By Samuel Rubenfeld

With a no.1 Australian debut, The Living End are ready to infuse the US with State of Emergency, a culmination of evolving tastes and influences.

State is the natural follow-up to 2000’s Roll On. After guitarist and lead vocalist Chris Cheney’s car accident and rehab, they released 2003’s Modern ARTillery to lukewarm reviews and lackluster U.S. sales.

The album featured a new drummer and an epic track called “The Room,” but it still did not manage to sell well in the US. The band was disappointed with the final result, and has distanced themselves from a sound they were pushed to create. Fans will hear a marked change in the band’s sound since their eponymous debut in 1998. They are no longer just a staple, three-chord punk/ska/rockabilly outfit.

On State, The Living End experimented and created something more pulsing and rhythmic. Living End purists mustn’t fret, however. “We Want More” is a dead ringer for a track off the self-titled album, and the punk attitude is still there, just not at the forefront of every song.

In “No Way Out,” harmonies weave in and out during the final chorus, creating a zenith the band has never achieved. On the single “Wake Up,” the band has children sing the final chorus: “Suicidal education/ It got sold to a generation/ Wake up to the manipulation/ Wake up to the situation.”

Not only is this effective at getting the message across, the song pays homage to Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, pt. 2.”

The band’s success has never crossed over into the United States.

Despite being considered the biggest band since AC/DC in their native Australia. This album will change that, as soon as they can find a label to release it here.