Spulciando tra le varie discografie di gruppi pop-punk si può notare come ci siano band che mantengono tutt'oggi il loro sound fin dagli esordi, altre che partite con un sound diretto e più veloce si sono standardizzate a quel pop macchiato di punk che tanto va (andava?) di moda al momento e altre che si sono cimentate in sperimentazioni di varia natura: ecco il caso dei Sum 41 band pop punk per antonomasia tra più conosciute.
In effetti una cosa che mi piace molto sottolineare e che i Sum 41 potrebbero essere considerati l'ennesimo clone sbarra fenomeno commerciale che cerca di arrivare al successo dei Green Day, ma ad un analisi più attenta risulta un indole di unire classici pezzi di latte macchiati da caffè (fashion-punk) scontati ad altri in cui si attestano su indici di aggressività maggiore (anche se purtroppo fin troppo marginali), che li distingue quanto basta dalla concorrenza. Questo forse dovuto, almeno in parte alle influenze musicali subite dal gruppo in età giovanile.
Ma andiamo con ordine...
I quattro canadesi dopo il discreto inizio, arrivano al successo con "All Killer No Filler" classico album di pop punk oggettivamente abbastanza modesto. Seguirà il più convincente "Does This Look Infected?" che già attraverso qualche canzone (No brains, Over my head e Hyper-insomnia paracondriod) faceva presagire la svolta pesante che sarebbe arrivata nel 2004 con "Chuck". Il nome dell'album è una dedica a Chuck Pelletier funzionario Onu che ha portato il salvo la band durante una guerriglia in Congo, dove il combo stava effettuando delle riprese per il documentario War Child.
Molto carino pure l'artwork del disco.
Da notare come da questo disco in poi, le canzoncine di 30-40 secondi che "riempivano" i primi tre album qui siano totalmente assenti, a favore di una tracklist molto sviluppata, 16 canzoni che regalano più di 40 minuti di buone vibrazioni.
Il quarto album dei Sum è qualcosa che si stacca dalle precedenti produzioni, in quanto spariscono i pezzi à la American Pie allegre e leggere per fare spazio ad un sound più potente e maturo. Infatti le sonorità variano molto e si passa dal pop-rock e al rock fino al punk rock e pure (ebbene si) al nu metal e al thrash.
Del resto il gruppo non hai mai fatto mistero di apprezzare il metal, e di essersi nutrito in passato a pane, Iron Maiden e Judas Priest. Emblematica di questa passione è la metallica "Pain for pleasure" contenuta in "All Killer No Filler" strana per loro visto che si estranea completamento dall'atmosfera solare dell'album già citato.
Dopo pochi secondi di riff di chitarra di "Intro", il cd vero e proprio parte con "No reason" grande canzone molto energica e veloce a tratti aggressiva, uscita pure come singolo, a mio parere la più bella dell'intera discografia. Ma la novità si chiama "We're all to blame" canzone caratterizzata da strofe dure e pesanti e ritornelli melodici, dalle forti tendenze nu, in cui possono ricordare i System Of A Down, bella per la sua doppia anima.
Con "Angels with dirty faces" invece si continua il discorso interrotto da "No reason", canzone punk rock aperta dalla voce che all'inizio sembra stanca ma che poi si fa più energica. Con "Some say" si ci rilassa un attimo prima di arrivare al thrash metal di scuola Metallica di "The bitter end" caratterizzata dal lungo assolo centrale. Si ritorna nei canoni con "Open your eyes" in cui viene suonato un assolo e facciamo una pausa con "Slipping away" canzone melodica caratterizzata dagli archi, ma dal grande impatto e poi ripartiamo in quarta con la carica nu-metal di "I'm not the one" una delle più belle del disco.
Ottima pure la successiva Pennywise-oriented "Welcome to hell" che si aggiudica il titolo di canzone più veloce e hardcore del lotto. Se i ragazzi facessero più pezzi sulla stessa linea si che cambierebbe la musica.
Ma i canadesi sanno anche emozionarci con la splendida ballad "Pieces", eseguita all'inizio con l'ausilio degli archi e chitarre acustiche che successivamente lungo il cammino si intrecciano alle elettriche creando un sound di grande effetto.
Dopo la discreta "There ‘s no solution" chiude il cd "88" canzone dalle sfumature metalliche, con una seconda parte strumentale. Ma in questo cd ci sono pure 3 bonus track, a mio avviso buone che non avrebbero sfigurato di stare tra le altre nella scaletta principale. Ecco quindi arrivare "Noots" che sintetizza lo stile della band, "Moron" canzone ricca di cori in cui sembrano gli Offspring e per chiudere la carina "Subject to change" supportata da ottimi riff e a cui la band ha tratto ispirazione riprendendo il tema del refrain per lanciare il primo singolo "Underclass hero" del nuovo album uscito nel 2007.
