Yeah, i know what you’re thinking...«why the hell is he reviewing a single?» But the fact is that with
Motivation, Sum 41 have strived to give their fans something more than just the average single. They achieved this by adding three previously unreleased live tracks to the studio track. And these live tracks are actually what makes this such a good buy.
Motivation itself is one of the best tracks off
All Killer no Filler, Sum 41’s sophomore outing. It features a totally awesome drum intro before the bass kicks in, then the guitars, playing a riff that reminds you of fellow punk-poppers Blink 182. The song is standard pop-punk fare up until halfway through the song, when a purely Clashian riff kicks in and makes classic punk fans smile. Of course, the throwback only lasts a few seconds, but it helps validate Sum 41 as a truly punk-influenced band rather than just another bunch of posers. All in all, a very good track. (3,5/5)
As good as the title track is, however, it is all but put to shame by the live portion of this EP. The first of the live songs featured is Sum 41’s old hit
Machine Gun. It is subject to a fast and furious delivery, complete with short, punky solo. During the breakdown, Deryck and the so-called Brown Sugar trade jokes, burp and interact with the audience, asking them to sing the next part of the song. In Deryck’s own words «it’s really f***ing easy, all ya gotta do is say ‘na’». Simply hilarious. Then they finish it off in a very «metallic» crescendo. (5/5)
Machine Gun segues straight into
Crazy Amanda Bunkface. This song is slightly inferior to the one that preceded it, but it’s still very enjoyable, especially due to Deryck and Brown Sugar’s comments at the beginning («My message…I dunno, I’ll think of one later….it’s very meaningful though, I’ll tell you that!») This is a faster-paced song that sometimes comes close to early Offspring, and it’s once again very enjoyable. (4/5)
Once again segueing straight from the previous track comes the jewel of the Sum 41 crown,
Pain for Pleasure. This hilarious NWOBHM spoof lasts less than a minute, yet it is one of the best true-metal songs ever written. Listen to it and try NOT to mistake it for an Iron Maiden song. Deryck uses a lower register and Brown Sugar helps with «demonic» backing vocals. This song showcases the group’s early metal influences and manages to sound goofy without sounding jeering or sarcastic. Props to them for pulling it off. (5/5)
All in all, then , something more than just a mere single, and highly worth the buy, even if you’re not that much of a Sum 41 fan.
