Review Summary: This is AC/DC. This is their 15th studio album.
I could sit here right now and detail to you the dynamics and intricacies of
Rock or Bust that truly don't exist. I could describe how Malcolm Young's deteriorating mental health and Phill Rudd's legal troubles have influenced Angus Young's songwriting process. I could construct a whole epic narrative of said songwriting process and its results until you scream bloody hyperbole. But I won't, because literally, I can't.
Rock or Bust sounds exactly like every other AC/DC album released up until this point, and it's just as good/bad as those albums were. That's true of all the regular calling cards; gratuitous references to the word 'rock', distorted blues riffs and screeched double entendres. Just watch that "Play Ball" video, and try to tell me it isn't the exact same f
ucking one they've made eight-thousand times before. Point is, AC/DC succeeded with
High Voltage and decided not to fix what wasn't broken. That's why they never feathered their hair in the '80s or wore plaid flannels in the '90s; frankly, I'd be worried if Flo Rida decided to stop by and drop some lines for the sake of relevance or popularity. No doubt it's that fear of change that makes AC/DC so reliable. This is AC/DC and this is their 15th studio album. You've already heard it before, so make up your mind accordingly.