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Hot Riffs? Juicy Tempos? 'Black Ice' Pours 'Em On

"Black Ice" is AC/DC first studio album in eight years.

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By CURTIS ROSS

cross@tampatrib.com

Published: October 30, 2008

Updated:

This being an AC/DC album, you already know what it sounds like. All that really needs to be settled is whether "Black Ice" lies closer to "Back in Black" (arguably the best) or "Fly on the Wall" (arguably the worst) on the AC/DC album spectrum.

Happily, the new one, the first since 2000's "Stiff Upper Lip," lands safely on the good side of that division. At 15 tracks, "Black Ice" is too long by half, but you're on your own picking which cuts to excise.

Presumably, the producer's job is to ensure that AC/DC builds its riffs into songs, and to inject just enough production color to interest the casual fan without messing up the formula.

For "Black Ice," the nod went to Brendan O'Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam), and he pretty well nailed it on both counts. On "Anything Goes" and "Smash n' Grab," hear how a few sonic flourishes can elevate what otherwise would be stock AC/DC filler. Angus Young even adds some rare, juicy slide guitar to "Stormy May Day."

The tempos get juiced a bit as well, and on "Skies on Fire" and "Decibel," drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams bring back those lean R&B beats that powered cuts such as "Back in Black." Unlike most of their hard-rock brethren, AC/DC has never forgotten that rock is dance music.

"Rock N' Roll Train," "Big Jack" and "War Machine" all have that little extra something that might gain them permanent places in the band's live set, a rarity for any song younger than "For Those About to Rock" in recent years. Capital E effort may be rock 'n' roll death, but it's reassuring to hear AC/DC actually trying instead of coasting for a change.

Download this: "Rock N' Roll Train"

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