The Living End Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
After a bit of a hiatus, Aussie punk band the Living End returned in 2008 with White Noise, an album that experiments a bit with new sounds but also seems to hang right on the edge of what they had been doing previously. The album opens with "How Do We Know," a piece not far from Living Colour's "Cult of Personality" in tone and delivery, though the guitar is slightly changed. "Raise the Alarm" makes the band (and especially frontman Chris Cheney) come out as a knockoff of Bad Religion, with a little less speed. The title track starts to show more divergence, with a bit of an emo sound leading the band into a short series of lighter pieces, ending abruptly after the ska-infused "Waiting for the Silence" as the group transitions back into a growling guitar format. With its constant switching of styles and tempos, the album could be a bit hit or miss for most listeners. There will be a couple of excellent tracks for anyone, but those tracks will differ for everyone. Though the experimentation is nice to hear, one hopes that the band will stick with only one or two formats on future releases. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Australia's, and maybe the world's, most popular punkabilly trio the Living End takes its Stray Cats strut and Reverend Horton Heat bluster and continues to channel it into a more commercially viable pop/punk sound. The album got a delayed release in the States, likely due to the indifference of the American public, but debuted at number one in Australia when it was released there in February 2006. Despite the skinny ties and standup bass, which is practically inaudible anyway, State of Emergency sounds more like a buffed up Jam album, all snappy hooks and impassioned vocals over a rollicking set of songs. Like Green Day, who the Living End are certain to be compared to -- though not entirely accurately -- these songs refine the pop/punk at their core with smart changes, sharp playing, and a sense of adventure that broadens into anthemic rock, for better or worse. But a more accurate comparison can be made with fellow Aussies You Am I, who also stretch a tough three-piece garage sound into dynamic directions without diluting their vision. Producer Nick Launay knows how to optimize the group's crackle and crunch from his years successfully helming Midnight Oil, the Church and INXS. But songs as powerful as "What's on Your Radio?" don't need much help to raise the already elevated energy level. If Midnight Oil wrote more concise tunes aimed at a younger audience, this might have been the result. Singer/guitarist/primary songwriter Chris Cheney can reach for the back rows when necessary, as he does on "Reborn" and "Order of the Day," but then scale back to less thumping choruses. Still, there aren't many songs that huge throngs won't be able to sing along with in the arenas the band plays, at least in their homeland. The high quality of the songwriting decreases slightly as the album winds through its final third, but the attack remains dramatic, powerful, and rocking, and the final blowout of "Into the Red" leaves the listener with a '70s punk-styled fist in the face. There might be too much energy here for U.S. radio to handle, but the Living End has stepped up to the plate on State of Emergency and hit one, if not quite out of the park, at least to the warning track. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide
'Modern Artillery'
Release Date 1/1/2003
Tracks 14
Label EMI Australia
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The Living End took the turn of the century by storm. With the Clash as their stylistic outrider, the trio scooted snotty and poppy across Australia and Europe before hooking up with the Warped Tour for some crucial U.S. cred-building. Three years on, the Living End has returned to find the old school overcrowded with sugar-punk sprites and every other stripe of rock revivalist. Though they date from the Green Day Gen-X punk era, contemporary relevancy demands a fresh chroming of the Living End's previously perfectly workable jumble of rockabilly, British punk, and '80s pop spare parts. Appropriately, Modern Artillery is helmed by Mark Trombino, who previously brought gleaming product like Jimmy Eat World, Midtown, and Gob to market. The bawdy gang vocals of 2001's Roll On have been replaced by sculpted multi-tracking, and the cleanup operation doesn't stop there. "One Said to the Other" and "Who's Gonna Save Us?" are strong offerings from Living End frontman Chris Cheney, but their rough instrumental and vocal edges -- the kind that made even the poppier elements of the band's past ring with validity -- are polished and buffed here. The guitars punch mightily, and the choruses detonate, but they do in colors easily identifiable to a throng of American baby punks with silver safety pins in their mouths. Luckily, Cheney's fascination with his influences won't be silenced by brand positioning, and sticking to his guns saves most of Modern Artillery from slick meddling. "End of the World" crosses rockabilly with classic Midnight Oil, while "Jimmy" and "Tabloid Magazine" are spot-on Joe Jackson tributes. "Short Notice"'s 1977 Upstarts colors won't wilt, even in the face of crackly drum programming and vocal filters. It's a representative song for a problematic yet still promising album stuck between engineered formula and real deal rock. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Taking note from their number one Australian debut in 1998, the ARIA awards, and spots on Vans' Warped Tour, The Living End grow up, but continue to rampage on with their rowdy punkabilly on Roll On. Not entirely relying on the spirit of 1977 punk rock, their sophomore effort pulls toward their Aussie rock roots (AC/DC, Rose Tattoo) and a touch of British class for an eager modification, and it's a smart move. The trio's momentous energy remains the same, and the fever exuded through spiraling guitar cuts and rebellious lyrical chants illustrates The Living End's pinch-hitting desire to make their punk-oriented sound less commercial, less kitschy, and more stripped. Frontman/guitarist Chris Cheney is vocally sharp, the spunk and snarl on songs like "Don't Shut the Gate" and "Riot on Broadway" are lyrically tighter, consciously aware and almost wishful. The Living End don't hold back, but explore musical chaos for a tangled hybrid of sounds. Elements of Oi! and ska placates the post-pubescent attitude found on the band's eponymous debut, and the band looks beyond the simplicity of most three-cord riffs. The souped-up "Dirty Man" could have been a Smiths song, humorously tapping into the softer side of The Living End, while tailoring toward the Ritalin-reliant spool of pop kids. "Revolution Regained" has the same effect, and Scott Owen's upright bass and Trav Dempsey's thunderous percussion takes shape as Roll On's rambunctious staple song. The majority of the album is slightly that way, the whole battle cry and infliction of defeat is old-school regardless of The Living End striving for such raw power and self-independence. It's far more fashionable than Green Day's typical quick rants. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Every generation has rockabilly cats to call their own. The original sound and intent gets diluted throughout the years, but the sight of tattooed, backwoods greasers with pompadours remains a beloved rock & roll image. In the '90s, nobody did it better than Reverend Horton Heat, but Melbourne, Australia natives the Living End give the good reverend a run for his money on their self-titled American debut. True, the Living End's sound owes far more to the Ramones than it does to Eddie Cochran, or even the Clash, but they've cleverly appropriated certain rockabilly signatures -- most ridiculously, the upright acoustic bass -- that give their homage to the golden age of punk a bit of charm. That would be enough to elevate them above many of their contemporaries, but they happen to rock harder and write better songs than many late-'90s punkers, and that's enough to make The Living End a guilty pleasure for old-school punk fans. For younger listeners, it's just simply a good rock record. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
