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AC/DC is back in a new kind of black.
But the band unfortunately continues its long-lasting tradition of simple, guitar-centered songs that never develop with its newest release, "Black Ice." This is the band's first album since "Stiff Upper Lip" which was released in 2000.
AC/DC is so simple with its music that within the first five tracks, there were only six, maybe seven ideas expressed by the only person that contributes to the band, Angus Young.
Sure, Young can play guitar with more proficiency than maybe 80 percent of guitarists, but he lacks to show diversity, especially on "Black Ice." The first two tracks, "Rock 'N Roll Train" and "Skies On Fire," are perfect examples. Not one phrase from Young can be found that remains undistorted, and every riff is just as simple as the previous.
It's a shame Young receives little to no help from bassist Cliff Williams or Phil Rudd on drums when it comes to contributing to the sound of the whole band. The most innovative the band gets is with "Rock 'N Roll Dream," which is still chock-full of Brian Johnson's repetitive vocal phrases and Young's never-changing guitar.
The lack of creativity from the instrumentalists isn't the only flaw in the band's latest album. If you ever find yourself thinking what the title of a song may be, all you need to do is wait for Johnson to repeat it 10 times over. Problem solved. Need proof? Listen to "War Machine" or "Big Jack."
I will give the band one thing: they knows how to put on a show. Full episodes of raw energy surge from AC/DC compliments of Young, but I kept waiting for that energy to transfer over to what's important in music, the sound. The sixth track on "Black Ice," "Smash 'N Grab," quotes "Come on, let's blow your mind." Good luck.
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