Their goofy image sometimes hides the punk riff which has made Sum 41, Canada's answer to Green Day. But unlike their American superstars recording songs for Darfur, Sum 41 have actually traveled to Africa, nearly getting killed in the process. Their music is the infection three chord punk-pop ready made for rock radio. But as the band progressed so did their sound and they moved more mainstream into a heavier sounding rock band which drew more from alternative metal and hard rock.

Sum 41- Canadian Punk Rock!

"Bullets were coming through windows and everyone was just lying on the ground with their hands on their heads." - Deryck Whibley (Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar) being caught in Congo civil war

The Punk Kids!

Their goofy image sometimes hides the punk riff which has made Sum 41, Canada's answer to Green Day. But unlike their American superstars recording songs for Darfur, Sum 41 have actually traveled to Africa, nearly getting killed in the process. Their music is the infection three chord punk-pop ready made for rock radio. But as the band progressed so did their sound and they moved more mainstream into a heavier sounding rock band which drew more from alternative metal and hard rock.

But what separates them completely from their other punk contemporaries is the social commentary and often very serious songwriting. The band has often transcended several genres like heavy metal and rap-rock. Their over the top videos have always received heavy MTV airplay. Sum 41 has sold nearly 5 million albums worldwide. They are often on tours which lasts almost more than a year.

The Canadian Drawl

Sum 41 was formed in Ontario, Canada around 1996 by Deryck Whibley who is chief songwriting and lead vocalist and Steve Jocz who was the drummer. Jason McCaslin and Dave Baksh joined within the year. The band released their first EP "Half Hour of Power" with its shockingly amateur cover garnered some positive response.

Their first full album "All Killer no Filler" was released in 2000. The album was a platinum success. Their only NO.1 single the "Fat Lip" was pure punk pop masterpiece. The less than 3-minute song used heavy guitars and rap influences. The video also received heavy MTV airplay. The album peaked at No.13 in the US and No. 7 in the UK. It was the perfect start to their career. The next one year would be spent in touring.

The sophomore effort "Does this Look Infected" continued in the same musical style as its predecessor. Though less commercial as there were no hit singles. The single The Hell Song is rare achievement among young punk bands; the song dealt with a friend of the band contracting HIV. The band have often called the lyrics one of their best. The album has been certified platinum in Canada and gold in the US. The band went on a lengthy tour to promote the album

The Siege in Sudan

In May of 2004, the band traveled to Sudan as ambassadors of the War Child Canada project. But after arriving, major fighting broke out and while they ended up being trapped in the hotel. There were grenades which nearly hit the hotel and it really shook the entire band. Bullets flying around everywhere the band hid in the hotel until they were rescued by UN forces. The UN forces peacekeeper named Chuck used armored carriers to take them away the war zone.

In his honor the band named their third album "Chuck" which was released in 2004. The band had come very close to mortality and it really shook them. The song "No Reason" semi hit and is a standard feature at their concerts. Another full length tour was the last for guitarist Dave Baksh. The touring culminated into a live album titled "Go Chuck Yourself".

The Departure

Lead guitar player Dave Baksh of Indian descent announced his departure from the band citing creative differences. Dave always wanted to create heavier guitar sound which would be closer to heavy metal. His inspiration were bands like Metallica and Anthrax. However the band wanted to stick to their punk-pop roots. The band confirmed the news and also that there was no ill-felling.

Underclass Hero

The band started recorded their fourth album "Underclass Hero". The album was unlike anything which they done before. It was their attempt at a punk-rock opera like Green Day's American Idiot. The band used the political instability in the world and rebellious rock anthems in their lyrics and sound respectively. Using choruses that sounded like Queen, the band also incorporated piano based harmonies and acoustic guitar. This was in their mind the big album win fans worldwide.

The new ambitious album with its stylized cover which was again a change from their garish and goofy in your face album covers. The title track was released as a single which peaked at No.86 in the US charts. The album's intentions were quite right but the execution was not. Too many ideas meshed into one and then half way through the album it seemed that they just decided to go back to their familiar territory of punk-pop music. Never really attempting to take the music to a new height, the album could not achieve even a Gold status.

Sum 41 have announced a new album and tour in 2010. They have a new lead guitar player Tom Thackler who first joined only as a touring guitarist but now has been confirmed as an official member

• The band recorded a song for the first Spiderman movie called
• Kerrang magazine awarded them Best Live Act of 2003
• Sum 41 joined Iggy Pop at the David Letterman show

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