Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Australian rockers Airbourne have never thought small. But with their sixth studio album, they’ve really outdone themselves. “We wanted to make an iconic record, a massive album,” says singer and guitarist Joel O’Keeffe. Determined to create an album that, as drummer Ryan O’Keeffe puts it, “captures the best elements of the rock ’n’ roll we love in a single record”, the Melbourne quartet (completed by bassist Justin Street and guitarist Brett Tyrrell) aimed for the very best in every respect: from the sound to the quality of the songs, from the attention to detail right through to the festival-worthy choruses and, yes, even the budget. “We said: this is the moment,” nods Ryan. “Let’s make the definitive album. And if we’re going to do that, we can’t cut any corners. Because if you do, it won’t work.”
As proof of Airbourne’s obsessive attention to detail – Ryan’s drum tracks alone took three months to record – Joel estimates that, adding up all the time spent on writing and recording, every minute of music is roughly equivalent to a month’s work. Their demos were so polished that legendary producer Mutt Lange (Def Leppard, AC/DC) and multi-platinum superstar Bryan Adams thought they were final versions when they received “Here She Comes” and “Who Put the Rhythm In You” to contribute to the writing. “We wanted to send our best material and see what happens when Airbourne get in a room with Mutt Lange and Bryan Adams,” says Joel. “The answer was: big, explosive rock.”
“Alive After Death” and “Send Me To Rock’N’Roll Heaven” pay tribute to the band’s departed idols; the latter mentions Lemmy, Doc Neeson of the Angels, John Bonham, Bon Scott, Little Richard and others (“send me to rock’n’roll heaven, I know there’s an incredible band there”). Joel wrote the lyrics to the rousing “Alive After Death” one night on the tour bus, reflecting on how the music of these legends makes them immortal.
Now all that remains is to return to the stage, knowing they are bringing with them the best album the band has produced since its formation in Warrnambool in 2003. “It’s like a rocket we’ve built piece by piece, we’ve filled it with fuel and now we’re ready to light it and let it go,” says Joel. “With this album, we’re putting everything on the line. Everything we are as a band, our heart and soul, is in here.”
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