Abbiamo già parlato della svolta metal, e della matrice punk delle canzoni interpretate in maniera finalmente più aggressiva e convincente, ma c'è da notare un ulteriore elemento di novità: le ballads. Infatti nei tre precedenti dischi del combo non si era mai vista l'ombra di una ballata, per non parlare dell'uso della chitarra acustica che finalmente esce alla distanza.
Quello che però dispiace per il gruppo e che dopo questa ottima prova che faceva presagire ottime cose per il futuro e soprattutto portare avanti un certo tipo di sound e di maturazione (da notare come questo disco venne quasi del tutto oscurato dalle tv e da Mtv in particolare..) e distaccandosi dal loro classico stile, torneranno purtroppo sulla vecchia strada, ma questo è un altro discorso.
Ai detrattori che magari detestano il fashion-punky, che non gli hanno mai sopportati dico che questo cd potrebbe farvi cambiare un po' idea, se pure questo non lo digerite a questo punto lasciate perdere pure la restante discografia.
E qui mi spingo oltre: la dimostrazione di coraggio a cambiare strada della band canadese chiamatela evoluzione o sperimentazione fate voi, non si è mai vista e mai si vedrà fare a nessun gruppo simile mainstream. I blink 182 non hanno mai cambiato (quasi) una virgola fotocopiandosi dall'inizio alla fine. Un mezzo cambiamento anche se troppo legato ai soliti ambienti tele-radiofonici hanno fatto i Green Day, ma che poi si è rivelato quasi un flop, riferimento a "Warning". Con la differenza che i Green Day hanno fatto una svolta pop-rock, i Sum 41 l'hanno fatta in direzione metal. Quanti gruppi pop-punk hanno virato verso il metal? Direi nessuno e questo dato basta e avanza.
Gli arrangiamenti e la produzione di Greg Nori rasentano la perfezione, con suoni sempre freschi e mai ripetitivi.
Tornando a noi è un ottimo cd, il capolavoro del combo, il migliore dell'intera discografia, che alternando diverse influenze e sonorità riesce a non annoiare mai e convince in toto cambiando atmosfera di traccia in traccia.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 No Reason (03:04)
All of us believe that this is not up to you
The fact of the matter is really it's up to me
(Hey,hey,hey,hey,hey,hey, ''Let's go'')
How can we fake this anymore (anymore)
We turn our backs away and choose to just ignore (Choose to just ignore)
(Some say) Some say it's ignorance
It makes me feel some innocence
(Some say) It takes away a part of me
But I won't let go
So why can't you see it's not the way (not the way)
When we all fall down it will be too late
Why is there no reason we can't change (no reason)
When we all fall down, who will take the blame
What will it take
If nothing could ever be this real (be this real)
A life unsatisfied that I could never feel (I could never feel)
(Some say) This future's not so bright
Some can't make the sacrifice
(Some say) It's much more than just black and white
And I won't follow
So why can't you see it's not the way (not the way)
When we all fall down it will be too late
Why is there no reason we can't change (no reason)
When we all fall down, who will take the blame
What will it take
Times like these I've come to see how
Everything but time is running out
(Hey,hey,hey,hey,hey,hey, ''Right now'')
All of us believe in what we need
What we have's what we don't see
So why can't you see it's not the way (not the way)
When we all fall down it will be too late
Why is there no reason we can't change (no reason)
When we all fall down, who will take the blame
What will it take
So how long has this gone on / So why can't you see it's not the way (not the way)
I don't see this ending / When we all fall down it will be too late
It's too late we can't change
What has now begun
We act like it's not right / Why is there no reason we can't change (no reason)
Why are we pretending / When we all fall down, who will take the blame
We've been wrong for so long / What will it take
We've known this all along
03 We're All to Blame (03:38)
Take everything left from me
All to blame
How can we still succeed, taking what we don't need
Telling lies, alibis, selling all the hate that we breed
Supersize our tragedy (you cant define me, or justify greed)
Bought in the land of the free (land, free)
And we're all to blame
We've gone too far
From pride to shame
We're trying so hard
We're dying in vain
We're hopelessly blissful and blind
To all we are
We want it all with no sacrifice
Realize we spend our lives living in a culture of fear
Stand to salute and say thanks to the man of the year
How did we all come to this (you cant define me or justify greed)
Agreed that we just can't resist (resist)
And we're all to blame
We've gone too far
From pride to shame
We're trying so hard
We're dying in vain
We're hopelessly blissful and blind
To all we are
We want it all
Everyone wants it all with no sacrifice
Tell me now, what have we done, we don't know
I can't allow what has begun to tear me down
Believe me now, we have no choice left
With our backs against the wall
And now we're all to blame
We've gone too far
From pride to shame
We're hopelessly blissful and blind
When all we need
