Band:	AC/DC
Album:	Black Ice
Style:	Hard rock, Blues rock
Release date:	October 20, 2008
A review by:	Jeff

01. Rock 'N Roll Train
02. Skies On Fire
03. Big Jack
04. Anything Goes
05. War Machine
06. Smash 'N Grab
07. Spoilin' For A Fight
08. Wheels
09. Decibel
10. Stormy May Day
11. She Likes Rock 'N Roll
12. Money Made
13. Rock 'N Roll Dream
14. Rocking All The Way
15. Black Ice

Big rock bands are back in town this year, Metallica, Guns N Roses, Led Zeppelin and even Queen but if there is one band that all the fans of Rock will not miss for anything this year, this is without any doubt AC/DC! When you have a look at their future world tour which is already sold out (and in general within some few hours) all around the world, I think that we have the proof that some people were awaiting the comeback of Angus, his brother and their three bands mates. The people in music industry even think that the band will sell approximately 10 000 0000 pieces of "Black Ice", their new album, within a year? this is just fucking crazy? But hey are we just sheep who must buy every new album of the Australian gods or does Black Ice really deserve our attention? AC/DC is rarely disappointing but some of their albums, no need to give names, are a lot better than some others. In which "category" will we put "Black Ice"? That's up to you of course but me; I already know that I like this album and that I'm happy to see the ones who have introduced me to Rock and Metal music back in front of the scene. Yeah my friends be ready because the crazy little guitarist is not dead yet and will kick the ass of a lot bands who think that they "rock"!

"Black Ice" is weird on a side. This is weird because some songs are pure classic AC/DC songs with the basic composition: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, guitar solo and etc. Take "Rock N Roll Train", for example, the song is really classic and at first you'll just say to yourself, "nothing is new here". You'll be right but if you listen to it again and again, the magical AC/DC effect will catch you and you'll like a lot the song. But even if "Black Ice" looks like a pure AC/DC album, this is actually a surprising release on some aspects. Believe me or not, the band has tried some new roads on this album and you can find bluesy calm songs like "Smash N Grab", a melancholic FM ballad with "Rock N Roll Dream" or, and that's extremely surprising a pure "Aussie" rock with slide guitars on "Stormy May Day". This is not something that I was expecting but even if it lacks a bit of energy and craziness, this is really cool! "Black Ice" is better than "Stiff Upper Lip" in my opinion, because if the Blues is still really present, this is a lot more Rock N Roll and even if finally we don't have a lot of mega anthems a la "Highway To Hell" (except maybe with "Rock N Roll Train", "Big Jack" and "Black Ice") the album doesn't have any letdown. Sure this is not the best album that the band has ever done but this is a really good album of Hard Rock which simply lacks of thundering songs like "Let There Be Rock" (but hey they're not so young now!).

After so many years without any news from the guys, I'm sure that you're all wondering if they're still so good. Well even if they're all around 50 years old now, the guys are excellent, especially Brian Johnson who gives one of his best vocal interpretation on this release. Let's just see how it will be live but I'm sure that Angus will still run everywhere and that he will even do his little strip-tease! No really, AC/DC is still a good band and the perfect production of the album (again?) with a really simple but extremely catchy cover (the big AC/CD) lead me to the conclusion that you'll not have the right to miss this album if you pretend to like the band.

I hope that you already have your ticket for the next tour, I've seen some pictures of the new stage and this is just demoniac, the ones who will miss this tour will miss something? About the album, I really think that a lot of people will like it. This is not the most "extreme" album of AC/DC but this is cool as hell nonetheless. It's good to see them back and I hope (well I'm quite sure of it actually) that they will not wait so many time to produce their next album. No my friends, AC/DC is not dead and I hope that the ones (radio, TV, journalists, pseudo music lovers) will understand this time, with the help of AC/DC that we, the metalheads and fans of rock are a lot and believe in our music (yes 10 000 000 of albums and a world in big venues sold out in some minutes guys?). Rihanna, and all those people can still dream, they will never be legends like AC/DC and all the big Rock bands. Rock is not dead, hail to Angus and AC/DC!