Airbourne
Runnin' Wild

THE REVIEW

Airbourne
Runnin' Wild
Roadrunner Records, 2008

Saying that the wood of that stage is worn out would be a pure understatement. Dozens of bands have climbed onto it in recent months, hoping to carve out a little space in the rock world, and needless to say, so far, all have failed. Some colorful insults, indifference, and even more or less convinced praises, but nothing more. The unknown Airbourne have just finished their energetic performance... We are in 2004, in Australia, in a remote place near Melbourne where most of you have never been and will never go. If you go beyond the stage and enter a room, you’ll find the band exhausted. The singer's throat, dry from exertion, is drying, not drinking, a beer, while with the other arm, he’s wiping his back with a once, perhaps, white towel. The guitars are steaming on the ground, and the drummer's arms look like those of a swimmer just out after a workout. They've given their all in 5 songs: this is called rock'n roll and in 2008 they’ve made it to the other side of the world, earning it, and I'm here to talk about it.

Personally, I find it as annoying as the sound of a rake on a pot to hear shitty bands blatantly manufactured at a table be called rock. Bands that care a lot, if not entirely, about the look; that don’t write the songs, but "interpret" them artistically. Cocky little brats who think that having an electric guitar or ripped jeans and knowing how to play two basic chords make them cool. These pop-emo-whatever-ROCK bands that can’t sing live and show all their burst of energy and passion in their debut album by producing a plethora of "sugar-coated" singles to garner orgasmic shrieks from lustful teenagers and the approval of children raised on Pokemon and Playstation... Well, all of them together, passionately holding hands, could even fall into the toilet bowl, and I'd flush them myself. The rock adjective fits them like a salmon in a desert.

"Running Wild" by Airbourne is a memorable and simple debut CD that exudes enthusiasm and passion. I'll describe it in a few lines, not to diminish it, but because it’s 40 minutes of pure hard rock filled with disarming simplicity and concreteness made of successful riffs and steady tempos. Sharp solos, never too long, alternate with a rough voice like that of Joel O'Keeffe, who, as a true leader, not only sings but also plays the guitar. The nods to the best AC/DC in terms of voice, sound, and nationality are strong, but in my opinion, this can only be a good thing because we now need that music more than ever. Songs like the title track and Blackjack alone justify the purchase of a well-packaged product that pushes you to turn up the volume. An album to be listened to in one sitting, it shakes you, it grabs your ears and drills them, managing to energize you and even capable of letting you put a bad day behind you, for a moment, thanks to the dirty notes and vocal lines (backing vocals included) of the intro of Stand Up For Rock n' Roll, moving through the memorable chorus of What's Eating With You up to the end. No slow songs or ballads: there will be time for those in the future. Airbourne is currently keen on making rock; the real kind, and it's up to you to decide whether it's worth listening to or not.

Airbourne and Tokyo Dragons: two young talents to support.