Unwritten Law’s fourth album, “Elva,” is like a car accident on a sweaty Alabama night.

“Elva” flips you around and makes you sweat from its heart-racing punk tracks. After it’s over, you realize that it was a near-death experience, but deep down you wish it could happen again.

Unwritten Law has delivered its San Diego punk sound since 1992. For a decade it raised its voice against the establishment, putting down the man at every turn. But for its 2002 release, the band has come to a realization.

“The man” runs the music industry with the help of 14-year-old girls and Carson Daly. So the band took that revelation and threw it in a blender of bad relationships, ’80s rock and smart-aleck observations.

“Sound Siren” is a sample of the new attitude.

“So bombs away as they say/ Here’s to oblivion/ And cheers to you as well/ It’s through.”

Unwritten Law’s big hit, “Seeing Red,” can be heard on The Zone (94.7 FM) and WONC (89.1 FM). The band hopes to see the song on MTV’s “TRL”, to go the way of Sum 41 and Blink-182. How would this make a true-blue punk fan feel?

If Unwritten Law is selling out on its latest release, it’s doing it with an attitude, because this album has a good number of hard-rockin’, awesome tunes. The songs are filled with noise, mayhem and screams – just the sweetest candy for the ears.

But what separates Unwritten Law from other punk bands is the diversity. Bless this band for making an album that has songs that are slow, fast, techno and acoustic.

There are 14 songs on the album and it plays like a greatest hits compilation, with plenty of beef and no fat.

Unwritten Law frontman Scott Russo brings strong vocals to the mix and allows them to break out from the three-chord prison that holds so many punk bands. The vocals sound similar to those of Fuel frontman Brett Scallions.

But at the same time I feel like there is a time warp and Motley Crue is coming out of the tape deck. Songs like “Blame It On Me” have that good, hard edge to it.

“I’ve been chastised, deprived/ She’s got my skull filled with sentimental lies/ She’s no good for me.”

Unwritten Law has made a transition in its music that will send new fans crashing into longtime listeners. When these fans collide in the intersection of the punk rock highway, it will be interesting to see which side Unwritten Law helps up first.