Power Up - AC/DC

When I started this blog back in March, it never once entered my mind that I might have a new AC/DC record to review. To think I would still be in my first year of blogging when I got the opportunity to do a new AC/DC record... honestly it is like a dream come true.

Power Up came at a time when the world needed it most. The US is still being royally buttfucked by COVID-19, kids are being locked in cages, the list goes on. But the tides are changing, folks. The recent election offers a glimmer of hope, a hint of a better future. After the proverbial dumpster fire of 2020, it really is nice to be able to come home, take the mask off, and put the headphones on and unwind with a brand new offering from the thunder from down under: AC/DC.

It is no secret to my friends, family, and loyal readers that AC/DC is my all-time favorite band. And Power Up is a prime example as to why that is. Recorded entirely using recycled and previously unused riffs from throughout their career, the 12 tracks on Power Up feature the musical genius of late rhythm guitarist and founding member Malcolm Young. It was said by Angus himself that as Back In Black was a tribute to the late frontman Bon Scott, Power Up is likewise a tribute to his fallen brother Malcolm.

Using previously written riffs provided Power Up with a refreshing return-to-form sound for the band. If I were to blindly listen to all of AC/DC's studio material, without already knowing everything there is to know about their records, you could have told me that Power Up was released anytime between 1985 and 2020 and I would have believed you. Each track is like a sonic spotlight, with reminiscent riffs and that signature AC/DC sound that takes you right back and shines on a different year throughout their history. Also featured on the record, something that you don't often hear about when talking about AC/DC, is the backing vocals. Throughout all the line-up changes in their almost 50 year long career, one of the most consistent elements of their sound was their backing harmonies, and those harmonies are as strong on this album as they ever were. There is something so unique, so AC/DC about those backing vocals, like you could grab any random singer in the world and slap them into the studio with the band, but the harmony wouldn't change. There's something masterful in this, as the harsh mob-like chants of the band match and compliment the abrasive bluesy falsetto of Brian Johnson perfectly.

The leading single from the record, "Shot In The Dark," is arguably the best song the band has released in 20+ years. It has everything you would expect from a classic AC/DC headbanger. Driving rhythm section, simple-yet-memorable riff, catchy tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and a bluesy swing. This is a song whose riff could certainly have come from the 80s. The following track, "Through The Mists Of Time," slows things down a bit, in a style that reminds me of 2008's Black Ice, with songs like "Rocking All The Way," and "Rock And Roll Dream."

The next tracks, "Kick You When You're Down," "Witch's Spell," and "Demon Fire" are a triple threat of the classic blues-rock sound that I know and love from AC/DC. These songs remind me of the best of the 2000's Stiff Upper Lip era. Stiff Upper Lip is often regarded as the band's "worst" album, but that is a title I strongly disagree with. It is heavily misunderstood and criminally under appreciated. It is their bluesiest and jazziest record to date, and it will always hold a special place in my heart for that exact reason.

Many critics and music listeners have said over the years that AC/DC is overrated, as "all their songs sound exactly the same." But I tell these people to shove it, because isn't consistency what you would want from a band? If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? If you love one album, you'll love the next album, and the next, and the next. Well AC/DC just put out their 17th studio album, and this blogger loves each and every one of those 17 albums.

Truth be told, when I first heard that AC/DC were recording a new album, of course I was ecstatic, but I wasn't prepared to have my mind blown by it. I was expecting Rock Or Bust 2. But the more I read about the album, the more excited I got. Longtime bassist Cliff Williams was back. Longtime drummer Phil Rudd was back. They were using Malcolm Young's previously recorded rhythms and riffs from throughout the band's career. This was the dream album. After the nightmarish Rock Or Bust Tour, my expectations were low. But holy hell is this album better than anything I would have imagined. That said, I don't want you to go into this album expecting another Back In Black. But they didn't need to write another BIB. Their legacy was already written, their reputation as one of the all-time great rock bands (my opinion is irrelevant here, as this is a known fact) was already proven time and time again. What we needed from Power Up is a good time when the world needed it most, some new-old-stock AC/DC, some reminiscent rock and roll for all AC/DC fans new and old to enjoy, and that is exactly what we got. While many would argue that rock and roll music is dead, I would argue that for as long as Angus Young is still wearing shorts and a tie, rock and roll is alive and well.

Power Up - AC/DC

11 - 13 - 2020

1. Realize

2. Rejection

3. Shot In The Dark

4. Through The Mists Of Time

5. Kick You When You're Down

6. Witch's Spell

7. Demon Fire

8. Wild Reputation

9. No Man's Land

10. Systems Down

11. Money Shot

12. Code Red

Favorite Track: Kick You When You're Down

Least Favorite Track: Realize

Rating: 9.8/10