13 Voices - Words To Change A Life.

 Sum 41- 13 Voices

Released October 7, 2016

Deryck Whibley, Jason McCaslin, Tom Thacker, Dave Baksh, Frank Zummo

Genre: Punk Metal/ Alternative Metal

Intro

Well here it is. My FAVORITE Sum 41 album. I told you it was coming and here it is. This is my HIGHLY controversial pick for their best work but I do not care and my opinions will never change. 

Thoughts & Feelings?

This album is a masterpiece. The perfect mix of Metal and Punk elements I love and the Lyricism is dark but comforting at the same time on some of these songs. For those of you who don't follow Sum 41 as close as I do, this album was the first one released after Deryck got out of a scary drinking issue leading to a hospitalization in 2014. This album was also the first one in a decade to bring back original guitarist Dave Baksh. 

The album was written from Deryck's darkest emotional times and the dramatic shift in musical style shows it. Sum 41 is commonly associated with the Pop Punk explosion of the 90s and 2000s yet this album is METAL all the way through. You can see this shift start in 2004 with Chuck but Underclass Hero and Screaming Bloody Murder kept that traditional Sum 41 punk feeling. This album just lets it all out and my god is it amazing. 

Smash or Pass?

A Murder of Crows- SMASH. Welcome to the new Sum 41. Sounds like a great modern metal album. Massive shift but very well done.

Goddamn I'm Dead Again- SSSMAAAASHHHHH. Very VERY good metal song. If you told someone who only knows AKNF and Underclass Hero they would have NO idea this was Sum 41. WHAT A SOLO HOLY SHIT. The new metal feeling is just enhanced here. 10/10 song.

Fake My Own Death- SMASH. HOLY METAL. Screaming, low guitars, heavy bass, its ALL here. Sum 41 literally pulled a COMPLETE genre switch and it payed off incredibly.

INTERMISSION. So basically I stopped for a break then didn't come back for a few days. Now I'm PISSED off so let's listen to some fucking Metal. 

Breaking The Chain- SSSMMMMMAAAAAASSSSSSHHHHHHHHH. This is one of the songs that Deryck wrote to get shit off his chest. BY GOD DOES THIS SONG WORK. I feel ALL of his emotions in this one. A deep message, great music, and that perfect song to just say "fuck it I hate you" to someone. Fuck you world. 

There Will Be Blood- SSSSSSSSSMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Holy fuck this album. It's TOO fucking good. This is the perfect album for when you are pissed off. So listen to the man and take control of those little bastards in your life. Now for the song, it's INCREDIBLE. Very good chorus and possibly the BEST instrumentals on the album. Gold Metal.

13 Voices- SMASH. Early thrash vibes to start the song.  Now its perfectly done modern metal. Great vocals and instrumentals again. Very good title track. This song makes me want to live out the chorus and put a bullet in the head of the people who wronged me. AHHHHHHHHHH THE SOLO. IT GETS ME EVERY TIME.

War-  Smash. The calm smash is an understatement. This song is too beautiful to be treated like the rest of the songs on this album. THIS is the song that Deryck had in his heart when he started this album. This song is an anthem for people moving on and recovering from something. Life is a War, don't be its victim. Platinum metal. 

God Save Us All (Death to POP)- SSSSSSSSMMMMMMAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSHHHHHH. This is the song that made me fall in love with this era of the band. It's the perfect punk metal track. If you hate the modern culture and want to do your own thing this is the anthem for you. God Save All Us crazy punks. 

The Fall And The Rise- SMASH. Such a good metal song. Keeps with the themes of the album and is an amazing anthem of pain and hatred. Thank You Deryck Whibley. You managed to convey every emotion felt in the road to recovery in one album. Truly a beautiful and powerful thing, especially as a man who had his break out singing about abortions and society.

Twisted By Design- SSMMAASSHH. And here it is. Recovery. As the song says itself, we all have scars, we have blood on our hands. BUT WE ARE SO FUCKING ALIVE. The lyrics to this song are beautiful beyond words. Read the- no. LISTEN TO THE FUCKING ALBUM. We all have problems but we wouldn't be alive without them. As the man says, we are Twisted By Design because the fire never burns out inside. 

Conclusion.

This album is life changing for me. As someone who has been through shit time and time again  its oddly comforting to hear an album as broken and as hateful as myself and to see it turn back in and recover in the end. Without a DOUBT in my mind this is the best Sum 41 album and possibly my 2nd favorite album of all time. If you are having a bad time and want to hear how you feel inside this is the album for you. 

RANK: S+

Second S+ in site history. The last one (Let Light Overcome The Darkness- Our Last Night) changed Shark's life and this one changed mine. I feel that is fair grounds for the ranking. Thank you for reading and do yourself a favor and listen to this album.

-Jake (JunosBestFriend)