Sum 41 have announced a double-album Heaven :x: Hell.
The most ambitious album of their career, Heaven is 10 tracks of snarling high-energy pop punk, while Hell consists of ten heavy metal anthems spiked with fret-burning solos, thrashing riffs, and fist-pumping hooks.
The band has been straddling the line of pop-punk and metal for their entire career, and Heaven :x: Hell is a testament to their innovative sound and unmatched skill, proving them as pioneers 27 years after the band's inception.
On the new album, vocalist Deryck Whibley says “Once I heard the music, I was confident enough to say, ‘This is the record I’d like to go out on.’ We’ve made a double album of pop punk and metal, and it makes sense. It took a long time for us to pave this lane for ourselves, but we did, and it’s unique to us.”
Alongside the announcement, Sum 41 has released a new single and music video, Rise Up.
The first offering from the upcoming album’s metal-filled Hell side, Rise Up opens with a flurry of guitar riffs and pounding drums fit for a mosh pit straight out of the band’s early years. “Writing 'Rise Up,' I felt the way I did when I first got signed,” says Deryck. “I felt the pressure and the need to create something great, but I felt so excited at the same time."
Previously, Sum 41 shared Landmines, from Heaven :x: Hell’s pop-punk Heaven portion.
Speaking about Landmines Whibley states "When I wrote Landmines I had no intention of writing an old school “pop punk” song. It just came out really quickly and I knew right away that this song felt special to me."
The track is with a brand new music video that finds the band transforming prom from the class of 1998 into a raucous rock show-turned-food fight, thrusting Sum 41 and their fans back to the early days of their career.
Looking back at the band’s storied career, Sum 41 have firmly cemented their place in rock history with over 15 million records sold worldwide, multiple Billboard Charting releases, a Grammy Award nomination, 2 Juno Awards (7 nominations), a Kerrang! Award in 2002, multiple Alternative Press Music Awards, and countless other accolades.
Always a favourite with Australian audiences, the band was last in the country in December 2022 for a sold-out arena tour with The Offspring and a select run of celebrated headline shows.
News on plans for a final tour has yet to arrive, but given the band's affinity for their massive fanbase down under, it seems a false bet they won't wind it up without one last tour.
Heaven :x: Hell
Tracklist
HEAVEN-
1. Waiting On A Twist Of Fate
2. Landmines
3. I Can’t Wait
4. Time Won’t Wait
5. Future Primitive
6. Dopamine
7. Not Quite Myself
8. Bad Mistake
9. Johnny Libertin
10. Radio Silence
HELL-
1. Preparasi A Salire
2. Rise Up
3. Stranger In These Times
4. I Don’t Need Anyone
5. Over The Edge
6. House Of Liars
7. You Wanted War
8. Paint It Black
9. It’s All Me
10. How The End Begins
Heaven :x: Hell is available to pre-save and pre-order now.
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