In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone, Grammy-nominated band SUM 41 has shared a first look at the details of its upcoming eighth studio album. Vocalist Deryck Whibley revealed that the double album, titled “Heaven And Hell”, is shaping up to be the most ambitious of the band’s career; half of the album, “Heaven”, brings SUM 41 back to its pop punk roots, while the other half, “Hell”, is strictly metal.
“As I listened to almost all of [the newly written songs], it just kind of dawned on me. Did I just make a double record on accident?” Whibley recalled.
Regarding the inspiration for the metal half of the album, Whibley said: “Some of the metal stuff comes with a lot of anger for people who have stolen from me and hurt me in the past.” As for the pop-punk aspect of the new record, he shared: “It all made sense to me why pop-punk is coming back: it’s feel-good music. There’s something that’s happy about it. Something young and innocent and free.”
As previously reported, SUM 41 will join forces with SIMPLE PLAN for the “Blame Canada” tour, their upcoming two-part, full U.S. co-headline run. Fans will be able to join in as the bands commemorate their debut records, with SUM 41 performing “All Killer No Filler” in full and SIMPLE PLAN performing “No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls”. The first leg kicks off on April 29 and features special guest SET IT OFF.
SUM 41‘s storied 24-plus-year career includes over 15 million records sold worldwide, multiple Billboard-charting releases, a Grammy Award nomination, two Juno Awards (seven nominations), a Kerrang! Award in 2002, as well as multiple Alternative Press Music Awards.
SUM 41 photo credit: Ashley Osborne
