This past Friday was another day of draining Zoom calls, stacks of digital assignments and lots of stress. This description sums up 2020 for millions of American students now working remotely as they yearn for a return to a sense of normalcy. America has seen some dark days during this pandemic, but in this darkness, one band has dared to make a return and set ablaze this year of shadows and illuminate the uncertainties America is facing. AC/DC powered up for a gloriously electric return to form. 

AC/DC is a 46-year-old band that has been igniting crowds since 1974. Yet if the casual listener were to approach the band’s 17th album, they would never know it was produced in 2020, as the quality of the band’s sounds is the highest it has been in years. Reminiscent of electric tracks like “Back in Black” and the iconic “Highway to Hell,” AC/DC’s 2020 return sounds even better than the band in their prime during the ’80s. The 12-track production is a tribute to the legendary original rhythmic guitarist Malcolm Young who died in 2017. It is bound to send shockwaves not only through the rock genre, but the music world at large. 

Opening with the appropriately-titled track, “Realize,” fans are instantly treated to the high-voltage extravaganza lead vocalists Brian Johnson, Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams and legendary guitarist Angus Young have in store. With sharp yet artistically messy electric guitar work, refreshingly snappy and tight drums and Johnson’s nearly demonic vocals, AC/DC is still driving on the highway to Hell and has seemingly picked up speed. Tracks like the riveting lead single, “Shot in the Dark,” display these successes. Johnson sings, “I need a pick me up / A rollin’ thunder truck / I need a shot of you / That tattooed lady wild like a mountain ride / I got a hunger, that’s the lovin’ truth.” “Shot in the Dark” is just that: a ’70s-era-band seeking to reestablish their rock dominance in a music industry that is never stagnant. However, the band not only takes a shot in the dark, but launches a full ballistic missile. 

“Rejection” is the most ironic of the 11 other tracks, as it features lyrics like, “If you reject me / I take what I want / Disrespect me / And you get burned.” Here, Brian Johnson knows, and maybe even fears, that the band will fade in relevancy as newer and younger musical talents battle competitively for airwave supremacy and chart dominance. However, with such a spiritedly stomping track, rejection should be the furthest thing from Johnson’s mind. The track is emblematic of new life in an old band. 

“Demon Fire” is bound to be a favorite among all audiences, fans and casual listeners alike, as it features some of the most fun and funkiest guitar work from any rock band in a very long time. It may not be the kind of song that people flock to because of how profound or technically sound the lyricism is, but it is a good time, making listeners want to soulfully jump with exuberance, excitement and ecstasy. In this respect, AC/DC more than accomplishes its goal of bringing energy to a dead year in 2020.

AC/DC’s shocking “Power Up” proves that they are still the conductors for electricity they once were four decades ago. However, when approaching this album for the first time, one question should be ringing through your mind — are you ready for a good time?