AC/DC: Black Ice

Even pondering whether AC/DC are making "the same album" over and over is irrelevant. They have their formulas and either you're into them or you ain't. A better question is "Will this get stripper poles properly waxed?" Their 15th album is likely to help rain singles down on the ladies. There's lovemaking and there's ballin' and AC/DC firmly grinds out the latter. In fact, if there's a difference between Black Ice and their last 3-4 albums it's the abundance of lead in their pencils this time. They always have fun but this time there's more focus to their pummel and Malcolm and Angus Young were a bit more discriminating in what songs they gave the boys. The lyrics are decent enough but never approach Bon Scott's nuances and gutter sophistication. The new tunes are ammo for their "For Those About To Rock" cannons in concert, with built in handclaps and breaks practically built around lighting cues. That's not such a bad thing when a band has stadium rock so completely figured out, and the results, even on record, will still likely make you hop up from your chair a few times. "Rock N Roll Train" and "Smash N Grab" are blunt to point of being remedial but you want dumbstick thump from post-Bon AC/DC. These are the "Thunderstruck" and "Stiff Upper Lip" guys, pure single entendre shock n' awe, and it's unreasonable to expect "Rock N Roll Singer," "What's Next To The Moon" or even "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" anymore. What Black Ice offers is fifteen resolutely solid new charges for their whippet dispenser, and by golly they'll fit in just fine next to "You Shook Me All Night Long" and "Let's Get It Up." The band that's made a VERY successful 35 year career out of singing about being a hooligan, rutting, partying, brawling and other behavior frowned upon by polite society is still at it. That they've become the mainstream (Black Ice is sold exclusively through Wal-Mart) is beside the point. What we get out of AC/DC remains the same. And somebody's gotta provide the brass polish don't they?

Watch the official video for "Rock N Roll Train" over here.

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