Power Up


In yet another of 2020's musical comebacks, Australian rock legends AC/DC have released a new album, Power Up. The past few years for the band have been fraught with a myriad of troubles, in between drummer Phil Rudd's house arrest for trying to make "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" a reality, to lead singer Brian Johnson's vocal issues that led to Axl Rose temporarily taking his place live, and co-founder and guitarist Malcolm Young's battle with dementia and eventual death from lung cancer. Despite all this, Rudd has come back, Johnson has recovered, and Malcolm's nephew Stevie returned from assuming his duties on the previous record, Rock or Bust. And two months after they announced the end of their hiatus, they've put out a release that somehow after nearly 50 years of being around, still sounds as polished as ever.


The first three tracks, including lead single "Shot in the Dark," are the type of AC/DC songs casual listeners would probably be most familiar with -- the mid-tempo, A minor, "Hells Bells" or "Highway to Hell"-like type. But despite the very much justified impression of AC/DC songs sounding mostly the same, the rest of the album does enough differently to justify a full listen, more so than on their previous two efforts. I especially appreciate the "For Those About to Rock"-like technique Angus employs on several tracks, particularly on "Witch's Spell," and the use of riffs that aren't mainly fourths or power chords, making "Demon Fire" a standout. And hearing Angus finding a way to solo on pretty much every track is always a delight. Lyrically, they've really leaned into the kind of things you'd hear on Highway to Hell or Back in Black, evoking the supernatural, sexuality, and a general tone of "badassery" that defined the albums of their heyday.


Angus Young has stated that this album served as a tribute of sorts to Malcolm, much like how AC/DC soldiered on after Bon Scott's death and declared that they were here to stay by releasing Back in Black. While this album will most likely not match the legendary status or chart and radio success of Back in Black, the sentiment is still there, and it shows. 


#inK.mp

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