Though officially an EP, Half Hour of Power may also be considered the band's debut studio album. Most of the songs featured on the EP were included as bonus tracks on Sum 41's actual debut studio album All Killer No Filler (2001), which featured a re-recorded version of Half Hour of Power's sixth track "Summer". This is the second of three times that this song was featured on a Sum 41 album. It first appeared on their 1998 demo tape.
Music
Critics have categorized Half Hour of Power as pop-punk and skate punk. The songs "Grab the Devil by the Horns and Fuck Him Up the Ass" and "Ride the Chariot to the Devil", are heavy metal songs, similar to Iron Maiden. Although "Another Time Around" was described as punk rock, the song's intro was described as "dirge-metal". The song "Second Chance for Max Headroom" bears similarities to American punk rock band NOFX and contains a ska section. The song "Dave's Possessed Hair/It's What We're All About" is known for containing a part with elements of hip-hop.
Curtis Zimmermann of AllMusic stated that "The first track, "Grab the Devil by the Horns and Fuck Him up the Ass," is a time warp. For a minute and a half the group relives the new wave of British metal and cranks out an Iron Maiden style tune. After a brief trip down memory lane the album quickly morphs into pop punk. The songs are well crafted and the hooks are catchy on "Make No Difference" and "Summer." But in some respects that is problematic, there was a time in the pre-Green Day/Blink-182 years where punk defined itself by not being radio friendly. A good album, but essentially proof that turn of the millennium punk is just as much a corporate rock entity as adult contemporary."
