New AC/DC Album Reportedly Coming in February or March, With Touring to Follow
We’ve known since at least August of 2018 that AC/DC were working on a new album, and we’ve been hearing rumors of tours being plotted since this past July. But it looks like all of those plans may be coming to fruition sooner than we thought!
Speaking recently on Melbourne’s Triple M Hot Breakfast show, Australian broadcaster Eddie McGuire claimed that AC/DC’s new album would be out sometime in the next couple of months, with live shows to follow later in the year. McGuire also says that, as anticipated, the album would feature the return of vocalist Brian Johnson and drummer Phil Rudd. Johnson, you may recall, was forced to step away from touring in 2016 due to the risk of total hearing loss, and was eventually replaced by Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, who for awhile was rumored to be making a new album with the band. Rudd, meanwhile, had been unable to tour. Rudd, meanwhile, was fired from the band in 2015 after a string of arrests involving drug possession and attempting to procure a murder (among other charges), and was replaced by Chris Slade, who had previously been in the band from 1990 – 1994.
Said McGuire:
“There has been speculation, but my mail is there will be a new album released by AC/DC in February or March this year, but also that AC/DC will be touring Australia in October or November 2020.
“And after a lot of work and a lot of technical research, they have been able to get a hearing aid for Brian Johnson, who will be out front. And even drummer Phil Rudd might be back in the group either playing percussion or drums with guitarist Angus Young, so that they’ve got three of, well, not the originals, but three of the old-timers, if you like, back there.
“They’ve had a few changes over the journey, but Angus out front, Brian Johnson lead singing, and maybe Phil Rudd, after his issues that he’s had in recent times.”
Bassist Cliff Williams, who had announced his retirement from the band in 2016, is also said to be involved with the new album, while another rumor claims Angus Young has mined hundreds of demos he recorded with his late brother Malcolm, who died in December of 2017, to be included on the record as well. So this new album will actually include the entire Back in Black-era line-up of the band.
So this is obviously all rumor for now, but it doesn’t seem very far-fetched at all. We’ll let you know as soon as any kind of official announcement has been made.
[via Classic Rock]
