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AC/DC's "PWR/UP" stands as a thunderous middle finger to anyone who thought the Australian hard rock legends were ready to hang up their leather jackets and call it a day. Released in November 2020, this seventeenth studio album is nothing short of miraculous – a full-throttle resurrection that proves you can't keep good rock and roll down, even when the Grim Reaper comes knocking at your rehearsal room door.

The road to "PWR/UP" reads like a rock and roll soap opera written by the devil himself. By 2014, AC/DC seemed cursed by a biblical plague of misfortune. Founding rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, the band's heartbeat and chief songwriter, was forced to retire due to dementia, leaving behind a vault of unreleased riffs and song ideas. Phil Rudd got tangled up in legal troubles that would make a crime novelist blush. Brian Johnson's hearing deteriorated so severely that doctors warned continued touring could leave him permanently deaf. The band limped through their "Rock or Bust" tour with Axl Rose filling in on vocals – a surreal sight that had purists clutching their vintage vinyl.

Then came the knockout punch: Malcolm Young passed away in 2017, leaving fans worldwide wondering if AC/DC would, or should, continue without their spiritual leader. The smart money was on retirement. The smart money was wrong.

What emerged from this chaos is an album that sounds like AC/DC at their most essential – a 41-minute masterclass in why simplicity, when executed with surgical precision, can move mountains. "PWR/UP" doesn't reinvent the wheel; it just reminds you why the wheel was perfect to begin with. This is AC/DC distilled to its purest essence: Angus Young's razor-sharp riffs, Brian Johnson's air-raid-siren vocals (miraculously restored thanks to specialized hearing aids), and a rhythm section that hits harder than a freight train carrying anvils.

The album opens with "Realize," a statement of intent that announces AC/DC's return with all the subtlety of a nuclear explosion. Johnson's voice, defying all medical logic, sounds as gloriously ragged and powerful as ever, while Angus unleashes riffs that could wake the dead – perhaps even Malcolm himself, whose posthumous contributions form the album's backbone. "Shot in the Dark" follows like a guided missile, featuring one of the band's most infectious choruses in decades and a guitar solo that reminds you why Angus Young remains rock's greatest showman.

"Demon Fire" burns with an almost supernatural intensity, its driving rhythm and apocalyptic lyrics suggesting the band made some sort of Faustian bargain to sound this vital in their fifth decade. "Through the Mists of Time" offers a rare moment of reflection, a surprisingly emotional tribute to Malcolm that manages to be both heartbreaking and triumphant. Meanwhile, "Systems Down" and "Money Shot" deliver the kind of sleazy, swaggering rock anthems that made AC/DC legends in the first place.

The production, handled by Brendan O'Brien, strikes the perfect balance between modern clarity and vintage grit. Every instrument sits exactly where it should, from Cliff Williams' rumbling bass lines to Phil Rudd's metronomic drumming (yes, he returned, legal troubles resolved). But it's the interplay between Angus's lead guitar pyrotechnics and Malcolm's ghostly rhythm contributions that provides the album's emotional core. You can almost feel Malcolm's presence guiding every chord progression, every perfectly placed accent.

Musically, "PWR/UP" plants its flag firmly in classic AC/DC territory – this is straight-ahead hard rock with blues roots and zero pretension. No synthesizers, no guest rappers, no attempts to chase contemporary trends. It's the sound of a band that knows exactly who they are and refuses to apologize for it. The album flows like their classic late-70s work, each song a perfectly crafted three-to-four-minute statement with no wasted motion.

Five years after its release, "PWR/UP" has cemented its place as AC/DC's finest work since "Back in Black." It's simultaneously a celebration of their legacy and proof that great rock and roll is timeless. More importantly, it's a fitting tribute to Malcolm Young's genius and a reminder that AC/DC, against all odds and medical advice, are still the greatest rock and roll band on the planet. Sometimes the old dogs know the best tricks.