Music News
Sum 41’s ‘Underclass Hero’ debuts at #7 on Billboard’s Top 200
By M&C News
Aug 1, 2007, 16:18 GMT

‘Underclass Hero,’ the fourth full-length album by Island Records group Sum 41, debuted at #7 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart with sales of over 44,000 units. In addition to this being the highest US chart debut for the multi-platinum act (the band’s 2004 release, ‘Chuck,’ debuted at #10), ‘Underclass Hero’ also entered the Japanese chart at #1 last week, with sales of 65,000. 

In an unprecedented move to launch ‘Underclass Hero,’ prior to release Sum 41 performed the new album live in its entirety on their website, which can be accessed at www.sum41.com.  The band – who appeared recently on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno – took advantage of their stay in Los Angeles to shoot the video for “Walking Disaster,” the album’s second single pick, follow-up to the earlier title tune single, “Underclass Hero.” 

Sum 41 is now in Australia for dates in Melbourne (tonight) and Sydney (August 3rd).  The following weekend they co-headline Japan’s prestigious Summer Sonic Festival in Tokyo (August 11th) and Osaka (August 12th), with fellow Island band Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne, Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Stefani, Arctic Monkeys, Offspring, and a slew of other bands.  U.S. Summer tour plans include a half-dozen shows along the Vans Warped Tour from August 14th (St. Louis) through August 25th (Los Angeles). 
 
‘Underclass Hero’ is self-produced (for the first time) by the band’s own Deryck Whibley, who has written and produced tracks for (his wife) Avril Lavigne’s current album, ‘The Best Damn Thing.’  The album is Sum 41’s long awaited follow-up to ‘Chuck’ (October 2004), which reached #10 on the Billboard 200 and has sold more than 1 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 Stevo (drums, vocals) – 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,’ followed by ‘Does This Look Infected’ in 2002, and ‘Chuck’ in 2004. 

Sum 41 Tickets are now available at M&C’s Ticket Database. Sum 41 tour dates include:

Date       City                      Venue                    Detail                      
Aug. 1   Melbourne, Australia     Metro Nightclub    w/Yellowcard
     3     Sydney, Australia        Luna Park             w/Yellowcard
    11    Tokyo, Japan             Summer Sonic Fest  w/Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne, Black Eyed Peas, Offspring, and more
    12   Osaka, Japan             Summer Sonic Fest    (same as above)
    14   St. Louis, MO             Verizon Wireless Amph.  Warped Tour
    15   Bonner Springs, KS     Verizon Wireless           Warped Tour
    17   Portland, OR              Rose Quarter               AST Dew Tour
    19   Las Vegas, NV           House of Blues 
    22   Fresno, CA                Selland Arena            Warped Tour
    23   Sacramento, CA         Sleep Train Amphitheatre  Warped Tour
    24   San Diego, CA            Coors Amphitheater         Warped Tour
    25   Carson, CA                Home Depot Center       Warped Tour
Sept.8  Portland, ME              The Station 
     9  Boston, MA                 Avalon Ballroom         w/Yellowcard
    10  Providence, RI             Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel  w/Yellowcard
    11  Lancaster, PA              Chameleon            w/Yellowcard
    13  Denver, CO                 Red Rocks Amphitheater  w/ Rise Against, Silverstein, Comeback Kid
    15      Cleveland, OH      House of Blues            w/Yellowcard
    17      Pittsburgh, PA     Rex Theatre               w/Yellowcard
    18      Washington, DC     9:30 Club                 W/Yellowcard
    20      Sayreville, NJ     Starland Ballroom 
    21      Philadelphia, PA   The Trocadero 
    23      Rochester, NY      Water Street Music Hall 
    26      Detroit, MI        St. Andrews Hall 
    27      Grand Rapids, MI   The Intersection 
    28      Chicago, IL        Metro 
    29      Louisville, KY     Waterfront Park              WLRS Fest