The Living End-”The End Is Just The Beginning Repeating”
August 26th 2011 12:08
You know sixteen years ago I discovered this cool little rockabilly punk 3 piece from Melbourne who had a unique sound to my ears and were about to have a single 'Prisoner Of Society' blow up on JJJ and the music charts. That band grew up to be a juggernaut of Australian rock. And while they have moved away from that rockabilly sound, you can still hear those roots shine through on their sixth studio album "The End Is Just The Beginning Repeating". It's that thumping double bass, the rollicking drum fill backing one of this country's greatest guitarists this album shows a band that continues to grow as musicians and like a good scotch, gets better with time.
The punk anthems have been substituted with a more open and expressive rock sound. The songs have room to breathe. They have a more consistent flow. This openness in the music allows for two things to happen. It gives the band a chance to incorporate keys and synths to add to dynamics and also gives Chris Cheney more room for his vocals. While his guitar work has been admired for years, we tend to forget he also possesses a great set of vocal chords. He can sing with great melody and character in a track like 'For Another Day' and can add venom to a snarl has he sings about a Living End consistent theme of blue collar workers in 'This One’s For The Lonely'.
'In The Morning' opens like a new dawn sun rising before unleashing a rolling rock track that sets the mood for the entire album. This is a rock record. Made to be played loud wherever you listen to it. Tracks like “Machine Gun” and “The End Is Just The Beginning Repeating” show muscle and grunt unlike anything in The Living Ends past work. The new trends don’t stop there, there’s the introduction of 80’s style synths on the track “Universe” and the tale of a big wave surfer in “Ride The Wave, Boy” which is a little uncharacteristic, but a great track.
The end product is a great step forward for the band. They haven’t completely reinvented themselves or alienated their hardcore fans with and drastic style changes. The changes are subtle enough to bring the fans along and a track like “Universe” I can see being a popular sing along track at gigs. The boys continue to deliver the goods and this album showcases a talented band in their prime.
The punk anthems have been substituted with a more open and expressive rock sound. The songs have room to breathe. They have a more consistent flow. This openness in the music allows for two things to happen. It gives the band a chance to incorporate keys and synths to add to dynamics and also gives Chris Cheney more room for his vocals. While his guitar work has been admired for years, we tend to forget he also possesses a great set of vocal chords. He can sing with great melody and character in a track like 'For Another Day' and can add venom to a snarl has he sings about a Living End consistent theme of blue collar workers in 'This One’s For The Lonely'.
'In The Morning' opens like a new dawn sun rising before unleashing a rolling rock track that sets the mood for the entire album. This is a rock record. Made to be played loud wherever you listen to it. Tracks like “Machine Gun” and “The End Is Just The Beginning Repeating” show muscle and grunt unlike anything in The Living Ends past work. The new trends don’t stop there, there’s the introduction of 80’s style synths on the track “Universe” and the tale of a big wave surfer in “Ride The Wave, Boy” which is a little uncharacteristic, but a great track.
The end product is a great step forward for the band. They haven’t completely reinvented themselves or alienated their hardcore fans with and drastic style changes. The changes are subtle enough to bring the fans along and a track like “Universe” I can see being a popular sing along track at gigs. The boys continue to deliver the goods and this album showcases a talented band in their prime.
the living end - the ending is just the beginning repeating
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