AIRBOURNE: Runnin' Wild (Roadrunner)
By Fizz
Rating: 8.0
I love AC/DC. I just want everybody to know. Really, what rocker or metalhead DOESN'T like AC/DC? Personally, I went through a serious AC/DC phase in my life, back around 2000. Almost all the AC/DC albums I own, I got during that time. I blared them constantly, and for a while maintained a repertoire of about two dozen songs on my guitar. I even tried to play on my back like Angus did. It didn't work though, because I couldn't figure out how to stand up again without pausing. At the time, though, I was also getting into a lot more classic metal, defined as metal that came out before I discovered this marvelous genre, via Guns n Roses, that fateful autumn of 1988. Of course, this time in my life just happened to coincide with Kisss farewell tour, for which they enlisted fellow 70's hero Ted Nugent, and my own personal favorites Skid Row. I absolutely HAD to see this show. Oh yeah, and AC/DC even put out a new album that year. Too bad it sucked.
But enough about me. Every few years, it seems there's another band being hailed as the new AC/DC. Whether it's an American band like Rhino Bucket (who did sound like AC/DC) or New American Shame (who didn't), or some of their Australian countrymen like the Poor or Jet (shit, go back to Angel City or Rose Tattoo - well before my time), and there's always some band on the horizon that's going to take the simple, three-chord boogie-metal of the brothers Young and well, do something with it. Or do nothing with it, just leave it alone. If it ain't broke, etc.
And now that Jet turned out to be one cool song and a lot of hype, along comes Airbourne. This Down Under quartet, newly relocated to New Jersey, flies the Back In Black flag proudly, almost too proudly. I don't know if it's the band themselves or Roadrunner who're playing up the AC/DC thing, but they could give it a rest and let these guys try to stand on their own. To be honest, though, it's impossible not to think of AC/DC when you listen to their debut album, Runnin' Wild. This thing's been floating around overseas for a while now, but is finally getting a North American release on a fairly big label.
The most strikingly AC/DC-like thing about Runnin' Wild would have to be the guitar tone and style of play. Granted, Angus and Malcolm haven't sounded this powerful and crunching since the 80's. Otherwise, the production is clean and crisp, without being overly modern. There's none of that singing-through-a-phone shit here, and the guitars aren't distorted until they're just a flat buzz. At the same time, the band thankfully doesn't go for the antique 70's sound that Rhino Bucket did on their last album. Basically, Runnin' Wild sounds like Stiff Upper Lip and Ballbreaker should have sounded. The vocals of Joel O'Keefe are rough and hollery, reminding more of Brian Johnson before he discovered cigarettes than Bon Scott, and really, more like a shrill Kevin DuBrow more than either. Meanwhile, Joel's brother Ryan keeps the backbeat thumping along in fine, rock-steady fashion. As you would hope, the lyrics concern themselves exclusively with sex, drinking, sex, rock -n- roll, more sex, general hellraising, and oh yeah, sex.
Just about half the album consists of uptempo tunes, about as fast as this style of music ever gets. The rest of the songs are split evenly between strut and plod. I found opener Stand Up For Rock 'n' Roll to be one of the weaker songs, actually, but it does have that anthemic, get-off-your-ass theme that feels right at the beginning of the album. The title track is next, and continues the fast pace while improving the quality. You video-game lovers might recognize this song from Madden '08. Blackjack and Girls In Black careen along in a similar way, with the latter being a personal favorite. Diamond In The Rough and Fat City sport killer grooves, bass drum pounding relentlessly as the power chords wind in and out. First single Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast is slower, but with a mammoth, fist-in-the-air chorus. What's Eatin' You is even simpler and even more effective. After another slow-ish moment in Cheap Wine And Cheaper Women, the album wraps up with the one-two punch of Heartbreaker, with its great driving rhythm, and Hellfire, which closes the party pretty much the way it began: on maximum overdrive, if you'll allow another AC/DC pun. Sorry.
It should probably go without saying at this point that there's nothing on Runnin' Wild that you haven't heard before.
This is a tried-and-true formula, but also one that's hard to fuck up, and when done right, hard to beat. Really, my only gripes are a couple songs that are just average, and maybe a bit TOO much simplicity at times. Even so, Airbourne sound much more alive and vital than AC/DC has in many years. I hate to say it, being the big fan that I am, but it's been so long since AC/DC has done anything (eight years now, and no new music in sight), much less anything great, that I just don't expect much from them anymore. They're too old, too rich and too lazy. So with that said, Airbourne is a fine substitute, and their sheer energy and youthful high spirits make up for any lack of originality.
Best Songs: Diamond In The Rough,Fat City,Girls In Black
Worst song: Stand Up For Rock 'n' Roll
