#hard-rock — Public Fediverse posts

Grand Funk Railroad kind of morning. Three cheers for Dad Rock.

#dadrock #classicrock #hardrock #rock

Though I’ve been aware of Australia’s Airbourne and their unapologetic AC/DC worship for years, I’d never listened to an album before picking up the promo for their sixth LP, Airbourne. Despite not being well-versed in Airbourne’s back catalogue, I spent years absorbing their main muse poolside, barside, and carside. Thus primed, I not only jumped into Airbourne, but the band’s other five albums as well, immersing myself in their blues rock-infested waters. In the promo notes, Airbourne asserts this self-titled effort is their best one yet. Maybe, but we all know it’s a long way to the top if you want to rank ‘n’ roll. So does Airbourne leave us thunderstruck, or feeling like the band’s just beating around the bush?

As on prior outings, Airbourne delivers reliably raucous tunes that wear their inspirations on the sleeve. “Gutsy” leads off Airbourne with a rowdy anthem that never fails to get my fists pumping and the floor thumping, and it plays like an amped up version of “Heatseeker” as well as Airbourne openers “Ready to Rock” and “Breakin’ Outta Hell.”1 It’s a well-constructed hard rock banger that captures AC/DC’s free-wheeling, scene-stealing antics, and I haven’t been able to stop playing it. “Kid in a Candy Store” and “Hells Got No Vacancy” exude similarly compelling charisma, anchoring essential tracks throughout the album’s runtime. The sleigh bells and holiday theme on “Christmas Bonus” will quickly remind listeners of “Mistress for Christmas,” and the tongue-in-cheek lyrics and straight-shot riffing recall moments throughout AC/DC’s discography. Despite all the references to Acca Dacca, though, Airbourne tailors the formula just enough to create music that stands alongside their biggest inspiration rather than completely in its shadow.

Besides adding a few other influences to round out their sound, Airbourne swells with infectious cock rock swagger. “Alive After Death (Last Plane Out)” thrums with The Cult-like energy, specifically recalling “Fire Woman”‘s lascivious luster, while “Rock N Roll Ya” bites with Def Leppard teeth and “Bogotá” breaks into Van Halen noodling, even throwing in some spoken-word shenanigans evoking “Hot for Teacher.” Throughout Airbourne, the band showcases tight songwriting and instrumental prowess as they toe the line between arena-ready choruses and sweaty rock ‘n’ roll braggadocio. Singer/guitarist Joel O’Keeffe sizzles with Brian Johnson grit and Angus Young licks, capturing the one-two punch that makes AC/DC so damn effective. Joel’s brother Ryan mans the drums, loosing a workmanlike performance befitting famed pocket drummer Phil Rudd, while longtime bassist Justin Street locks in the low-end with no-frills grooves supporting the direct nature of Airbourne’s music. Newcomer rhythm guitarist Brett Tyrrell completes the quartet, complementing O’Keeffe’s lead lines with Malcom Young-like accents.

I imagine Airbourne would have been a juggernaut back in the 80s, and here they bring the olde ways to current days. Airbourne was recorded on tape, and though it’s polished, the album boasts an authentic crunch that sounds big and, in its best moments, dangerous. Glimpses of menace and originality flash often enough to make Airbourne exciting, yet I find that Airbourne takes too few risks in their songwriting. Although individual passages crackle with intensity, songs’ overall effectiveness gets dulled by the sense that the band is playing it safe, both by staying close to inspirations and earlier material. The lyrics also present a mixed bag, where cheeky double meanings are a delight, but other times can be too on-the-nose (“Who Put the Rhythm in You”). And while Airbourne mostly does a good job whetting tracks’ distinct identities, some moments blur together (“Here She Comes” and “Who Put the Rhythm in You”).

Airbourne doesn’t supply any new experiences, but it packs enough fun to make time with it worthwhile. Singalong choruses, bawdy double entendres, and head-bopping, air guitar-inducing leads keep me coming back. After listening to their discography a couple of times to prepare for this review, I’m not completely convinced that this is Airbourne’s best record yet, but it might be. Their first two albums evidenced a band establishing their sound, and the next two stretched the limits of what came before as they evolved their songwriting. Now seven years removed from fifth album Boneshaker, this foursome from Down Under breaks their silence with a rousing platter of hard-rockin’ heat that takes what came before and ties it all together. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just looking for fun new tunes, you won’t regret getting Airbourne.