Is something true
To believe
Don't we all
Everyone
Everyone
We will fall
Cause we're all to blame
We've gone too far
From pride to shame
We're trying so hard
We're dying in vain
We want it all
Everyone
Don't we all
04 Angels With Dirty Faces (02:23)
I need this to get me through
can't resist don't want to
believe it I know it's true
can't beat it don't want to try
A perfect hell
it's more to me than you ever will know
down here where the rest of us fell
waste away nothing left to show
while I'm in this perfect hell
obsession has begun
possessed by destruction
how did I get so low
believe me no one knows
sometimes I can't hold on
and no one can help me
now it's got a hold of me
I don't think I can make it through this
now it's got a hold of me
the less I do the more it makes no sense
I'm walking pollution who's drained by delusions
on the verge of destruction I cave in to abduction
thin blood I'm bleeding my pulse won't stop racing
just as my heart explodes
no chance that I could win
too hard to not give in
I just don't feel the same
cause I'm the one to blame
sometimes I can't hold on
and no one can help me
now it's got a hold of me
I don't think I can make it through this
now it's got a hold of me
the less I do the more it makes no sense
I need this to be myself
it feels like I need some help
it's too late to save myself
or it's just in my head
now it's got a hold of me
I don't think I can make it through this
now it's got a hold of me
the less I do the more it makes no sense
now it's got a hold of me
I don't think I can make it through this
now it's got a hold of me
the less I do the more it makes no sense
05 Some Say (03:26)
Some say we're never meant to grow up
I'm sure they never knew enough
I know the pressures won't go away
It's too late
Find out the difference somehow
It's too late to even have faith
Don't think things will ever change
You must be dreaming
Think before you make up your mind
You don't seem to realize
I can do this on my own
And if I fall I'll take it all
It's so easy after all
Believe me 'cause now's the time to try
Don't wait, the chance will pass you by
Time's up to figure it out
You can't say it's too late
Seems like everything we knew
Turned out we're never even true
Don't trust, things will never change
You must be dreaming
Think before you make up your mind
You don't seem to realise
I can do this on my own
And if I fall I'll take it all
It's so easy after all
Some say we're better off without
Knowing what life is all about
I'm sure they'll never realise the way
It's too late
Somehow it's different everyday
In some ways it never fades away
Seems like it's never gonna change
I must be dreaming
Think before you make up your mind
You don't seem to realise
I can do this on my own
Think before you make up your mind
You don't seem to realise
I can do this on my own
And if I fall I'll take it all
It's so easy after all
Believe me, it's alright
It's so easy after all
Believe me, it's alright
It's so easy after all
06 The Bitter End (02:51)
There's no doubt in my mind when it's over
what is done will be
you will find when life gets colder there's no sympathy
there's no point trying you can't escape the bitter end
well who will greet you when you're at the bitter end
all your choices chosen you've got no say
your decisions made
face your consequences as your life begins to fade
as time keeps spinning closer to the bitter end
well who will greet you when you're at the bitter end
take a look at yourself as time keeps racing
is all you've come to be
what you expected or are you still chasing possibilities
cause all your prayers won't save you from the bitter end
well who will greet you when you're at the bitter end
07 Open Your Eyes (02:44)
Lately,
I'm not quite myself.
Maybe,
I do need some help.
Just my confusion,
Trust my delusion.
Don't you,
Regret you met me.
Go through,
These steps to get me,
Back to where we start,
'Fore I fall apart.
If I could black out,
It'd become so clear,
Standing face-to-face with everything I fear.
Watch so closely,
but still I don't see.
As bad as it seems,
a piece of mind I steal,
An ordinary life,
But consequences real.
I'm past the point of reality.
This isn't me,
This isn't you,
When it's just everything we do.
Till you open up your eyes,
and understand this isn't real.
This isn't me,
This isn't you,
This is everything but true,
Till we come to realize,
Is what we put each other through.
It's like a bad dream,
Coming all so true,
Leaving me with nothing else left to do.
Now so helpless,
I'm not so selfish.
Tell me,
How does it feel to have a face like that,
How does it feel to be replaced like that.
Now so faceless,
Do you still feel
This isn't me,
This isn't you,
When it's just everything we do.
Till you open up your eyes,
and understand this isn't real.
This isn't me,
This isn't you,
This is everything but true,
Till we come to realize,
is what we put each other through.
It's hard to believe right now
This seem to be real.
Still phasing by this time
So why can't I wake up
This isn't me,
This isn't you,
When it's just everything we do.
Till you open up your eyes,
and understand this isn't real.
