Click the piccy to go through to AC/DC.com and listen to the first new AC/DC track in 8 years – Rock ‘N Roll Train. It is most definitely AC/DC, so much so that it’s difficult for someone who is not a rabid fan, which I am not, to place which album it’s from – it’s just like the rest of the stuff they’ve been doing for the last 4000 years. For most bands I would probably grumble a bit, but as it’s AC/DC I won’t: They do what they do and they do it well, long may they keep doing it. Black Ice, the new album, is released in a couple of months and I suspect I will be obtaining it as soon as I can, although if I don’t get round to it I can just listen to their back catalogue and be kept pretty much as happy.

Secondly is The ‘Tallica. After their last album, St Anger, there was a mild disillusionment amongst the fans. Throw in the Some Kind of Monster documentary and you end up with a band that looked like it might not do so well any more. I rather liked St Anger, not that it sounded like a Metallica record but it still sounded good to me, but would definitely like some more of the old school Metallica – something that we didn’t think we’d see again due to Metallica’s constant change, almost the opposite of AC/DC. The changing brought some fine things, but also some rubbish, so when they announced that Death Magnetic, despite having a cheesy name (that grows on me every time I see it – I suspect I’ll like it by the time it gets released) would hark back to The Good Olde Dayes and be as heavy as a heavy thing, there was some rejoicing, along with a healthy chunk of scepticism. The departure of beautifully haired Bob Rock was celebrated, the introduction of Rick Rubin was hailed as a promising sign and the waiting began. Occasional snippets of one or two new songs appeared on tour, but there’s not been much leakage (although on my last search through the youtubes I did end up getting Rick-rolled for the first time, which was nice). So, yesterday the first single off the new album was released and a rip appeared up on youtube within moments:

Unfortunately I don’t really like it much, although it is growing on me – the intro sounds a bit sloppy and it doesn’t really get going until about two thirds of the way through. Most annoying. A bit more research on Wikipedia brings up the description that this is the most downbeat song on the album – what a stupid first single. Anyway, while discussing this lamentable state of affairs with Adam on the IM, he posted me over a little present from the Metallica Fan Club – another track, much more to my liking. It’s not up to the standard of the greats of the past, but it’s definitely wears its balls on its sleeve and lets you know that the boys can still pump out something passable, if not great. The album’s out in a couple of weeks and I know that I will be queuing at the door of HMV waiting for them to open, like the good little fanboy that I am.