AC/DC have been on a roll since they started teasing the new album Power Up last month. They’ve already released the lead single “Shot in the Dark,” and now, AC/DC have posted a video clip teasing the song “Demon Fire.”
“Demon Fire” is less bluesy and more fast-paced than “Shot in the Dark,” boasting a killer, descending riff that loops underneath Brian Johnson’s snarling vocals. The clip proves that despite having been around for over four decades, AC/DC still have the same fearless energy they’re known and loved for.
Power Up marks the return of AC/DC following a tumultuous couple of years for the band, which saw Johnson’s departure from performing live due to his hearing issues and the death of founding member Malcolm Young. The Australian band’s new collection of songs lists Young as a co-writer, as he wrote a plethora of the riffs that were used. Angus Young’s nephew Stevie Young has now taken on the role of rhythm guitarist for the band.
The album will be out Friday, Nov. 13 (fitting, right?), and is available in several different formats including digital, vinyl, CD and a deluxe CD edition that comes in a collectible box with built-in speakers. Pre-order it now. (As Amazon affiliates, we earn on qualifying purchases)
Today, MTV might as well take the “M” (which stands for music) out of their name. If you haven’t watched the channel in a while, we understand: they primarily trade in reality shows these days. However, there was a time in the ‘80s when the network was the most powerful music entity when it came to making and breaking bands. For Def Leppard, MTV was a rocket ship to the stars. The video for Def Leppard’s “Photograph,” the first single from the album ‘Pyromania,’ was shot on December 2, 1982, by director David Mallet at the Battersea Power Station building in central London. The clip, which featured shots of the band on a soundstage and women dancing in cages, became an instant hit on MTV, which aired it constantly, contributing greatly to the success of ‘Pyromania’ and making the band huge stars; the album has sold over 10 million copies in the U.S. In retrospect, vocalist Joe Elliott was thrilled with the “Phootgraph” video, but he noted, “Putting women in cages is not really cool. But in 1982 when we shot the videos David Mallet was very keen on doing that and we were naive, young and it sorted of looked good just as a visual aspect you know? I think it’s a bit tacky now.” But, he adds, “When you look at ‘Photograph,’ as old and as dated as it may be getting now, for its time it was a great video.” After that, the writing was on the wall. (JW)
1988 was the year that the Grammys were finally recognizing hard rock and metal. But those two subgenres cover a lot of ground, and this allowed the Grammy voters to draw from a wide pool of potential releases. One of whom didn’t really fit in either. By 1988, Metallica had emerged as the bright young stars of the metal genre and their ‘…And Justice for All’ album launched them from theaters to arenas, so it came as no surprise when the group was nominated for the honor. But their competition was quite eclectic. Hard rock vets AC/DC gave the category some veteran credibility with ‘Blow Up Your Video,’ punk icon Iggy Pop got a nod for the song “Cold Metal,” Jane’s Addiction generated some excitement as the rising up-and-comers with their standout ‘Nothing’s Shocking’ album and the final nominee was the revitalized classic rock outfit Jethro Tull with their ‘Crest of a Knave’ album. Given that the category had been created as a way to shine a spotlight on metal, many assumed that Metallica, the clearest representation of a metal band and a group widely praised for their new album, would be the winner… but we all know how that went. Proving their cluelessness about the genre, the Academy voted for Jethro Tull, for an album that doesn’t even hold up well against their own discography, much less against Metallica’s ‘Justice.’ It was such a surprise that the band’s label told the members not to attend the ceremony because they weren’t likely to win. The victory became a punchline about Grammy voting for years, with Metallica adding “Grammy Award Losers” stickers to their ‘…And Justice for All’ album. The following year, perhaps as a result of the outcry, Best Metal Performance finally became its own category. Metallica would win the next three years. After their win in 1992, Lars Ulrich thanked Jethro Tull for not putting out an album that year. (CC)
