Slipped on Black Ice
AC/DC's 15th studio album Black Ice could be the final sign that they are done. Over the years listening to AC/DC yell about rocking and different weather elements mixed with heavy even danceable guitar rhythms and face-melting solos has been fantastic. Their lack of decent lyrical work has finally caught up to them, however, along with Brian Johnson's voice, which will make any listener cringe knowing he may finally suffer from a permanent sore throat.
The thing about AC/DC which has kept fans with them for so long is the fact that they literally have never changed their sound. This could be good and bad. It could be good in the fact they never put out an album like St. Anger as Metallica did in attempt to revamp their sound to what would be radio-friendly for metal/hard rock, but the bad part is that eventually this sound will catch up to them. You must simply know your limits in music and clearly AC/DC refuses to accept the fact they have gotten old and something needs to change if not for the fans, for themselves and their music.
The band starts off with a triple shot of nothing special. "Rock n' Roll Train", "Skies on Fire" and "Big Jack" will make you do nothing but sit in your seat. Same AC/DC style rhythms with guitar solos that lack imagination and Brian Johnson barely getting out of the songs alive. Not a good start to the album, but I was actually surprised they only used the word "rock" once in these first 3 songs. The song dedicated to AC/DC's love of music, "Anything Goes", is where I finally took notice of the album and why is that? Because AC/DC finally did just a tiny revamp and it sounded great. It was a bit slower so Johnson could actually keep up, but still had a solid rhythm and a fantastic solo from Angus Young. "War Machine" is actually a fantastic song to follow-up "Anything Goes". Unfortunately after this, AC/DC, goes right back to boring.
AC/DC does their normal lyrical genius and take common sayings like "Smash N' Grab" and "Spoiling for a Fight" and basically keep repeating them for the next two tracks. At this point I can play the album on a loop and have no idea when one song ends and the other begins. I'm sure you can imagine exactly how the refrains of "Wheels" and "Decibel" go, so I will not even bother to mock them. "Decibel" attempts an old, slower, bluesy AC/DC, but is missing a real solo and the man who used to sing for AC/DC.
"Stormy May Day" has very good slide work done on the guitar, however, Johnson's voice sounds awful in the refrain. Then stop the presses, AC/DC writes a song with the word "rock n roll" in it. What will they throw at us next? A song about sex and drugs? Well that's exactly what "She Likes Rock N Roll" is.
AC/DC splits up two more rock n' roll-titled songs with "Money Made" which has another cool bluesy rhythm to start, but then seems to go with a more, I hate to say it, country sound but with the electric guitar instead of acoustic. "Rock N Roll Dream" is probably the most complex song of the album considering it has every element of music in it: a slower rhythm, faster refrain and a solid solo behind some pretty good lyrics for AC/DC standards.
AC/DC then changes it up and puts "rocking" instead of "rock" in the title of their next song and sings about sex in "Rocking All the Way". The one thing I will say about this song is it has a very good guitar solo. Just as they do in concert, AC/DC closes pretty well with "Black Ice". The song is perfect AC/DC and the best part of is it is that they use Johnson's voice perfectly. Instead of stretching it out, Johnson's voice sounds smooth along with the melody.
You know exactly what you're buying when you purchase an AC/DC album. You''re getting sweaty rock n' roll guitar with a gritty voice in your ear and lyrics that do not really need dissection. The problem with Black Ice, however, is that gritty voice is extremely aged and overused and those sweaty guitar riffs are causing no perspiration. Bands like AC/DC and Guns N' Roses have to know that straining voices of lead singers will eventually catch up to them, but the problem is how successful they have been with them and it would be completely mind-blowing to all their fans if they attempted anything new. I can do nothing but tip my cap to AC/DC for hammering out 15 new tracks, but what I learned from them is that they could be on their last guitar and heart beat.