Sum 41 - We're All To Blame (Mercury) By Steve Rudd Release Date: October 4th 2004.

After almost a year of keeping well away from the spotlight, these four Canadian boys are back - and with a truly almighty bang. Just because there hasn't been any Sum 41 releases for a while, though, doesn't mean they've been living the easy life. In fact, they've been working harder than ever.

As if playing in the region of 200 shows worldwide since the release of their last album in 2002 wasn't enough, they've also worked with Iggy Pop on his latest release, and have been lending their support to a War Child campaign. As with the world at large, Sum 41 have been disgusted by the on-going war in Iraq. We're All To Blame does seem to be partly inspired by the horrifying violence in the Middle East, this tune being a highly charged, wildly original and passionately presented anthem that deserves to shoot into the charts at the top. Mixing SOAD-styled musical intensity with more soulfully touching interludes, this might be the band's most striking - and hopefully most successful - release since Fat Lip. Taken from their new Chuck album, this is the band's Design For Life, blessed with some fantastically terse lyrics too: Supersize our tragedy.. We've gone too far from pride to shame.. All we need is something true to believe. That in mind, there's certainly no reason for these guys to feel guilty. 5/5 www.sum41.com

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