Australia's Living End is not your typical punk band of today. Instead of leaning toward today's pop-punk formula of fast-paced, three-chord soundalike songs with whiny vocals, these guys put together well-crafted, all-over-the-place punk-oriented songs that made me feel like I was listening to Green Day, Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, and the Clash all on one album. As soon as I heard the first track, the mid-tempo punkish rocker and title cut "Roll On," I knew I was in for something different than Good Charlotte or New Found Glory oriented faux punk. I found most of this album was catchy mid-tempo punk-rock comparable to Rancid or Green Day, and it kept me rocking out and singing along with every chorus. Other highlights thrown in like the upbeat and swinging "Riot on Broadway," the faster-paced and catchy "Pictures in the Mirror," and the Clash-like, reggaeish "Read About It." Tracks like "Carry Me Home" and "Astoria Paranoia" were the faster rockabilly-punk tracks similar to Dropkick Murphys or Flogging Molly. Tracks like "Blood on Your Hands" and "Revolution Regained" combined different punk tempos and drumming styles together with one another, and "Don't Shut the Gate" was a hard-rocking, alternative-rock headbanger. The best track by far was "Uncle Harry," which was the perfect mix of shoutalong rockabilly-punk and traditional fast punk back and forth with one another. Also included at the end is a live version of their hit "Prisoner of Society," which was from their first album. There's not enough I can say about this album, but it must be said that I enjoyed every song on it. Oh yeah, they also get mad props for having a stand-up bass player. Let's hope these guys stick around for a long time.
:: zBoneman.com Reader Comments ::