So they may have made their fans wait eight long years before getting back into the recording studio but believe me it was worth every second as Black Ice sees the Aussies flex their rock and roll muscles in spectacular style rolling back the years.

So lets get this next bit out of the way many critics have jumped all over this record calling it ’the same’ as every other AC/DC record, of course Black ice sounds like every other AC/DC record it’s supposed to the band have never sold out changing their sound to reach a new audience and the hard core fans wouldn’t have this any other way.

Black Ice is squarely aimed at the fans as they are still believing that rock and roll will take over the world and who’s to say that they are wrong.

And no one does it quite like AC/DC while many of us still remember Highway to Hell and Back in Black producer Brendan O'Brien has done the right thing in not modernising their sound but it in no way sounds dated or nostalgic and is one of the best rock albums of the year.

In particular the opening track Rock and Roll Train is almost as strong as anything that they produced in their heyday as Black Ice mixes straight rock and roll with, at times, a more bluesy sound, which trust me isn’t out of place.

Angus and Malcolm sound the most in sync than they have been for years holding the album together with riffs that make the heart beat a little faster and catchy hooks that will make long standing fans think that they are listening to Back In Black II.

I perhaps would have to agree that the first part of the album is the strongest as they move from the rock and roll of Rock and Roll Train to the unexpected injection of blues to my personal favourite Skies on Fire and back again to the enormous Big Jack and War Machine.

Brian Johnson's vocals are also awesome hitting all his high notes here and his natural baritone seems deeper and smokier but he shows his impressive vocal range and he is supported by great backing vocals that brought their greatest hits alive.

There are also a couple of surprises on the record in the form of Rock and Rock N’ Roll Dream, not a ballad but definitely the quietest song on the record along with Anything Goes sees the heavy guitar taking a back seat and Johnson’s vocals scaled back making them perfect for radio.

AC/DC followed in the footsteps of Def Leppard who also released their first album in many years earlier this year and Guns N Roses are set to do the same in the next few weeks long live the rock and roll revolution.

Black Ice could well be a new beginning for AC/DC who have a new tour to go with the record they might find themselves with a whole new fan base.

Rating: 4.5/5

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FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw