By: Jesse Striewski
When Airbourne first emerged via Australia in the late 2000’s, I was pretty excited they might properly carry the torch for hard rock music; although it hasn’t quite always gone that way (at least not yet), I’m always happy to hear when they release new material, and their latest self-titled effort (their first album since 2019) is no exception. Seven years is plenty of time to come up with new material though, and these guys from down under indeed used that time to their advantage.
One of the first glimpses fans got of new music here was in the form of “Christmas Bonus,” a bit of silly piece, but fun nonetheless. “Kid In A Candy Store” and “Who Put The Rhythm In You” definitely invoke the band’s inner AC/DC, but it’s huge sing-a-longs/homages like “Alive After Death (Last Plane Out),” “Here She Comes,” and “Sky High” that truly deliver the goods here.
It’s also interesting to note the band recorded the album directly to tape, and on a console that also captured the likes of AC/DC and Rose Tattoo in their prime. While such things may not make or break an album per se, it does add another bit of respect for the band here. A worthy contender for any serious fans of rock music.
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
