“Back in the game / Kicking ass again” – these lyrics have never been truer and once again Airbourne have delivered another album that will sucker punch you in the face with great vocals, heavy riffs and an all-round fantastic sound.
Black Dog Barking is this Aussie band’s third studio album. Following in similar vein to their predecessors, it’s full of the simplistic yet bold songs with that ‘80s inspired, hair metal vibe. They don’t fool around with any new territory; they stick to their guns showcasing their talents on familiar ground and it’s no disappointment.
“Live It Up” and “Ready To Rock” stray towards a more mainstream and ‘radio friendly’ sound in comparison to tracks such as “Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast” and “Blonde, Bad and Beautiful” from their first two albums Runnin’ Wild and No Guts. No Glory – but that doesn’t make these songs any less likeable. The vocals are rough and heavy, the riffs will leave you reminiscing over the last time you saw a band such as these guys play live, filling your bones with raw energy and the chorus in every single song having you singing along by the second play through.
Joel O’Keeffe has a fantastically dynamic vocal range that will astound you to the very end of the album, reaching some incredible high notes throughout that can be comparable to that of Justin Hawkins (The Darkness), though a little rougher around the edges – a feat which any potential rocker (or writer) would love to perform successfully.
“A lot of thought and effort has gone into this record not only by the band, but by the production crew who worked countless hours, seven days a week… so crank it up, crack a beer and stick some rock n’ roll in your ear!” – Airbourne.
Airbourne – Live It Up
