The gap between AC/DC’s most recent two albums was eight years. The next one won’t require quite such a lengthy wait.
Frontman Brian Johnson has revealed that the Aussie rock legends are poised to start work on new music. And there are plans to celebrate the outfit’s 40th anniversary with a special tour.
“Well, you’ll be the first one to know,” the British singer told 98.7 the Gater’s Andy Preston, Ultimate Classic Rock reports. “Really, because we’ve been denying anything, ’cause we weren’t sure…But I think we’ll be going into the studio in May in Vancouver. Which means, we should be getting ready.” The new follows bass player Cliff Williams’ admission last March that he and the Young brothers (Malcolm and Angus) had begun writing new material.
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AC/DC’s next album will follow the 15th international studio set “Black Ice,” released in 2008. The album was an international smash. It shipped more than 5.3 million units by year’s-end en route to topping sales charts in 29 countries — including the U.S. — according to the band’s Sydney-based label home Alberts. The subsequent tour in support of the album is recognized as one of the biggest grossing treks in history.
Johnson also told the station that the group were keen to hit the road. “It’s been 40 years of the band’s existence,” he added. “So I think we’re gonna try to do 40 gigs, 40 shows, to thank the fans for their undying loyalty. I mean, honestly, our fans are just the best in the world, and we appreciate every one of them. So, like I said, we’ll have to go out, even though we’re getting a bit long in the tooth. You know what?! It’s been four years [since we last went out on the road], and I’m really looking forward to it.”
A spokesperson at Alberts, which originally signed AC/DC back in 1974, had no comment on the development.
Though they’ve been out of cycle for a few years, AC/DC’s music resonates as loud as ever. Their works have featured prominently in the “Iron Man” films, a social media campaign pushed “Highway to Hell” to No. 4 on the U.K.’s coveted Christmas chart in 2013 (their first top 10 there), and Bruce Springsteen recently covered the song while on tour in their homeland.