Airbourne have taken their time to get their new album to us, but when you tour as much as they do, you get a pass, especially when you are trying to get the sheer energy and ferocity of their live performances through the mixing console and onto tape.
This album was recorded back home in Australia at the legendary Music Farm Studio, and there’s a definite classic ’80s vibe in the sound of the album that goes way beyond the whole ‘AC/DC clone’ mantra that was being prophesied by the doubters of the band throughout their climb up the mountain of rock.
The Victorians have surprisingly been abusing our ears for over 20 years, and there’s always a lot of excitement in the rock & metal community when they do release an album, especially as they do not come round that often.
Their self-titled opus gives us a dozen tracks of balls-out energy that keep your foot tapping and your head banging throughout the whole album.
As previously mentioned, their live performances are ferocious, and also events where frontman Joel O’Keeffe can literally pop up anywhere in the venue. I’ve seen them at least 15 times and have seen him hanging from a balcony, climbing the rigging at a festival, and even at the bar, all still whilst ripping out killer solos. It’s a familiar live song, ‘Gutsy’, that kicks off the album with a jolt to the brain.
If you’ve seen them live, you’ll be familiar with the track and its stomping riff and lively guitar solo in true Airbourne style. It is a great kick-start to the album, allaying any fears that we are going to get anything but pure, unadulterated Airbourne.
I really enjoyed the album (I’m a big Airbourne fan anyway), and yes, their sound is their sound, and there are the comparisons with their more seasoned countrymen. However, what you get is a 2020s version of that classic sound, and instead of Airbourne mirroring AC/DC, I think that, should AC/DC decide to pump out another album, they should be looking to their younger upstarts to see where their sound should be going to get the intensity and power back into their sound.
There’s the sing-along of ‘Here She Comes’, the stomp of ‘Sky High’ and the Def Leppard-esque ‘Who Put The Rhythm In You?’ that are all great tracks and hit the spot before the up-tempo ‘Christmas Bonus’ and the tremendous ‘Last Man Standing’ continue the pleasant assault on your ears.
The album has a great pace that never lets up, and my favourite track, ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Ya’, really hits home. It has a great chorus that has been living rent-free since the first time I heard it, and the riff of ‘Bogotá’ is another cracker that has been on repeat on my stereo since the first time I heard it.
‘Hells Got No Vacancy’ leads into the final track, ‘Send Me To Rock ‘N’ Roll Heaven’, which is a fitting tribute to the likes of Bon Scott, Malcolm Young, Ozzy & Eddie Van Halen, to name but a few, and is a great way to round off the album in style.
Is this album a change in direction for Airbourne? No, it’s more of the same rock & roll excess that has been their trademark for a quarter of a century. It’s a tried-and-tested method that works for them and also for their legion of fans that will be looking forward to seeing the band on the road to support the release.
This is a solid album, and if you’ve never heard Airbourne before, it would be a cracking start to your dive into their catalogue.
Rating – 8/10
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