Review: “Black Ice,” AC/DC
Pack up the kids and head on down to the local Wal-Mart: AC/DC’s Black Ice is coming out today! And what an album it is – kicking off with the incendiary “Rock n’ Roll Train,” the Aussie group unleashes its 15th album with 15 gut-crunching rockers. This band is kind of like a force of nature: you either get out of its way or take it full blast. Diving head first into Black Ice is the way to go; there are four songs here with “rock and roll” or some derivation thereof in the title, and the energy rarely lets up. Thanks to smart production by Brendan O’Brien, AC/DC’s never sounded better. Guitarists-brothers Angus and Malcolm Young keep the muscular riffs pumping, and lead vocalist Brian Johnson hasn’t lost the edge off his cat-in-the-fan-belt vocals.
Now this isn’t a perfect album by any means – it may be at least one or two songs too long – but I thoroughly enjoyed Black Ice. It’s one of the better rock albums released this year and the centerpiece of the 2008 party trifecta with Metallica’s Death Magnetic and Motörizer by Motörhead. Now you know Black Ice is available only through Wal-Mart stores and websites, and the band’s own website. When you are in the store check out all the related stuff on sale in conjunction with this big event (AC/DC t-shirts, specials on energy drinks and chips). And make sure you have a laugh at the rubes who’ve wandered in looking for the new Kenny Chesney album (which will NOT be reviewed here). Rock and roll!
30 Days Out 
December 30, 2008 at 2:33 pm
[…] do whatever he can these days to sell CDs. Wal-Mart worked beautifully for the Eagles, Journey, and AC/DC, so why shouldn’t he follow their lead? They’ll probably sell the disc for under $10 […]