'Half Hour Of Power' was the first album by the Canadian punk pop four piece. It was produced by Jerry Finn, who has previously worked with Green Day and Blink 182.

• CMJ (6/26/00, p.24) - "...Culls inspiration from the smart-alec pop-punk of Blink 182 and Green Day....They're not reinventing the punk rock wheel, but they sure spin a big wheel of fun."

Sum 41: Bizzy D., Hot Chocolate (vocals, guitar); Cone (bass); Stevo 32 (drums).
Before these pop-punkers made their way onto the album charts by way of 2001's ALL KILLER NO FILLER, they released the aptly entitled HALF HOUR OF POWER. Though this disc is occupied by the same post-GREEN DAY sound that would soon bring the band fame, HALF HOUR opens up with a satirical heavy metal instrumental, showcasing the sense of humor that's one of SUM 41's most valuable assets. The band's other assets, hummable melodies that ride atop a bed of churning guitars and pounding drums, and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of youthful energy, are present throughout this release. From "Machine Gun" to "Another Time Around," Sum 41 manages to be both pithy and powerful, leavening their punk attack with just the right amount of pop sweetness (well, relative sweetness anyway).

The four neo-punk/pop upstarts from Toronto who make up Sum 41 formed the band while they were all still in high school, and the youthful exuberance of those days can still be strongly felt in their 2000 debut EP HALF HOUR OF POWER. The endearingly bratty skate-punk sound of that recording placed the band in the sonic company of Blink-182, with whom they would eventually tour. Sum 41's first full-length album ALL KILLER NO FILLER was the band's major chart breakthrough, establishing them as a force to be reckoned with.