Review by Shannon Shumaker
2019 is an admittedly weird year for punk music. During a time when one would assume that punk bands would be dropping angry new music left and right due to the state of the American political climate, there have been a small amount of albums that really speak to these issues in a personal, honest and emotional way. Sum 41’s Order In Decline is thankfully one of those albums.
As frontman Deryck Whibley has expressed, Order In Decline isn’t necessarily a protest album, nor is it a political album, but it’s impossible not to feel impacted or influenced by what is going on in America at the moment, and Order In Decline is a direct and personal reflection of that. These songs aren’t a war cry by any means, but rather an emotional commentary, making for an explosive and surprising vulnerable release. While you shouldn’t expect to hear anything divisive, radical or alienating on this release, you can expect to hear songs that mean quite a bit to the band.
Lyrically, Order In Decline is definitely more personal than political, but if you’re looking for a few songs that’ll make you want to move and serve as a good pick-me-up when you’re feeling discouraged about the current political climate, then tracks like “Out For Blood,” “A Death In The Family” and “45 (A Matter Of Time)” are for you. Meanwhile, songs like vulnerable acoustic track, “Never There” will hit you right in the chest.
One could say that sonically, Order In Decline is a little all over the place (for instance, “The New Sensation” sounds a bit like Muse at times while the next song, “A Death In The Family” has definite hardcore influences) but thankfully, the band manages to experiment with new sounds all while finding a way to make it sound like classic Sum 41. Thanks to Whibley’s iconic and anthemic vocals and Dave “Brownsound” Baksh’s signature guitar solos, even the most experimental and dynamic songs still manage to fit the mold that Sum 41 have built for themselves over the years while giving them some room to grow.
While Order In Decline isn’t necessarily divisive or game-changing, it does show a ton of promise for the future of Sum 41. With songs that step outside of the band’s usual comfort zone, it leaves some hope that the band can only continue to evolve and grow as they continue forward, and it’s safe to say that fans are eager to hear what they do next.
LISTEN TO “A Death In The Family” or “The People Vs.”
STAY CONNECTED WITH SUM 41: https://www.facebook.com/Sum41/