Does This Look Infected?

Quality 0.50 · 2 views · Updated 2 months ago

title: "Does This Look Infected?" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2002-albums", "sum-41-albums", "aquarius-records-(canada)-albums", "island-records-albums", "albums-produced-by-greig-nori", "albums-recorded-at-metalworks-studios"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Does_This_Look_Infected?" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

FieldValue
nameDoes This Look Infected?
typestudio
artistSum 41
coverSum41_doesthislookinfected.png
released
recorded2002
studio*Avatar (New York, New York)
genre{{flatlist
length{{plainlist
label{{flatlist
producerGreig Nori
prev_titleAll Killer No Filler
prev_year2001
next_titleChuck
next_year2004
misc{{Singles
nameDoes This Look Infected?
typestudio
single1Still Waiting
single1dateNovember 18, 2002
single2The Hell Song
single2dateFebruary 18, 2003
single3Over My Head (Better Off Dead)
single3dateJune 23, 2003
::

| name = Does This Look Infected? | type = studio | artist = Sum 41 | cover = Sum41_doesthislookinfected.png | alt = | released = | recorded = 2002 | venue = | studio = *Avatar (New York, New York)

Music

Composition

The album is more aggressive, darker and heavier and has fewer elements of pop music than Sum 41's previous studio album, All Killer No Filler (2001)

Critics have categorized the album as punk rock, and melodic hardcore. The album uses elements of hardcore punk, thrash metal, horror punk, and D-beat.

Ultimate Guitar editor Jorge Martins described the album, as well as its follow up, as "fantastic examples" of merging "pop punk with thrash, NWOBHM, and alt-metal" and the band in general as a band who "perfected the art of combining punk rock and metal". The song "Thanks for Nothing" also includes elements of hip hop. Although the album has been described as pop punk by some sources, Counterculture.co.uk considered it an album that shows Sum 41 abandoning the pop punk genre for a more standard punk rock style. Amy Sciarretto of ARTISTdirect wrote that Does This Look Infected? soldifies Sum 41 as "true punk stalwarts". The music on Does This Look Infected? has been compared to bands such as the Offspring, P.O.D., Metallica, Rancid, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Bad Religion, NOFX, Green Day and {{nowrap|Blink-182.

Lyrics

The album's lyrical topics are darker than the lyrical topics on All Killer No Filler. The song "Mr. Amsterdam" is about an embittered man. Whibley said, "'Mr. Amsterdam' is sort of about a guy who hates everything, very bitter person who kind of hates the world." He explains, "He's against the world." The song is also about the complacency of pop culture in 2002, the year that Does This Look Infected? was released, and technology that was new during the year that the album was released. Whibley explained the meaning of "Mr. Amsterdam", saying, "We depend so much on new technology to make sure that we don't have to do anything. Everything's being laid out so we can sit at home and do nothing and never leave our homes. You can order all your groceries from the computer. You can do anything you want. You can just sit there and become fatter. And I think that's bad."

Lead guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh explained the meaning of the song "All Messed Up", saying, "There's a song called 'All Messed Up,' which is about doing drugs . . . just what we feel when we're on drugs." When Whibley spoke about "All Messed Up", he said, "It's about those kinds of nights. It's just about being really messed up and in that whole cracked-out kind of state." "The Hell Song" is about a friend of Sum 41 who contracted HIV. Whibley spoke about "The Hell Song" saying, "It’s one of my favorite songs on the record. It's about this girl I used to date who I've known forever. Just last Christmas she found that she was HIV positive, and it was so brutal. She doesn't sleep around. She's only had two or three boyfriends and one of them used to cheat on her all the time, and then he got it and gave it to her. It's the heaviest thing that's happened in our group of friends." "No Brains" is about a former band member of Sum 41. Whibley explained the song's meaning, saying, "That's just a basic 'fuck you, I'm done' kind of song. This guy was our old singer and I was best friends with him. We had this big falling out." Whibley explained what the song "Over My Head (Better Off Dead)" is about. He said, "It's not about being fucked up or drunk. It's more about the aftermath when you're hearing everything you've just done the night before, and you're like, "Ah, fuck, I'm better off dead." I don't regret any of the things I do and I don't mind doing them, I just hate hearing about it. Being told every morning, "Dude, what did you do last night?" drives me nuts."

"Still Waiting" was written after the September 11 attacks.

Artwork and title

The cover for Does This Look Infected? shows drummer Steve Jocz dressed as a zombie. It was chosen months before the title. The album's release was almost delayed because the band members did not have a name for it on time until Whibley thought of the name Does This Look Infected?. The whole band laughed at the idea and chose it. The same idea was also used on the band's EP Does This Look Infected Too?, except Jocz was replaced with Whibley, also dressed as a zombie.

