Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By AC/DC, Columbia Records/Sony Music 2020.
It must be retro rock month here in Australia because AC/DC have followed Midnight Oil in releasing a new album.
The first single from the album, Shot In The Dark, reunites AC/DC’s remaining original members Brian Johnson, Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams with guitarist Angus Young and it’s the first song to do so since 2008’s Black Ice album.
The full album, Power Up, will be released on 30 November and it will be available in multiple formats including digital, CD, and deluxe versions.
The limited edition Power Up package includes a ‘light-up box with built-in speakers that play a portion of Shot In The Dark’ as well as a 20 page booklet and more.
This is definitely aimed at the dedicated fan.
Many people felt that with the death of Malcolm Young, the replacement of Brian Johnson (due to chronic hearing problems) and retirement of Cliff Williams, that AC/DC wouldn’t survive but they’ve risen, phoenix like, from the ashes suggesting there may be many more chapters in their storied career yet to be written.
Of all the members I’m surprised that Brian Johnson has returned considering that he was warned that he risked permanent hearing loss if he continued.
Are AC/DC going to play quieter or is he going to perform with ear-muffs on?
Shot In The Dark presents classic riff driven AC/DC and the original band line-up is augmented by Stevie Wright replacing the much loved Malcolm on rhythm guitar.
The recording process was quite interesting and, in a way, the whole album is a tribute to Angus and Malcolm’s working process.
Angus turned up with a suitcase full of riffs that he had written with Malcolm before Malcom’s death but no completed songs and producer Brendan O’Brien and Angus worked their way through them mixing and matching to come up with the final products.
Apparently this is a similar process to that taken on their Rock Or Bust album.
So, although this is a new album, and Malcolm is no longer physically present, his fingerprints are still all over the finished product.