This isn't me,
This isn't you,
This is everything but true,
Till we come to realize,
is what we put each other through
08 Slipping Away (02:29)
I'm slippin' away
In every way
I can't stay (and I don't know why) awake
I'm slippin' (and I don't know why) away
I'm trying to make it through each day
I'm fallin apart now in every way
I'm findin' it harder to get by
Theres a hole in my heart
And, I dont know why
Now I've come to realize
I'm slippin' away
09 I'm Not the One (03:34)
Welcome to obsession
Makes the world go round
We're made up by the people we surround
So!
We live in times with shit we don't need
Well maybe, it's the price of envy
With these eyes I look out for me
But everyone fades away who don't see
Nothing's gonna change
Why!
We're going down in flames
So!
I'm not the one
Don't wait for me
Cause I won't just sit by
While you just bleed
Myself and others dry
Don't wait for me
To be there in the end
When you don't see
The truth you just pretend
Don't wait for me
What is the solution
We already know
There's no telling how far this could go
No!
You're near your time but you just don't see
Cause you're just
Part of this game
There's nothing you can do to save yourself
You leave your life in the hands of someone else
You'll never let it go
Why!
It's the only way you know
Know!
I'm not the one
Don't wait for me
Cause I won't just sit by
While you just bleed
Myself and others dry
Don't wait for me
To be there in the end
When you don't see
The truth you just pretend
Don't wait for me
When did we begin
To let ourselves give in
How'd it come to this
Miserable bliss
Just take the rest of
Just use the best of me
Just take the rest of
Just use the best of me
You take the rest of me
Just take the best of me
You take the rest of me
Just take the best
Don't wait for me
Cause I won't just sit by
While you just bleed
Myself and others dry
Don't wait for me
To be there in the end
When you don't see
The truth you just pretend
Don't wait for me
11 Pieces (03:01)
I tried to be perfect,
But nothing was worth it,
I don’t believe it makes me real.
I thought it’d be easy,
But no one believes me,
I meant all the things I said.
If you believe it’s in my soul,
I’d say all the words that I know,
Just to see if it would show,
That I'm trying to let you know,
That I’m better off on my own.
This place is so empty,
My thoughts are so tempting,
I don’t know how it got so bad.
Sometimes it’s so crazy,
that nothing could save me,
But it’s the only thing that I have.
If you believe it's in my soul,
I’d say all the words that I know,
Just to see if it would show,
That I'm trying to let you know,
That I'm better off on my own.
(On my own!)
I tried to be perfect,
It just wasn't worth it,
Nothing could ever be so wrong.
It’s hard to believe me,
It never gets easy,
I guess I knew that all along.
If you believe it’s in my soul,
I’d say all the words that I know,
Just to see if it would show,
That I'm trying to let you know,
That I’m better off on my own.
12 There's No Solution (03:18)
Maybe nothing else will ever be so clear
but maybe that's only my fear
and just for one day I wish I could disappear
just take me far from here
maybe I find out nothing new
maybe i'll end up just like you
there's no solution
get me through to my conviction
is my own confusion
reality or fiction
am I out of my mind
the constant pressure that keeps hanging over me
it makes me feel so empty
it's more than anything that I could ever be
what else could you take from me
it's getting harder to relate
don't want to make the same mistake
there's no solution
get me through to my conviction
is my own confusion
reality or fiction
am I out of my mind
it took me so long to find out
it's right there in front of me
too close to see
what's thought was true
i see right through
what's killing you
there's no solution (i can't see)
get me through to my conviction
is my own confusion (that I feel)
reality or fiction
am I out of my mind?
so maybe nothing else will ever be so clear
or maybe that's only my fear (am I out of my mind)
and just for one day I wish I could disappear
just take me far from here (am I out of my mind)
13 88 (04:42)
Wait, how long would you wait
Just for me to call
I know you make mistakes
yeah, but
I hope some day you have it all
cause I feel like a prisoner
trapped inside this broken world
while I'm playing the victim again
running in circles
to me it's all the same
and though nothing's gonna change, still
I hope someday you have it all
take this aggravation that I've thrown myself into
change this situation just cause I need something new
and still I feel like a prisoner
trapped inside this broken world
while I'm playing the victim again
running in circles
to me it's all the same
and though nothing's gonna change, still
I hope someday you have it all
I hope someday you have it all
if we could all depend
on what we know
if you could understand
I'm losing control
that I'm losing control
that I'm losing control
that I'm losing control
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Altre recensioni
Di Illacrima
"Chuck è Pelletier, un volontario di Save The Children che ha salvato 40 anime innocenti."
"Un gran bel CD, i Sum dai tempi di 'Does This Look Infected?' son maturati parecchio, mentalmente ma soprattutto musicalmente."
Di RiseAgainst
Forse la vera novità è 'We’re All to Blame', canzone a tratti dura e pesante e, melodica nel ritornello.
Una svolta punk rock e metal, con delle canzoni molto più aggressive e convincenti, e ovviamente da citare le ballads, che nei precedenti lavori non si vedeva neanche l’ombra.
