Deryck Whibley's Getting Busy With Sum 41 And Avril Lavigne

Sum 41's lengthy hiatus will come to a close by the middle of next year, when the Canadian rock band are expected to release the follow-up to 2004's Chuck.

According to Spin.com, the group have written more than 15 songs that sound "more like [their] first 2 albums. Upbeat and fun with a few slower songs as well."

Sum 41 won't replace guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh, who left in May to devote all of his musical time to Brown Brigade. But Sum 41 will try out guitarists to tour with them in support of the new album.

Sum 41 have kept a pretty low profile of late, though frontman Deryck Whibley made international headlines when he married Canadian pop tart Avril Lavigne in July.

"Married life fuckin' rocks," Lavigne told MTV News while she was in New York City for Fashion Week earlier this month. "If you're with the right person, it's amazing."

Lavigne, 21, has written 15 songs for her next album. She's been working with Whibley, Rob Cavallo (Green Day), Dr. Luke (Kelly Clarkson) and past collaborator Butch Walker (Hot Hot Heat) on material that she said has less angst and is more fun, and includes more love songs. And get this: she thinks it's her best record yet.

"I'm doing my ballads with Rob Cavallo, I give my pop-rock songs to Butch, I give my rock songs to Deryck, and Luke has been experimenting with different sounds and stuff," said the ever-eloquent Lavigne.

Lavigne did voice work for the animated film Over The Hedge, and will make her big screen debut in November by appearing in Fast Food Nation. She'll also appear in the film The Flock next year.