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diversions:
cd review
The Living End
marks new beginning
By Chris Lew
On-line Forty-Niner
The Living End
continues the war on a society that holds them prisoner, first
declared with the band's debut release. This time the Australian
punk/rockabilly band has more ammunition than ever.
Where as the self-titled
1998 album relied on a unique fusion of the Stray Cats, Green
Day and the Sex Pistols, Roll On sees the band widen its musical
influences to include virtually every major rock act since
1980.
The album's title
track picks up where the band's last album left off with an
anthemic proclamation of war.
"We'll protest
in peace keep the whole thing quiet/The last thing needed
is a wage-fuelled riot," snarls lead singer/guitarist
and songwriter Chris Cheney. He adds, "'Cos they don't
really care/They're always standing there/Running from the
outside world"
"Pictures
in the Mirror," follows and marks the crowning achievement
of the band thus far. Mixing the styles of the Foo Fighters,
The Clash and The Who, the band finally perfects the formula
for mixing punk and rockabilly that it toyed with on its first
album.
The band then begins
on a new journey to break away from the occasionally one-dimensional
sound it has finally perfected.
"Staring at
the Light" recalls visions of very early, pre-anthemic,
politically conscious, arena rock monster U2, complete with
effects-laden, clean guitar melodies, religious overtones
and lush harmonies.
The band avoids
becoming too self-righteous by declaring, "There's nothing
that'll save your soul/All you need is alcohol" in the
Metallica-fueled "Carry Me Home."
"Blood on
Your Hands" alternates between Sublime-tinged verses
and explosive choruses. It denounces "being given instructions
by somebody who hasn't a clue or is covering something up,"
according to Cheney, who declares that "we're all sinners
after all" in the song's chorus.
The tracks on the
later half of the album give a less-than-subtle nod to Australia's
most famous musical act, AC/DC. "Silent Victory"
and "Read About It" are perhaps the best songs that
Angus Young never wrote, missing only the distinctively raspy
voice of Brian Johnson.
While the band
continues to foray further and further into old-school, straightforward,
testosterone rock, it is not completely devoid of nearly brilliant
pop sensibility. "Dirty Man" and "Revolution
Regained" contain infectious melodies that easily surpass
anything Blink-182 has permeated the airwaves with in recent
years.
After delving into
serious, intricate, multi-layered arrangements for the album's
middle tracks, The Living End closes things out with the rousing
"Uncle Harry." Very much a throwback to the band's
first album, the frantic Green Day-esque shout-along is reminiscent
of the Clash minus the political awareness.
The only truly
disposable track on the album is "Astoria Paranoia,"
which fails to match the introspection of the rest of the
album's tracks and the fervor of the band's earlier material.
A live version
of the band's biggest stateside hit to date, "Prisoner
of Society," is included as a bonus track for the U.S.
release along with CD-ROM videos of the song and "Pictures
in the Mirror."
The album showcases
the rare use of upright bass by Scott Owen, Brian Setzer-influenced
guitar playing from Cheney and the frantic drumming of Travis
Demsey. The talent involved far exceeds that of many of their
punk contemporaries. If there was any justice left in the
music industry, The Living End would be the punk band selling
four million plus albums not that boy band with distorted
guitars, Blink-182. However, the world of pop music continues
to obscure pure talent in favor of pretty faces and polished,
simple-minded music.
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