After a six-year recording break — during which frontman Brian Johnson struggled with serious hearing loss, drummer Phil Rudd dealt with serious legal issues, and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young died following a battle with early-onset dementia — AC/DC come roaring back this week with the aptly titled Power Up. The Brendan O’Brien-produced, classic-sounding record seems like a full-circle moment, in that its release almost exactly coincides with the 40th anniversary of another against-all-odds comeback in AC/DC’s career, Back in Black.
The Australian rock titans are of course are no strangers to overcoming adversity. The Back in Black album, AC/DC’s first to feature Johnson, was released only five months after the February 1980 death of the band’s iconic previous lead singer, Bon Scott, and it went on to become one of the most successful albums of all time, going 25-times platinum. Guitarist Angus Young tells Yahoo Entertainment that he sees the parallels between the two releases.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – DECEMBER 6: Brian Johnson and Angus Young of AC/DC perform on stage at the Docklands Stadium on the 6th of December 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Martin Philbey/Redferns)
