I won’t deny it… I was a fan of Sum 41’s sophomore effort, All Killer No Filler. It boasted a few ‘teen anthems’ that were popular at the time, which do nothing but bring back good memories. On the other hand though, Sum’s latest album, Does This Look Infected?, did very little to impress me with it’s overly generic sound and obnoxious vocals. Judging by those facts alone, it seemed as if I liked the old Sum 41 better than the new and “improved” one; therefore, I purchased Half Hour of Power expecting a record reminiscent of All Killer No Filler. Unfortunately, that’s not what I got.

Before I start discussing why this album is completely disposable, let me give you a little info about the band… Sum 41 is composed of four young Canadian guys—Deryck (guitar and vocals), Cone (bass), Dave (guitar), and Steve (drums). Their music sounds slightly similar to Blink 182… Their sound would best be described as pop-punk – most songs feature decent guitar riffs and drum playing, backed by boisterous vocals, and often infectious chorus lines. Sum 41 has released a total of three albums, and in chronological order, they include: Half Hour of Power (2000), All Killer No Filler (2001), and Does This Look Infected? (2002).

Ok, time to review the CD... There are a number of pitfalls this album comes across throughout its entire thirty minutes of playtime, and that’s one of them right there. First of all, the album isn’t even half an hour long – after the half-decent closer, ”Another Time Around”, there’s about four extra minutes of absolutely nothing. Proving that you cannot make an album at least thirty minutes long is not a good sign…

But the ultimate downfall of Half Hour of Power is that very few songs (and I mean very few) on the album are distinguishable, or even noteworthy for that matter. Several of the tracks run into the next, and while I’m not complaining about that alone, it’s the lack of musical change throughout the entire album that causes the listener to forget practically everything. Songs like ”Machine Gun” and ”What I Believe” are two bland pop-punk pieces that are bearable music-wise, but after listening to the remaining tracks, I’d be surprised if you could remember a sing word from either song. There’s nothing on the album that really slaps you in face – everything just passes on by without a hitch.

With that said, the two best tracks on the album are ”Makes No Difference” and ”Summer.” The latter was also put on All Killer No Filler, and maybe it’s just me, but the production of ”Summer” on this album just isn’t as crisp and crystal-clear as it was on Sum’s sophomore album. Both songs are on the pop-ish side, with repetitive guitar riffs and infectious choruses. Lyrically, ”Makes No Difference” is probably the best this album has to offer (”So when you hold onto the past then you / Will break down what little is left / There's nothing more you can't ignore / And say it makes no difference to me”), not that that’s saying much or anything.

Though this is an overall cloudy effort, there are a few shining aspects. Luckily, there are some good guitar and drum solos that definitely help this album’s overall rating. The brief opening (instrumental) track, ”Grab The Devil By The Horns Fuck Him Up The Ass” features an awesome old-school sounding guitar solo that will make you want to stomp your feet and head thrash, okay maybe not head thrash, but you get what I’m saying. And for all you drum players out there, I’m nearly positive the instrumental ” 32 Ways to Die” would impress you somewhat, and will inspire you take out that drum set immediately.

Final Thoughts

In the end, Half Hour of Power is not an album worth your time or money. Overall, the entire album is a completely forgettable experience because of the generic and contrived pop-punk sound. Despite the great guitar and drum playing on a few tracks and the semi-catchy "Makes No Difference" and "Summer," Sum 41 should have taken their time to distinguish themselves from the rest of the pop-punk world on their debut. Not recommended.

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Track Listing:

01. Grab The Devil By The Horns Fuck Him Up The Ass
02. Machine Gun
03. What I Believe
04. T.H.T.
05. Makes No Difference
06. Summer
07. 32 Ways To Die
08. Second Chance For Max Headroom
09. Dave's Possessed Hair/It's What We're All About
10. Ride The Chariot To The Devil
11. Another Time Around


Recommended: No