ACDC
Black Ice Review
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AC/DC Black Ice review: world exclusive
Back In Black? Try Back In Blacker!
AC/DC's Black Ice: a rock masterpiece
Only brothers could pull off synchronicity such as this.
Eight years between albums is an eternity for rock bands.
Hell, The Beatles created their entire groundbreaking oeuvre
in as much time, and still made room for films, tours,
drugs, the Maharishi, Yoko Ono, you name it.
But somehow, eight years doesn't feel too long to wait for
AC/DC. And when they deliver an album as satisfying and
fortifying as Black Ice, their timing feels just right.
Maybe it's because we need AC/DC now more than ever. Too
many bands have Xeroxed the formula without realizing you
can't steal the soul. And the soul of AC/DC - gut-level
sonic force and sheer comic insanity (like a grown man
parading around in a schoolboy's uniform) - is an alchemy no
other band can hope to copy, simply because AC/DC invented
the formula and swallowed it whole.
You wonder why some groups even try. All they do is make you
long for the original.
Back In Blacker?
Call AC/DC's Black Ice 'Back In Blacker' and you wouldn't be
far off. With the exception of a couple of cuts midway
through, every song kicks a donkey's ass and then some, and
they magically make you feel like you're 16 years old again
and on the precipice of...well, everything. Power chords
ripple up and down your spine, drum beats shake you all
night long and every solo positively shoots to thrill. You
catchin' my drift? Yeah, it's that kind of album.
Producer Brendan O'Brien does something miraculous in that
you don't notice him at all. That's not a dig either;
wisely, he doesn't impose his own rules or sonic footprint
on the band's hallowed roar. As Mutt Lange did on the
classics Highway To Hell and Back In Black, O'Brien allows
AC/DC's wall of sound to crash all around you, but it's not
a wash of stacked tracks. It's spacious yet enormous.
On Black Ice, you hear every one of Phil Rudd's cymbal
crashes, every pluck of Cliff Williams's bass - and the
chugging dual guitars of Angus and Malcolm Young work
together like well-oiled pistons. Clarity and precision
never sounded so delightfully raucous, so un-fussed over.
This is rock 'n' roll, no doubt, but it's rock 'n' roll art
too - and that ain't a bad place to be.
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AC/DC's Black Ice - track-by-track
Rock 'N Roll Train
You've probably heard it already, and it's a dynamite
opener. Unmistakable Angus riff, thumping beat - you know
who this band is. And what happened to Brian Johnson's
voice? In the past, he always sounded as though he was about
to blow his aorta hitting his notes.
Either time has allowed him to grow into his voice or his
voice merely caught up to him, but his singing is full and
gutsy. Angus is chomping at the bit to get to his solo - he
starts playing before the second chorus is even over, and
good for him, for it's a stunner.
Skies On Fire
A stark drum beat gives way to a tangled chordal guitar
riff. The syncopated beat of the verse is a bit different
for AC/DC, but it works. Johnson sings a vocal line "I know
you and you know me/ tell me what you want me to be" that is
vaguely Lennon-esque. A biting bluesy solo from Angus.
Big Jack
From the title alone I know I'm going to like it, and I'm
not wrong. This is one to play in the car, an up-tempo
stomper with power chords that stumble overtop one another
and land in all the right places. Angus pulls off some
beautiful top-string riffing underneath the chorus. It's
hard to tell if Brian Johnson is singing "Big Jet" or "Big
Jack," but who cares? It rocks six ways to Sunday.
Anything Goes
There's no opening riff; instead, it bursts right in the
door and wastes no time getting going. It's kind of a rock
'n' roll Irish jig, somewhat reminiscent of Slade's Run
Runaway, only better. Angus lets loose with some intense
top-string trills before firing off another bracing solo. A
winner all the way.
War Machine
Whoa…it's getting ominous. The chord progression of the
verse and chorus are in the same vein as Givin' The Dog A
Bone, only more sinister. But if any band has a right to
nick from themselves, it's AC/DC. Freaking hot solo, natch.
Smash N Grab
Is that a minor chord I hear in the pre-chorus? Nah, it
can't be. It is! Well, I'll be…In truth, this mid-tempo
rocker is the first coulda-been-a-contender so far. Not bad,
but not one for the ages.
Spoilin' For A Fight
Now, this is a riff! I have to learn how to play that
tangled little beauty, for sure. Actually, the riff is the
backbone of the song, as it should be - it's that good!
Brian Johnson snarls and howls as if he really is ready to
inflict some facial rearrangement on somebody here. An
air-drum, air-guitar slam-dunk.
Wheels
Straight out of the playbook from Highway To Hell - and
that's a good thing. For the first time, Johnson sounds like
he's straining for the notes. I've always wondered if he has
to grab his Brian Johnson when trying to get to those
special places. Beautiful vibrato in the guitar solo. Best
instrumental break yet.
Decibel
A delicious, grinding, thumping bit of blues-rock. This
might be the number where Angus his striptease live - it's
got that smirking kind of bad-boy vibe to it. Good stuff all
around. Is Brian Johnson singing "decibel" or "Jezebel"?
Hard to tell. Not important though.
Stormy May Day
Wow, what a cool, greasy slide guitar riff! And those floor
toms punch you right in the chest. A gritty, punchy
mid-tempo stand-out with some surprising minor key changes.
Great change of pace.
She Likes Rock N Roll
Ding-ding-ding! We have another winner, folks! With a beat
so undeniably sexy, this song just might replace Girls!
Girls! Girls! as the next de rigueur strip club anthem. A
tight verse and chorus that absolutely floors you. Gang
vocals galore - "She likes rock n roll/ I like rock n roll!"
Oh, yeah. I'm playing this in my car.
Only brothers could pull off synchronicity such as thisMoney
Made
A twisty little arpeggiated riff turns into a powerhouse of
a song. Fantastic breakdown section - these guys really know
their dynamics. Two rhythm guitar tracks sit atop one
another and work wonders. Only brothers could pull off
synchronicity such as this.
Rock N Roll Dream
My goodness, it's almost a ballad. Tight hi-hat work by Rudd
carries the beginning until…OK, we're blasting off now!
Total rock…Oh, but wait…now it's a ballad again. Some varied
guitar textures. This is the most elaborate production on
the album, but it's not forced or artificial. Very
dreamlike. Takes you somewhere new. Fascinating.
Rocking All The Way
I'm nearly spent, but 30 seconds into this track and I'm
air-drumming again. Right when you think rock can't get any
better than this, the solo clamps down and it's time to ride
this one out. Deliriously good.
Black Ice
What sets this song apart from all the others is Phil Rudd,
who finally explodes on the drums and shows you what tom
rolls are really meant for. Everything is as it should be on
the title cut.
It's the capper, the final encore, the song that reminds you
of everything you've ever loved about AC/DC; the song that
says, "Let's go hang out with the buds and pop some Buds and
enjoy rocking out for the sake of just rocking out."
Well done, lads. Well done.
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The album is named Black Ice and will be released October
20th 2008! As rumored Black Ice will only be sold through
Wal-Mart. Pre order it now by clicking the find button on the
Wal-Mart search image to the left. Visit our
NEW ACDC Album Page
for more info!
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