The Australian music scene just wouldn’t seem complete without The Living End. So with their new album released, and the national tour underway, Dave Roberts takes a listen to see if the boys have done it again.

The first time I’d heard of The Living End I was in the rural township of Broome, in Western Australia. It was raining, crappy weather and the only decent thing on TV was the never-ending loop of nothing that was playing on the local community station. However, luckily, the one good thing was the band’s hit Roll On.

Since then, I’ve been rather a fan of the band, with Chris Cheney’s guitar work being a huge influence of my own, and the simple yet rockin’ versions of songs they manage to pull off (if you haven’t seen their version of Tainted Love, that’s a must see for anyone) and of course their coveted originals such as Second Solution, and more recently Wake Up (off State of Emergency).


So when this album was rumoured and finally announced, I grabbed a copy and listened to it. Now, I understand the albums been out for a few days now and the reason I’ve left this review for a little while is to see what other people are saying about the latest release. Which, for the most part, is very positive and in some cases glowing.

The album itself though, doesn’t feel like a The Living End album. They’ve progressed into a more alternative rock style, moving further away from their rockabilly roots. Now, I’m not saying that’s such a bad thing. However, it just means that some of the songs off the album might get a little snubbed by ‘hardcore fans’. I’ll admit, I’m not one of those, but it just doesn’t feel like ‘The Living End’.

That being said. Give me more. The opening track – ‘In The Morning’ did exactly what an opening track is supposed to do. Make you think ‘awwwww yeah’ as you turn it up louder and louder as the track progresses. And when it finishes, hit repeat and listen again. The next track, Heatwave, sounds a little like a certain Metallica song (at least the verse does) and speaks to some heavier influences that the band seems to have drawn upon for the new record.

I’ll skip ‘Machine Gun’, and go onto ‘For Another Day’. Which is a typical ballad for the genre, sounding something a little reminiscent of Band of Horses, simple and epic. The way music can be for the best reaction. Another track, Resist, has a mid-80s Aussie rock feel to it, and it’s just plainly awesome. The harmonies are raw, the guitar sings, the drums punch through and the bass line adds something special to the mix. Single material for sure.

The final two tracks that really hit me were Universe and the album’s title track The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating. Universe has a swinging feel to it, a dancing song. The other is the one you’ve probably heard on the radio which isn’t exactly the most powerful song on the album at all but a great track to end up on. The added effects and such really pick the song up – which is unfortunately where I draw the line.

The band seems to have relied, at least for the past two albums, on studio magic to help get them through. Now, don’t get me wrong – most bands these days do. But for a three-piece that’s not far from a suicide pact. It leaves me wondering what they are going to do when they have to play this live – are they going to add another member like Muse? Or are they going to battle it out, grit their teeth and hope for the best?

Like I said at the start of the review, I’ve been waiting to see what others had to say about the album before I gave my two cents. And now that I have I can say this, and hopefully dear readers you won’t hate me for it, but the overall feeling of the album was one of ‘eh.’

You see, when I first heard The Living End back in 1999 on that rainy day, I loved the band instantly. Their energy and style just made me want to know more. I loved their rockabilly style, the prowess of Cheney, the lyrics… I just didn’t get any of that with the new album. I felt that if the boys hadn’t had their hits from the 90’s and 00’s, then they’d be just another pop rock band from the current era of music that infects the airways. There was even a song or two that you wouldn’t even say were The Living End, until Chris started singing.

And it’s rather sad, because it started so strong with the opening track, but then petered off with a few sparks of brilliance that weren’t enough to save it. I get that bands change and move with time, but this album at the end of the day evened out to be an average album. Which, in this case, is very sad – I mean it’s The Living End – I was really hoping after the last album which was just a pinch above average we would see a brilliant new album from the boys with a couple of songs that would become engrained in music culture (Second Solution comes to mind).

Sadly, that just didn’t happen, and all the songs on this album are frankly forgettable. I’m sorry guys, but the album just didn’t grab me. Maybe you’ll prove me wrong live, but either which way it just wasn’t as strong as some of your previous albums.

It’s still a definite buy for anyone who likes Alternative Rock. Or for fans of the band. Just don’t expect a golden goose.

Review Score: 6/10