Sum 41 roars back with ‘Underclass Hero’

By Patrick Luce Apr 17, 2007, 17:02 GMT

‘Underclass Hero’ is the long awaited follow-up to ‘Chuck’ (released October 2004), which reached #10 on the Billboard 200 and has sold more than one million copies worldwide.

Taking their multi-platinum punk to a new level, Island recording group and “perennial road warriors” Sum 41 have completed their fourth full-length album, ‘Underclass Hero,’ and set July 24th as the release date.  The new album is self-produced (for the first time) by the band's own Deryck Whibley.

Sum 41's new album will be introduced with its first single and opening track, “Underclass Hero.”  The song will impact Modern Rock Radio on May 15th.  In addition, Sum 41 will release the song "March Of The Dogs" online today (April 17th), so fans can get an early taste of the new release. That song will be available for purchase on iTunes.

‘Underclass Hero’ is the long awaited follow-up to ‘Chuck’ (released October 2004), which reached #10 on the Billboard 200 and has sold more than one million copies worldwide.  The album was named for the United Nations worker who daringly rescued Sum 41 from bombs and gunfire during the filming of a documentary in the Congo with the nonprofit group War Child Canada.  ‘Chuck’ spun off three consecutive Top 20 Modern Rock chart singles: “We're All To Blame,” “Pieces,” and “No Reason.”

Sum 41 - comprising Deryck Whibley (lead vocals, guitar, keyboard/piano), Cone McCaslin (bass, vocals), and Steve Jocz (drums, vocals), with a guitarist to-be-named for their next tour - formed in 1996, while still in high school in Ontario.  They were signed to Island Records and released their debut mini-album in 2000, ‘Half Hour Of Power.’

Their first full-length album arrived in 2001, ‘All Killer No Filler’ (certified RIAA platinum), followed by ‘Does This Look Infected’ in 2002 (RIAA gold), and ‘Chuck’ in 2004 (RIAA gold).    In addition to producing the new Sum 41 album, Whibley has produced and mixed tracks for (his wife) Avril Lavigne's upcoming release, ‘The Best Damn Thing.’

Prior to the "Go Chuck Yourself"  tour, Sum 41 made history on NBC's Saturday Night Live when they joined Disturbing Tha Peace artist Ludacris on his single “Get Back.”  The next day, they all got together in a New York studio to record a special Rock Remix of “Get Back” which was made available for download exclusively at iTunes for one month.