Rock And A Hard Place: Review Of Airbourne’s “Black Dog Barking”

If you're waiting for the next AC/DC to come around  I hate to tell you, that ain't gonna happen.  However, if you like that reckless Aussie sound "Airbourne" will get you high as a kite.

Truth be told, Australian natives sound more like bands like Jackyl than their hero's  AC/DC but they still have that down and dirty sound.  There have been many clones of this sound in the past (Rhino Bucket, Dirty Looks) but most of them were back in the 80's.  "Airbourne" is the first in many years to have this kind of success.

Joel O'Keeffe on lead vocals and lead guitar and his brother, Ryan O'Keeffe on drums started the band back in 2004 and "Black Dog Barking" is their third release.  It's much like an AC/DC album, you know what you're getting before you even listen, and if you like this style this is right up your alley.

"Black Dog Barking" is packed with big anthems perfect for a live setting, they're catching, full of gang vocals and alcohol-fueled intensity.  There's nothing ground-breaking but that's really not their point.  "Ready To Rock", "Animalize", "Back In The Game", "Hungry" and "Live It Up" aren't exactly original song titles or themes, but they add a new shot of energy to the music.

Most important to me is that the song go where you want them to.  What the hell does that mean?  They get to the point and they have a great hooks.  Many of these songs are going to ingrained in your head forever, much like AC/DC's library.

What really got people's attention to "Airbourne" wasn't the album as much as it was their insane live shows.  As you can see below they put on a helluva show that's hard to ignore. They put the "live" back in Rock and know how to get the audience rockin' as well.

If you're a fan of Rock, please support this band, they're keeping it alive and represent the next generation of Classic Rock!

Live At Waken...