Personnel
Angus Young – lead guitar
Brian Johnson – lead vocals
Phil Rudd – drums
Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
Stevie Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Track list
01. Realize
02. Rejection
03. Shot In The Dark
04. Through The Mists Of Time
05. Kick You When You're Down
06. Witch's Spell
07. Demon Fire
08. Wild Reputation
09. No Man's Land
10. Systems Down
11. Money Shot
12. Code Red
Power Up is the 17th studio album by rock icons AC/DC. The 12-track record was released on November 13, 2020, with Brendan O'Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam) producing the project.
The last few years have not been kind to the band. In 2014, founding guitarist Malcolm Young was forced to leave the band as a result of dementia. Lead vocalist Brian Johnson had hearing problems severe enough to send him to the sidelines. Drummer Phil Rudd was replaced after becoming entangled in serious trouble with the law and bassist Cliff Williams retired. Then Malcolm died, leaving younger brother Angus Young as the band’s only active founding member.
Thankfully, AC/DC are resilient, and just like the release of their career defining album Back In Black, mere months after the death of lead singer Bon Scott. The band are back with an energized set of songs that pay tribute to Malcolm Young’s creative vision of riffs, rhythms, and melodies.
Although Power Up doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it’s the bands incredible energy that make the album a thrilling listening experience. The whole band sound excited to be back and playing again. Not only is it great to hear Brian Johnson singing again, he delivers one his best vocal performances to date.
Highlights on the record include the rocking album opener; Realize, the lead off single; Shot in the Dark, the gritty Demon Fire, the sleazy; Money Shot , the blues rocker; Kick You When You’re Down and the reflective pop-rocker Through the Mist of Time.
The bottom line is another no non-sense straight-ahead rock album from one of the masters of the genre. It may not be the second coming of Back In Black, but it may just be the band's most consistent record since 1990s The Razor's Edge.
After all we have been through in 2020.If Power UP doesn’t put a smile on your face, nothing will!
