True to its album title, Sum 41’s All Killer No Filler, released on May 8th, 2001, was a pop-punk album that lived up to the hype. One of the biggest debut albums ever from a Canadian band of any genre, All Killer No Filler quickly pushed Sum 41 toward stardom. Songs like “Fat Lip” and “In Too Deep” proved to be immediately catchy smash hits, yet it was tracks like “Pain For Pleasure” that also showcased a surprising amount of metal influence.
The record was a foreshadowing of things to come for Sum 41, of course. Subsequent albums expanded on their established sound, with 2004’s Chuck being a particularly good coalescing of their disparate influences. But with AKNF, Sum 41 collected the catchiest songs of their formative years and released them right at the time where another wave of pop-punk and skate punk bands were emerging.
