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AC/DC

Rock Or Bust

Written by: PP on 20/01/2015 22:26:56

From a music critic's perspective, there are few releases less relevant from 2014 than a new AC/DC album. Continuing to beat on an absolutely dead horse of a concept, the band faithfully keep releasing a new album twice a decade that enables them to embark on stadium sized tours that sell out regardless of what kind of material they put out. After all, we're all there to hear "Highway To Hell" and "T.N.T" once again, right? "We be a guitar band, we play across the land", they sing on opener "Rock Or Bust" for their 15th studio album carrying the same name, which basically sums up everything you need to know about the release in one short and sweet lyric. Classic rock AC/DC style that sounds exactly the same as it did during the 70s despite not including founding member and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young due to his age-related, deteriorating health condition.

To be honest, there really isn't much more to say about "Rock Or Bust" than what I've already said. Taking literally no stylistic liberties and continuing to deliver the exact same slow to mid tempo classic rock expression where basically every song sounds like "Balls To The Walls" by Accept in one way or another, it sounds exactly the same as it always has. The problem is, AC/DC on autopilot is still fairly decent so the masses are going to lap this up and give it a few spins until they return to the band's true classics. Nobody argues against those: they are some of the definitive records in the history of rock with Angus Young's timeless riffage and Brian Johnson's/Bon Scott's inimitable croon combining for some unforgettable moments. But those days are long behind them, the music scene has long since moved on, and you'd probably have to go looking with a torch for a music enthusiast seriously considering newer AC/DC releases as a part of their frequent listening material.

So while "Rock Or Bust" isn't necessarily terrible, it's a telltale release of a band that's living on their legacy alone playing as career musicians with little or no inspiration left to write a good album underneath their belts. Classic rock and roll riffs are only classic for so long until they begin to feel like derivatives of themselves.

Download: Dogs Of War, Rock or Bust
For the fans of: Airbourne, Judas Priest, Guns N' Roses, Alice Cooper
Listen: Facebook

Release date 28.11.2014
Columbia