Well there’re two schools of thought here. Either you’re on your feet applauding AC/DC for staying true to their rock’n’roll roots, or your sitting, arms folded, wondering why they would release another rehash of the greatness they captured on Back in Black. Here at RedHotPie, we’re in the former camp, up the front, metal horns in the air, banging our head along with the greying, Aussie rock legends… and let us tell you why.

Before you drop your bottom lip and write the Acca boys off, ask yourself what’s selling in the music world these days? Jet, Fooeys, Wolfmother (good riddance) and a slew of other rock referencing outfits; so if you’re the crew that wrote the book, why not come out every now and then and show these young upstarts how it’s done.

Black Ice is not reinventing the wheel, hell, all the wheels are flat and the tour bus is grinding down the highway on a sparking set of rims and the smell of whiskey and skirt… but would you have AC/DC roll any other way? No.

From the grinding rhythms of Rock N Roll Train and Big Jack to the thrusting roll of Smash N Grab and Stormy May Day, the AC/DC palate is well traversed. Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams and Phil Rudd lock rhythms down harder than a hard thing, while Angus Young summons the guitar gods once again. Out front Brian Johnson is singing as well as he has in years making for a fresh, surprisingly spritely outing for the veterans.

So if you’ve ever been a fan then get on board with Black Ice, if you’re looking to get into the band, you must still begin with Back in Black, it’s the bible. Soon enough though, you’ll find your way to Black Ice, a solid addition to any AC/DC collection