Reception

| MC = 75/100 | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = | rev2 = Blender | rev2score = | rev3 = E! | rev3score = B+ | rev4 = Entertainment Weekly | rev4Score = B− | rev5 = Dotmusic | rev5score = | rev6 = The Guardian | rev6score = | rev7 = NME | rev7Score = 7/10 | rev8 = Playlouder | rev8score = | rev9 = Q | rev9score = | rev10 = Rolling Stone | rev10Score = (RS 911 – December 12, 2002)

Critical reception

Does This Look Infected? has received mostly positive reviews from music critics. On Metacritic, the album has 75 out of 100. E! Online said that it "has a clutch of songs that mix chord-y abandon with raging rock riffs--and a heck of a lot of good times". Blender also gave it a positive review, saying, "So Sum 41 have grown up... a little.... It's all relative, and, crucially, it still rocks."

Commercial performance

Does This Look Infected? debuted at number eight on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 17,000 copies in Canada in its first week. The album gained commercial success, with singles "The Hell Song" and "Still Waiting" mainly gaining success on the modern rock charts. The album has since sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide, but the album did not have as much success as the band's previous album "All Killer No Filler".

Legacy

The album was included at number 28 on Rock Sounds "The 51 Most Essential Pop Punk Albums of All Time" list. The band toured to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2012, and its 15th anniversary in 2018, playing the album in its entirety. Whibley himself stated he was not satisfied with how the album was mixed, stating "I’ve always, always hated the way this album sounds. I hated it in the studio and it still bothers me. The demo I made myself at home sounded better than the final mix." In February 2025, former drummer Steve Jocz ranked Does This Look Infected? as his favorite Sum 41 album he has worked on.

Track listing

| total_length = 31:06 | title1 = The Hell Song | length1 = 3:18 | writer1 = | title2 = Over My Head (Better Off Dead) | length2 = 2:29 | writer2 = | title3 = My Direction | length3 = 2:03 | writer3 = | title4 = Still Waiting | length4 = 2:39 | writer4 = | title5 = A.N.I.C. | length5 = 0:38 | writer5 = | title6 = No Brains | length6 = 2:46 | writer6 = | title7 = All Messed Up | length7 = 2:45 | writer7 = | title8 = Mr. Amsterdam | length8 = 2:56 | writer8 = | title9 = Thanks for Nothing | length9 = 3:04 | writer9 = | title10 = Hyper-Insomnia-Para-Condrioid | length10 = 2:33 | writer10 = | title11 = Billy Spleen | length11 = 2:33 | writer11 = | title12 = Hooch | length12 = 3:28 | writer12 = | headline = UK and SRC Vinyl bonus tracks | total_length = 39:18 | title13 = Reign in Pain (Heavy Metal Jamboree) | note13 = vinyl pressing is listed as "Reign in Pain" | length13 = 2:55 | writer13 = | title14 = WWVII Parts 1 & 2 | note14 = vinyl pressing is listed as "WWVII Part II" | length14 = 5:09 | writer14 =

| headline = Does This Look Infected Too? – Japanese tour edition bonus disc | title1 = Mr. Amsterdam | note1 = live in Brussels | length1 = 3:54 | title2 = Over My Head (Better Off Dead) | note2 = live in Brussels | length2 = 2:56 | title3 = No Brains | note3 = live in Brussels | length3 = 4:08 | title4 = The Hell Song | note4 = live in Brussels | length4 = 3:08 | title5 = Still Waiting | note5 = live in Brussels | length5 = 3:16 | total_length = 17:22

Bonus DVD

The unedited version includes a bonus DVD which is entitled Cross The T's and Gouge Your I's. The DVD has footage of Sum 41's alter ego band, Pain for Pleasure, titled "Reign in Pain", as well as various humorous segments like "Going Going Gonorrhea", "Campus Invasion" and "Pizza Heist and Other Crap". Also included in the DVD are the Pain for Pleasure tracks "Reign in Pain" and "WWVII Parts 1 & 2", the Autopilot Off songs "Long Way to Fall" and "Nothing Frequency", the No Warning songs "Short Fuse" and "Ill Blood", and some web-links.

Personnel

Sum 41

Production

  • Greig Nori – producer
  • Ben Sanders – additional vocal recording assistant
  • Ian Bodzasi – assistant engineer
  • Steve Chawley – assistant engineer
  • Chris Gordon – assistant engineer, additional engineer
  • Brian Montgomery – assistant engineer
  • Ross Petersen – assistant engineer
  • Anthony Ruotolo – assistant engineer
  • Owen Tamplin – assistant engineer
  • Phil Wakeford – assistant engineer
  • Josh Wilbur – Pro Tools engineer
  • Ed Krautner – engineer, additional engineering and mixing
  • Femio Hernandez – additional engineer
  • Joel Kazmi – additional engineer
  • L. Stuart Young – additional engineer
  • Dan Moyse – drum technician
  • Artie Smith – guitar technician
  • Tony Vanias – recording administration
  • Andy Wallace – mixing
  • Steve Sisco – mixing assistant
  • Tom Lord-Alge– mixing on "The Hell Song"
  • Howie Weinberg – mastering at Masterdisk, New York City
  • Bernadette Walsh – production coordinator
  • Morning Breath – album design
  • Jonathan Mannion – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for ''Does This Look Infected?''"] | Chart (2002–03) | Peak position | Australian Albums (ARIA) | |---|---|---| | 56 | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="2002 year-end chart performance for ''Does This Look Infected?''"]

