SUM 41 NEW ALBUM, UNDERCLASS HERO, DEBUTS #1 IN JAPAN !!

            UNDERCLASS HERO, the fourth full-length album by Island Records group Sum 41, released July 24^th in the U.S., wasted no time in conquering Japan’s international chart as it debuted there at #1 on first week sales of 65,000 units – capping fellow Island band Bon Jovi’s Lost Highway from its four week reign at #1. 

            In an unprecedented move to launch UNDERCLASS HERO, Sum 41 has performed the new album live in its entirety on their website, which can be accessed at www.sum41.com.  The band – who appeared Tuesday on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno – are taking advantage of their stay in Los Angeles to shoot the video for “Walking Disaster,” the album’s second single pick, follow-up to the earlier title tune single, “Underclass Hero.” 

            With the completion of the video, Sum 41 heads to Australia for dates in Melbourne (August 1^st) and Sydney (August 3^rd).  The following weekend they co-headline Japan’s prestigious Summer Sonic Festival in Tokyo (August 11^th) and Osaka (August 12^th), with fellow Island band Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne, Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Stefani, Arctic Monkeys, Offspring, and a slew of other bands.  U.S. Summer tour plans include a half-dozen shows along the Vans Warped Tour from August 14^th (St. Louis) through August 25^th (Los Angeles).  Please see latest itinerary dates below.

            UNDERCLASS HERO is self-produced (for the first time) by the band’s own Deryck Whibley, who has written and produced tracks for (his wife) Avril Lavigne’s current album, The Best Damn Thing.  UNDERCLASS HERO is Sum 41’s long awaited follow-up to Chuck (October 2004), which reached #10 on the Billboard 200 and has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide.  The album was named for the United Nations worker who daringly rescued Sum 41 from bombs and gunfire during the filming of a documentary in the Congo with the nonprofit group War Child Canada.  Chuck spun off three consecutive Top 20 Modern Rock chart singles: “We’re All To Blame,” “Pieces,” and “No Reason.” 

            Sum 41 – comprising Deryck Whibley (lead vocals, guitar, keyboard/piano), Cone McCaslin (bass, vocals), and Stevo (drums, vocals) – formed in 1996, while still in high school in Ontario.  They were signed to Island Records and released their debut mini-album in 2000, Half Hour Of Power.  Their first full-length album arrived in 2001, All Killer No Filler, followed by Does This Look Infected in 2002, and Chuck in 2004. 

SUM 41 ON TOUR

Date            City                                 Venue                                     Detail                         

Aug.   1        Melbourne, Australia        Metro Nightclub                       w/Yellowcard

          3        Sydney, Australia              Luna Park                                w/Yellowcard

          11      Tokyo, Japan                   Summer Sonic Fest                   w/Fall Out Boy, Avril

                                                                                                            Lavigne, Black Eyed Peas,

                                                                                                            Offspring, and more

          12      Osaka, Japan                   Summer Sonic Fest                   (same as above)

          14      St. Louis, MO                  Verizon Wireless Amph.           Warped Tour

          15      Bonner Springs, KS          Verizon Wireless                      Warped Tour

          17      Portland, OR                    Rose Quarter                            AST Dew Tour

          19      Las Vegas, NV                House of Blues 

          22      Fresno, CA                      Selland Arena                           Warped Tour

          23      Sacramento, CA               Sleep Train Amphitheatre          Warped Tour

          24      San Diego, CA                 Coors Amphitheater                 Warped Tour

          25      Carson, CA                      Home Depot Center                 Warped Tour

Sept.  8        Portland, ME                    The Station 

          9        Boston, MA                     Avalon Ballroom                       w/Yellowcard

          10      Providence, RI                 Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel          w/Yellowcard

          11      Lancaster, PA                  Chameleon                               w/Yellowcard

          13      Denver, CO                     Red Rocks Amphitheater          w/ Rise Against,

                                                                                                            Silverstein, Comeback Kid

          15      Cleveland, OH                 House of Blues                         w/Yellowcard

          17      Pittsburgh, PA                  Rex Theatre                              w/Yellowcard

          18      Washington, DC               9:30 Club                                 w/Yellowcard

          20      Sayreville, NJ                   Starland Ballroom 

          21      Philadelphia, PA               The Trocadero 

          23      Rochester, NY                 Water Street Music Hall 

          26      Detroit, MI                       St. Andrews Hall 

          27      Grand Rapids, MI            The Intersection 

          28      Chicago, IL                      Metro 

          29      Louisville, KY                  Waterfront Park                       WLRS Fest

Contact: Karen Wiessen, 212.603.3950
email: karen.wiessen@umusic.com