Rating: Good!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Dirty Stream Done Dirt Cheap
Label: Spinefarm Records
Websites: Website | Bandcamp2 | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: September 4th, 20263

#OnAir 5.9. #NowPlaying
*=mod /w pres

10:00 Colours
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15:00 #Hardrock
17:00 #Folk
19:00 * Finest
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22:00 * Special World DanceDay

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RESIST!
A music break for sanity's sake...
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https://youtu.be/ckvDeD9spL0

For tonight, I already have my night time albums line up: Billie Holiday, Grand Funk Railroad, The Undertones. Cause I need a lot of variety in my listening/no consistency as a human being.

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Fun fact for fans of AMG lore: I originally found this very metal blog back in early 2010 while searching for reviews of Audrey Horne’s self-titled third album. I auditioned for a writing job, and my first review posted a mere month later. Since then, I’ve reviewed all the Audrey Horne releases, and I admit to being a big fanboy of their retro-leaning hard rock style. At their best, they craft irresistibly fun, punchy anthems, and even at their worst, the music is still pretty damn entertaining, and it never ceases to amuse me that the band features Ice Dale of Enslaved and I fame. 2022s Devil’s Bell had big moments, but felt a bit flat compared to prior platters like Youngblood and Pure Heavy. Now comes 8th album, Achilles, and it’s everything you expect from the band. There’s a strong focus on hooks and replay factor while keeping that 70s rock vibe intact. But can they get the wheels back on the Hornemobile for another monster of a rock album?

The opening title track kicks the party off with a hard-charging attack. Charismatic frontman Toschie leads you on a rowdy ride backed by galloping, churning riffs and a thumping bass rumble, and it’s exactly what I want from Audrey Horne. Then things get moody and introspective with a thick 70s prog rock vibe. Soon it steers back into rocked-out festivities with dominating guitar lines and a kinda sorta Iron Maiden vibe. It’s a cool trip. “In the Eye of a Hurricane” is the perfect Audrey Horne song with a raucous, uncouth vibe and a huge chorus designed to destabilize stadiums. There are even vague traces of Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” hidden under the surface. “Vampires” is another win, simple and uber cool, a rock song that gets under your skin on first listen and never lets go. I’ve had this one on replay an obscene amount, and I can’t get enough of it. In a just world, “God Damn Beautiful” would be a huge hit for the band and garner heavy radio play since it’s a dangerously infectious earworm monster. It features bassist Espen Lien on vocals instead of Toschie, though you may not notice at first. He does a bang-up job selling the song, and The Night Flight Orchestra will bitterly wish they wrote this one.

Despite this killer start, Achilles can’t maintain the same level of awesome sauce, and the back half is less memorable. While “Insanity” is pure rock fury and “Hell is Eternity” is like a drunken Iron Maiden doing a rock song, other cuts like “Six Feet in the Ground,” “Running Through the Night,” and closer “New Star Falling” are just okay. They’re pleasant enough, but they don’t hit anywhere near as hard as the better tracks, and at times they’re overly similar to the recent material from The Night Flight Orchestra. There’s an uneventful interlude included as well, and it seems to serve no particular purpose. This makes Achilles very front-loaded, as you get the best 5 cuts within the first 7 tracks. However, at a tight 44 minutes with all cuts in the 3-5 minute frame, it’s a pretty easy, breezy spin.

I’ve been a big fan of Toschie’s vocals and overall frontman persona since I discovered Audrey Horne. He’s one of the best hard rock vocalists out there, and he brings a lot ot personality and gravitas to the material. He’s in great form here, delivering his usual sleazy, ne’er-do-well vocals in a way that feels like he’s about to do something illegal. He’s buoyed by the high-flying leads from Ice Dale and Thomas Tofthagen (ex-Sahg) as they draw inspiration from classic rock acts like AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, and Led Zeppelin, but also rock very Maiden-esque harmonies when things kick into high gear. Behind them, the big bass presence from Espen Lien is counterpointed by rock-solid kit work from Kjetil Greve. Audrey Horne have been around the block and play the kind of music they love, and it shows, even when the writing isn’t consistently great.

Achilles is a bit better than Devil’s Bell. It has big moments and memorable romps, but it has a few lower-tier nuggets that drag it down a notch or two. I may want another album as strong as Youngblood, but I’ll settle for releases like this because Audrey Horne are so damn fun and the perfect soundtrack for summer beer chuggery. You like fun, right? Does anyone remember laughter? Ah, fuck you all, I’m getting drunk.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: NA | Format Reviewed: FUCKING STREAM
Label: Napalm
Websites: audrey-horne.bandcamp.com/album/achilles | facebook.com/audreyhorneofficial | instagram.com/audreyhorneofficial/?hl=en
Releases Worldwide: September 4th, 2026