If it seems like it's been a while since The Living End have put out an album, that's because it has. 2001's Roll On, which was a punkabilly rock masterpiece, was the last thing that they released; and just when it looked like they were heading for rock superstardom, cruel fate intervened. Lead singer Chris Cheney was involved in a very serious car accident that very nearly took his life. Now that Cheney has had time to recover, it seems that the boys from Australia are trying to make up for all of their lost time on one album.

Modern Artillery has the kind of slick production that as soon as you hear it, you know that only one thing is on the mind of the band: radio airplay. Mark Trombino, (who has produced bands like Jimmy Eat World into rock stars) tries the same kind of formula here with mixed results. The Clash meets Stray Cats strut that The Living End have been famous for has been completely watered down, and in its place is something that sounds more like Green Day. That's great if you're the kind of person that thinks that the sun rises and sets with Dookie, but frankly I don't, and it doesn't suit The Living End sound at all.

Unfortunately, that sound makes up about all of the first half of the album. Strangely enough though, the second half actually has some gems that make Modern Artillery somewhat appealing. "Short Notice," even though bogged down by the slick production, is still as tenacious a number as any that Living End have ever written. And the biggest surprise on the album, "So What," actually has a country twinge to it that is very reminiscent of another fellow Australian; Kasey Chambers. But even with an impressive second half showing on this new album, Modern Artillery lacks the fire-power tp live up to the one-two punch of their previous releases.