Black Ice

This is one "Stonking" Album, by a group, back doing, what they know best....Hard Rocking Rhythm's.

All good other half loved it

Far better than the 2000 effort Stiff Upper Lip but without the integity and class of the 1995 release Ballbreaker, Black Ice is more of the obvious record that AC/DC were going to produce. It regains little of their past swagger and sleaze. Only on tracks 'Smash and Grab' and 'Spoilin For a Fight' does the band of old rear their heads, but alas these are mere imitations of their impetuous youth and not a patch on their previous classics. They are all middle aged, seasoned and I dare say calmer than their rip-roaring hey-days of the 70s and early 80s. And it shows in the lack of power on the guitars and the obvious attempt to make almost every song full of hooks and choruses. While this may harm the band's legacy, it does mean that they have made a fantastic album full of very good tracks. They're just not very noticably AC/DC tracks.'Rock N Roll Train' is a great opener, probably the best opener since 'Thunderstruck' from The Razor's Edge. It's a single, has a great chorus and has a good sound. 'Skies on Fire' is probably the most AC/DC sounding track on the album. It has a great riff, is simple and slow and it's the only track that screams AC/DC. 'Big Jack' is back in single territory. It is a fantastic song, rocks at a pace and has an excellent chorus. 'Anything Goes' is odd. It's very good but it sounds like a Bruce Springsteen circa Born in the USA cover. Brian even sounds more like Bruce on this one. 'War Machine' is very good, simple and quick. And heavy. 'Smash and Grab' and 'Spoilin For a Fight' are ok but the sort of tracks they don't do well anymore.'Wheels' is somewhat of a new classic in my opinion. It's not very AC/DC sounding but it is a perfect track with a great chorus. 'Decibel' is another ok but no cigar track. 'Stormy May Day' is a stripped down, bluesy affair that works brilliantly - another winner. 'She Likes Rock N Roll' is another upbeat, fun, catchy track. 'Money Made' is more akin to the band. It's a lot of fun, without being the best on here. That accolade has to go to 'Rock N Roll Dreams'. Strangely it sounds like a new Magnum track but that is because of the arrangement and the fact that it is as catchy as anything. A real triumph. 'Rockin All the Way' is forgettable MOR and 'Black Ice' should have been better for a title track.There are about 4 tracks I would take off to make this near perfect. That said, 9 excellent tracks and 2 complete stunners isn't bad. It's just a shame that they don't really sound much like AC/DC anymore.

My daughter is happy with it I myself prefer there older stuff she likes to listen on vinyl she said it sounds better than Spotify I couldn't agree more

Black Ice is not really a bad AC/DC album, but the opportunity for it to be a great one really was missed. The basics of the songs are there, even if the riffs are often recycled. The problem is that while the songs are intially catchy enough with decent riffing, they do not build a momentum and rather just flatline halfway through. I keep listening through the album and trying to decide what a good first single would have been (rather than Rock n Roll Train) but there really aren't any candidates that meet the standard.Rock n Roll Train is basically a Highway to Hell rewrite but rather than build into the classic that Highway to Hell does, RnR Train dies after the first chorus. This is the problem with all of the better songs on here. They get your foot tapping along to a great riff, then the song dies.Another issue is the quality of the lyrics. The lyrics have been pretty poor since the Youngs started penning them in 1990 but here they are pretty much nonsensical. They are truly awful and it is to the detriment of the album. They really just seem like random lines thrown in here and there with references to storms, decibels, liking rock n roll etc. The lyrics during both the Bonn Scott and Brian Johnson writing eras both had their clever moments, even if the subject matter was nothing too meaningfulSo, I say this was a missed opportunity to do a great album. If more time were spent shaping the songs beyond the intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, end structure and if Brian (or anyone in the band) had at least helped with the lyrics it could have been so much better. There should only have been 10 songs and the album should have been called Decibel. It's not a great song but it sounds like an AC/DC album title. Black Ice is a nonesense song and a nonesense title.The best thing on the album is Cliff Williams. His bass is pushed right up front and he gets to do a few riffs for a change.The album is better than Ballbreaker but not as good as anything that came before it. I never bought Stiff Upper Lip after being burned by Ballbreaker so I can't comment on that one.3 stars because there are some good tunes on hear. No classics, unfortunately.

It was a birthday gift for my Dad and he loves it.

Great 👍 👌

A work colleague fan of AC~DC recommended this particular opus of the band, as I only had their hits from the soundtrack of IRONMAN 2. And she was spot on, as BLACK ICE is a top class heavy metal album, great to re-energize to!