This is quite the return from the beloved punk band.
Sum 41’s most fiery album yet, Order in Decline, rages with aggressive riffs and hard-hitting vocals, ruthlessly tearing apart artificial layers to expose the liars in society. Opener ‘Turning Away’ begins with a delicate melody that quickly gives way to intense riffs. Deryck Whibley sings about seizing his life back by walking away from the poisonous lies and deceitful games.
‘Out For Blood’ burns with fire-licking vengeance and the need to up the stakes. It resonates with the heavier sound of their Chuck album. ‘The New Sensation’ similarly simmers with a cutthroat mentality.
‘A Death In the Family’ is filled with heavy riffs and seething vocals that aim to expose the guilty with their deceiving lies. ‘45 (A Matter Of Time)’ is an adrenaline booster, ruminating over the decline of faith in humankind and an implicit beat down of President Donald Trump.
‘Never There’ contrasts with the previous tracks with its soft acoustic and piano chords, easily the most vulnerable track on the album. Whibley sings about heartache and abandonment, while also reflecting on his inner strength in being able to take control of his own life. Closing track, ‘Catching Fire’, is fuelled by Whibley’s burning sadness over the loss of somebody important to him, along with his regrets of not having noticed the signs sooner.
Order in Decline is a furious firecracker of an album that symbolises ascension from chaos into a more authentic world.
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