#heaven hell

Sum 41 - Heaven :X: Hell

Final albums are weird, aren’t they? A lot of bands put out their final album without even knowing, because something happens unexpectedly and they break up, but what happens when you know a band’s final album is coming? That’s the case of Sum 41, a pop-punk band that’s been kicking for the last 27 years, only to call it quits this year after their final album, Heaven :X: Hell, was released. The album’s been out for a few days now, and I wanted to listen to this out of curiosity. The thing is, I’m not really a fan of these guys, and I’ve only listened to a couple of albums from them, including some of their classic material. I just never got into them, whether it was their sound being too generic and boring for my liking, or their vocalist just not being that good to me. I still wanted to hear this, because it’s their final album, so it’s one last hurrah for the band, and this album was touted as a double album that was set to feature both “sides” of the band. The first half was to be more pop-punk, whereas the second half was to have a heavier sound and showcase more of their metal influences. That is the one thing I thought was cool about Sum 41 — they got a bit heavier than their peers by including thrash and hardcore riffs here and there. The question is, though, does this nearly hour-long double album deliver?

The short answer is yes, it does, but there is a bit of a caveat to that. This record gives me mixed feelings, because it doesn’t need to be 55 minutes, and it’s nothing special, but it’s quite a lot of fun from front to back. Most longer albums don’t need to be that long, but I wouldn’t argue this album feels justified with its length, at least to a point and maybe depending on who you are. If you love this band, you’ll love this album, and love that we got a double album, instead of a single collection of songs. The more, the merrier, as the saying goes. Most diehard fans won’t complain with getting more, and even as someone that isn’t a huge fan, I have to admit this is pretty cool. The band sounds in top shape, and despite how a majority of this album sounds the same, it’s still fun. Both halves of the album are good, but on my first couple listens, I couldn’t quite discern where the “metal” came into play, at least on the second half that is supposed to heavier. The second half of this album is heavier, but it’s subtle, aside from a few guitar solos. There are some hardcore and thrashy moments, but not a lot of outward metal songs or moments.

This is the precursor to the Expressions of Light series. I made it shortly after I graduated from university, sometime in mid- or late-2000.

...Now that I think about it, I really ought to do a counterpoint series to Expressions of Light, because demons and devils are as much fun to draw as angels. Art Nouveau demons. Art Deco demons. Yeah, I think I'm going to explore that.

so i wanted to make a half half mix. a heaven and hell type of thing. didnt go as planned. Faces dont line up so well. White Raven i made a while back.