Modern Artillery

Author: Edna Gundersen

“Modem Artillery” by The Living End; Warner Bros.

After hitting a seeming dead end, the Living End is rebounding with vitality to burn and the poppiest punk this side of Green Day. The Melbourne trio shut down in 2001 after a car crash sidelined singer-guitarist Chris Cheney, who used time in rehab to write his catchiest songs to date.

This third album unleashes an arsenal of punk firepower that appropriates the hyperactivity of The Ramones, the melodic thrash of Rancid and the pop crunch of Aussie brethren The Vines. The band hits the bull’s-eye with the malicious humor of “Short Notice,” the rockabilly romp “End of the World,” the galloping “Hold Up” and the explosive snap of first single “Who’s Gonna Save Us? Striking a wily balance of art and arson, “Modern ARTillery” is a blast.