Sum 41: Deryck Whibley (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); CONE (bass guitar); Stevo (drums, percussion).

Recording information: Ocean Way, Hollywood, California.

Prior to 2007's UNDERCLASS HERO, Sum 41's studio follow-up to the well-received CHUCK, the Canadian punk-pop band weathered the departure of longtime guitarist Dave Baksh. The resultant streamlined sound suits the trio well, with frontman Deryck Whibley--fresh off of a stint producing tracks on Avril Lavigne's THE NEXT BEST THING--balancing melody with punk-inspired aggression, as best revealed on the title song, which comes across like the na‹ve younger sibling of Fugazi's anti-establishment anthem "Merchandise." Other revved-up tunes, most notably the propulsive "March of the Dogs," point to the act's apparent aspiration to become a pop-friendly version of Rancid, making Sum 41 the bad-boy group of choice for sensitive kids not willing to hop on the emo bandwagon.

Spin (p.138) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[A] bigger, slicker record laced with potent AMERICAN-IDIOT style Bush-bashing..."

Kerrang (Magazine) (pp.46-47) - "[M]ixing easy familiarity with just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing where they might head to next."