Noted to be a prominent name in past pop-punk, it’s safe to say that Sum 41’s musical ‘stride’ was the years prior to their last release ‘Underclass Hero’. Four years down the road and here they are with the follow up – ‘Screaming Bloody Murder’. Like many fans, a main pondering upon this release is whether they can make a triumphant return to that musical peak on which we previously saw them rested.
‘Reason To Believe’ is a more than promising start to the album, allowing a raspy build up into the sound we’d come to expect from Sum 41. Offering a piano-based acoustic interlude, the piece dwindles onto the title-track ‘Screaming Bloody Murder’. Again opting for a quieter introduction, the song erupts into one of the potential stand-out tracks of the release, giving the raw energy you hoped for. The album’s title-track does, however, return to its gentle style for a closing. Perhaps allowing the song at full momentum would avoid the slight disappointment at such a quality song abruptly diminishing.
A personal favourite, ‘Jessica Kills’, takes the aggression and raw energy and encompasses it in one stand out tune that succeeds where ‘Screaming Bloody Murder’ couldn’t. There’s no time to slow the track slightly, no time to delicately end an otherwise anarchic work; it is the kind of song that Sum 41 needed to produce on this album.
Quieter tracks ‘What Am I To Say?’ and ‘Over Now’ more than comfortably fill the slow song slots on this release, hinting at a more mature intention. Without trying to focus on certain members’ personal lives, it is apparent what the subject matter could be. Admittedly, the songs, especially ‘Over Now’, do have a genuine, heartfelt quality to them but could get lost in an album of which you expected a more vigorous kick.
Encompassing a far heavier element to the introduction, ‘Blood In My Eyes’ suddenly quietens to a build up to a chorus of less vivacity than the song originally began with - repeating this approach throughout. It’s a questionable quality you’ll find throughout the listening of this album.
Undeniably, Sum 41 have worked hard and produced some stellar tracks alongside some genuine, heartfelt tunes. It just, however, appears to have some disjointed ideas at parts and often works as a filler between the real quality moments they have created. Too many songs sound like they’re going to shred, then from nowhere snap into a completely different direction. The band needed this album to thrust them back onto top form and although the band themselves are doing well and are still fantastic, this album does not do justice to what fans know they can create.
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A personal favourite, ‘Jessica Kills’, takes the aggression and raw energy and encompasses it in one stand out tune that succeeds where ‘Screaming Bloody Murder’ couldn’t. There’s no time to slow the track slightly, no time to delicately end an otherwise anarchic work; it is the kind of song that Sum 41 needed to produce on this album. 
