The Living End are probably your favorite band that you've never heard. Having acclaimed mega-stardom in their home country of Australia, they have always remained just off of the radar here in the states. This album should put all of that to bed.

All but aesthetically ditching their former rockabilly grooves, State of Emergency is a high energy drag race that kicks off with the foot stomping 'Til the End'. No time to breathe as the working class anthem 'Long Live the Weekend' creeps in right after.

Anyone familiar with The Living End will see that they've got some fire on their balls after their previous (and less energetic) release, Modern ARTillary. It's really in the dark, anthemic 'Wake Up' that the Aussie's show major growth-as if they ever needed it. With its haunting arpeggios to its catchy-as-fuck chorus right to the chilling climax, complete with a children's chorus, this is the song that did it for me.

You can hear the desperate pleas in lead singer/guitarist Chris Cheney's vocal delivery that this is not just a fun tune, but a literal WAKE UP to everybody everywhere. Of course, after that, it's business as usual with the sure-to-be single 'What's on Your Radio' that will have every rocker rockin' and all the greasers checking their pomps for burn damage. But don't let their swagger, or the fact that bassist Andy likes his bass of the stand-up variety, fool you. The Living End is not a rockabilly band. That's like calling Jack Daniel's JUST fucking whiskey. What they have accomplished over the years is a back catalog of high energy rock-and-roll that any musician could be proud of. Oh, by the way-these dudes can play their instruments way better than you can.

Give this album a chance and see if The Living End are not your favorite band in the world. Even if you DIDN'T know it.

~Chris Jinx