Chart (2002)PositionCanadian Albums (Billboard)Canadian Alternative Albums (Billboard)UK Albums (OCC)
68
20
179
::

::data[format=table title="2003 year-end chart performance for ''Does This Look Infected?''"]

Chart (2003)PositionUS Billboard 200
139
::

Certifications

References

; Citations

;Sources

References

  1. (February 21, 2003). "To Sum it up, band likes to keep it light".
  2. Stuart Green. (February 1, 2003). "Sum 41 Does This Look Infected?".
  3. Stewart, Ethan. (May 17, 2023). "Ranking The Sum 41 Albums: From Pop-punk To Thrash Metal". [[PopMatters]].
  4. (December 10, 2002). "Sum 41 - Does This Look Infected?". [[Entertainment.ie]].
  5. Webster, Cody. (December 23, 2002). "Sum 41 – ''Does This Look Infected?'' Review".
  6. John Robb. "Does This Look Infected? by Sum 41". [[Playlouder]].
  7. "Chuck".
  8. "All Messed Up: A Look Back At Sum 41's 'Does This Look Infected?'". The Carouser.
  9. "This Album Silenced Critics and Proved That Pop Punk Can Be as Heavy as Metal".
  10. Graham 'Gruhamed' Hartmann. (November 16, 2012). "Sum 41 Celebrate 10th Anniversary of 'Does This Look Infected?' With Nostalgic NYC Show". [[Loudwire]].
  11. "The Ultimate Genre Hybrid: 10 Bands That Perfected the Art of Combining Punk Rock and Metal".
  12. Amy Sciarretto. (November 5, 2012). "Sum 41 Tour "Does This Look Infected?" 10th Anniversary Tour Update".
  13. Rowan Shaeffer. "Sum 41 : Does This Look Infected?".
  14. Erwin, Ben. (December 13, 2002). "Sum 41's latest more than warmed-over 'Dookie'". [[The Daily Eastern News]].
  15. Wiederhorn, Jon. (November 14, 2002). "Sum 41 Sober Up On ''Does This Look Infected?''". [[MTV]].
  16. Karen Bliss. (October 3, 2002). "Sum 41 Get Infected".
  17. Chris Heath. "'Does This Look Infected?'".
  18. "Hell Song by Sum 41 Songfacts".
  19. D'Angelo, Joe. "Sum 41: Testing Their Metal (Part 2)". [[MTV]].
  20. "A.N.I.C by Sum 41".
  21. "Does This Look Infected? Reviews".
  22. "Does This Look Infected? - Sum 41 - Songs, Reviews, Credits".
  23. Mitchell, Ben. "Sum 41 Does This Look Infected?". [[Blender (magazine).
  24. (December 16, 2002). "Sum 41 - Does This Look Infected?".
  25. Sinclair, Tom. (November 29, 2002). "Does This Look Infected? Review".
  26. Heath, Chris. (November 25, 2002). "SUM 41 - 'DOES THIS LOOK INFECTED?' (INTERSCOPE)".
  27. Sweeting, Adam. (22 November 2002). "Sum 41: Does This Look Infected?".
  28. (September 12, 2005). "Sum 41: Does This Look Infected?". NME.
  29. Robb, John. "Sum 41 Does This Look Infected?". [[Playlouder]].
  30. Throughout, the bouncy enthusiasm of old has become heavier, louder, faster and stronger. [Jan 2003, p.113]
  31. (December 4, 2002). "Shania's 'Up!' sales go down".
  32. Bird, ed. 2014, p. 71
  33. Masley, Ed. "Sum 41's Deryck Whibley looks back on 'Does This Look Infected?' in advance of anniversary tour".
  34. (January 31, 2025). "EVERY Sum 41 album (that I played on) RANKED!!".
  35. "HOME".
  36. {{cite Ryan
  37. "Top 200 Albums of 2002 (based on sales)".
  38. "Canada's Top 200 Alternative albums of 2002".
  39. "UK Year-End Charts 2002". [[UKChartsPlus]].
  40. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2003".
  41. (August 19, 2004). "Intense Congo Trip Inspires Sum 41's 'Chuck'".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

2002-albumssum-41-albumsaquarius-records-(canada)-albumsisland-records-albumsalbums-produced-by-greig-norialbums-recorded-at-metalworks-studios