Anyhow, the Young brothers can still crank out some fun and crunchy guitar licks and leads, age be damned, while Johnson's well-worn, glass-gargling vocals are back with even some added oomph. The bass (Williams) and drums (Rudd) are as basic and effective as ever and the production, courtesy of Brendan O'Brien (too many big names to list), is all a touch glossy. Does it negatively impact the overall effect of Black Ice? Probably not, at least not if you don't let it get in the way of the rock. What does mire the entire affair, however, is the length of this long-player. At 15 songs and 55+ minutes, it seems a bit long in the tooth. Excise a few choice tracks near the end of the CD, say the three with "rock" in their titles since those seem to be thrown together, and the record would be stronger.

All that said, one can't really complain about an AC/DC album. Hey, at least there are no songs with the blatant inclusion of "balls" in their names, right? Hehe. Highlights include "Big Jack," "Anything Goes," "Wheels," and the titular track, "Black Ice," which ends the record rather nicely. Oh, and undoubtedly everyone by now has heard album opener "Rock 'n Roll Train," an undeniably solid track. Go out and get some Black Ice for your molotov cocktail and take it with a match to go. Hell, even the excess songs rock out like they have no business doing. Up the score a bit, maestro.... The black on black album packaging rules, too.

written by Tony Belcher

Playing time: 55:31