to beat you over the head with some of its riffs.
Since these guys had already turned in time in metal bands back in the day, there's a lot more interest in heavier licks as well, from the hardcore sounding songs like Welcome to Hell or The Bitter End, which stands as one of the greatest Metallica songs that Metallica never wrote. Pop punk may have had a specific sound at the time, but it never hurt anyone to mix it up every now and again.