AC/DC - Black Ice
On October 17, 2008, "AC/DC" released "Black Ice" in Europe, ahead of its international release on October 20.
Eight years after "Stiff Upper Lip", the opening riff of "Rock N Roll Train" sounds like an iron door swinging open again. Behind it wait the same two guitars, the same economical drumming and that unmistakable rasp, but this time there is also a hunger you can feel between the chords. "Black Ice" brought the band back to center stage with new songs capable of standing alongside its classics. In hindsight, it also became the final studio album to feature Malcolm Young's rhythm guitar.
When the band entered "The Warehouse" studios in Vancouver in the spring of 2008, a long stretch without a new album had passed, but its identity remained intact. Angus Young and Malcolm had continued developing ideas, and the lineup featured Brian Johnson on vocals, Cliff Williams on bass and Phil Rudd on drums. Their chemistry is the heart of the story. While Angus catches the eye and the ear, Malcolm gives every chord weight, and Cliff and Phil determine exactly how much space surrounds it. More clearly than on many densely packed rock records, you can hear how much power comes from what the musicians choose to leave out.
Producer Brendan O'Brien helped steer the band back toward big choruses and strong melodies. All 15 songs carry writing credits for the Young brothers. Working alongside recording and mixing engineer Mike Fraser, O'Brien gave the guitars clarity without smoothing away their rough edges. Compared with the loose, bluesy character of "Stiff Upper Lip", this music reaches further toward the crowd at the far end of the stadium. The choruses open up, the backing vocals make their presence felt, and every riff knows where it wants to go.
The most significant change can be heard in Brian Johnson. O'Brien encouraged him to explore the melodic and soulful shades of his voice rather than push every phrase toward a scream. The result is one of his finest vocal performances from the band's later years. The rasp still burns, but underneath it there is more movement, more playfulness and more personality. He sounds as though he enjoys singing these songs, and that enjoyment is infectious.
"Rock N Roll Train" opens with a riff whose pieces are already locked in place before the drums arrive. Angus's guitar cuts across the top, Malcolm keeps the "rails" steady, and Brian enters with his familiar swagger. The lyrics move between attraction, danger and a train running out of control, but the chorus is the main event. The call and response of the backing vocals instantly turns it into something you want to shout with thousands of other people. It needs neither a lengthy introduction nor an explanation. In four minutes, the band renews its contract with its audience.
Moving into "Skies on Fire", the rhythm grows heavier and broader, with a gritty delivery backing up the burning imagery. Then comes "Big Jack", complete with a larger-than-life character, sexual innuendo and locker-room humor. In other hands, this material could easily sound forced, but the backing vocals and the swing of the guitars turn it into a convincing rock 'n' roll party. Phil gives the guitars a solid foundation to crash against.
"Anything Goes" is the album's cheerful surprise. Beneath the familiar sound lies an almost pop melody, delivered with a lightness that reminds us just how well this band can write a catchy song. The riff bounces rather than bulldozes, and Brian rides it freely. The lyrics keep romance on its wild, uncommitted side, but what stays with us is the chorus and the feeling that the band has opened a window in a room full of amplifiers. It expands the palette without knocking down a single wall.
By contrast, "War Machine" rolls in like a heavy vehicle taking to the road. A low, threatening riff, bass that adds mass and measured drumming create a force that advances without hurrying. The military imagery gives the lyrics a darker presence, even if the band does not develop a complex political statement here. Brian serves as master of ceremonies, and the chorus sounds like an order.
Further along, "Smash N Grab", "Spoilin' for a Fight" and "Wheels" take us back to the street, with snatching, provocation, motion and appetite. The first benefits from a spacious chorus, the second from its confrontational attitude, and the third from its forward drive. "Decibel" eases the pressure slightly with a swaying groove, while "She Likes Rock N Roll" keeps celebrating the bond between desire and music. The playing is excellent, although some songs seem content to sound exactly as we expect them to.
"Stormy May Day" breaks the pattern with one of the album's best choices, Angus's slide guitar. Its slippery sound adds blues grit and a threatening atmosphere that suits the imagery of storms and distress. On an album built around precise chord attacks, that movement along the strings feels almost unstable. It reminds us how deeply the band's roots run into the blues, and how a small change in texture can make a short song one of the record's most memorable moments.
On "Money Made", the guitars twist around a stubborn groove while the lyrics turn toward the hunger for money. It is followed by "Rock N Roll Dream", one of the album's most interesting tracks, which begins in a restrained mood and makes room for a more vulnerable side of Brian's voice. You can hear a fear of falling and losing one's grip, alongside the desire to keep living the dream.
In the final stretch, "Rocking All the Way" brings back the mischief and boogie, before the title track "Black Ice" closes the album with a winding riff and a sense of danger underfoot. The name refers to transparent ice that is difficult to spot on the road, and the image of slipping fits the groove nicely. Tough on the surface, it is slightly sly in its movement. The ending brings us back to the simple pleasure of the two guitars working together, without trying to turn the farewell into a grand occasion.
Still, 55 minutes and 15 songs make a substantial serving for a band whose strength depends on focus. Not every track has a chorus on the level of the opener, and at times familiarity with the formula becomes a little too predictable. Tougher editing could have turned a very good album into a tighter, sharper one. On the other hand, the variety in the guitar sounds and the work with Brian give the listening experience enough air to keep it from becoming an extended exercise in nostalgia.
The audience had been waiting, and the response was enormous. The album reached No. 1 in 29 countries and sold approximately 784,000 copies in its first week in the United States. There, it was sold exclusively through "Walmart", "Sam's Club" and the band's website, while the group still opposed selling individual tracks on "iTunes". Its determination to protect the album as a complete work received impressive commercial backing. In 2010, "War Machine" won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance, the band's first Grammy win.
The huge tour brought a locomotive onto the stage to give "Rock N Roll Train" a physical presence, and the Buenos Aires shows were later documented on "Live at River Plate". On the album cover, designed by Joshua Marc Levy, the red logo stands within a dark tangle of ornamentation. It is a busy sleeve for the direct music inside, but the contrast between red and black gives this comeback a presence that is hard to miss.
Looking back, knowing that this was the last studio album Malcolm played on gives every struck chord a different weight. At the time, it felt like a return to life. Today, it also offers another chance to hear how essential he was to this machine. "Black Ice" is uneven, but at its best it delivers worthy additions to the band's repertoire and performances full of life. After eight years of waiting, this train was well worth the ticket.
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music
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