Music Review: AC/DC – 鈥楶ower Up鈥� (copy)
鈥淚 got the power to electrify,鈥� snarls Brian Johnson on the opening track of AC/DC鈥檚 new album 鈥淧ower Up.鈥�
After the passing of rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young in 2017, a series of illnesses, arrests and legal issues threatened to end the band鈥檚 hard rock reign. Down but never out, AC/DC鈥檚 latest effort is yet another explosive set of in-your-face numbers that the Australian rockers have been belting out since the explosive 鈥淭.N.T.鈥� in 1975.
Just as the band rose from the ashes after the tragic loss of charismatic frontman Bon Scott with 1980鈥檚 iconic 鈥淏ack in Black,鈥� AC/DC defiantly refuses to allow for a permanent power outage.
After producing 2008鈥檚 鈥淏lack Ice鈥� and 2014鈥檚 鈥淩ock or Bust,鈥� Brendan O鈥橞rien returns to once again join the raucous party for the band鈥檚 latest studio release by overseeing 12 tracks seasoned with a bluesy rock swagger filled with Angus Young鈥檚 gritty guitar riffs that aggressively deliver a down-and-dirty tone to Johnson鈥檚 raspy vocals.
Following the band鈥檚 bankable formula of keeping the sound basic and raw, Johnson鈥檚 voice steals the spotlight on the thundering rockers 鈥淩ejection,鈥� 鈥淪hot in the Dark鈥� and 鈥淒emon Fire.鈥�
鈥淜ick You When You鈥檙e Down鈥� is vintage AC/DC with its infectious chorus that demands to be repeated with fists pumping and feet stomping to Phil Rudd鈥檚 methodic drumming and Johnson鈥檚 unapologetic guttural growls.
鈥淲ild Reputation鈥� serves as a declaration that basically sums up AC/DC鈥檚 career in a nutshell as Johnson sinisterly declares, 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 coming down Main Street/Get out of my way/I ain鈥檛 stopping for nobody.鈥�
During a year of isolation and restrictions that left us feeling anything but normal, a new AC/DC offering brings back fond memories of simpler times when concert tours and new album releases were essential for blowing off steam and escaping the troubles of the day.
Johnson sums up the mood of the album perfectly by announcing, 鈥淚 got a good prescription/For the state of your condition.鈥�
After 45 years of pounding out memorable anthems filled with an overabundance of bravado and attitude, AC/DC once again supplies enough high voltage to shock things back to normal.