SUM 41 confidently named their most successful album All Killer No Filler. While the reverse might not completely be true of Chuck, it is far from convincing.

The record is harder, more serious, but then its subject matter is hardly a barrel of laughs. The story of Chuck comes from the band's trip to the Congo to shoot a documentary for War Child Canada. In a country wracked by civil war, they encountered bombs and gunfire and were forced to hide in a hotel bathroom. A United Nations representative called Chuck Pelletier got them evacuated and was the inspiration behind this Metallica-sounding album. The gloriously catchy rock of We're All To Blame, Some Say and Pieces are reason enough to buy Chuck but other tracks lazily descend into riff-worn filler. More killer please. Matthew Woodcock

Updated: 09:00 Thursday, January 06, 2005