AC/DC’s Angus Young Backs Band’s Signature Style: ‘This is What We Do Best’

AC/DC's Angus Young stands firm on the band's musical direction. Speaking to The Project TV, he defends their raw, straight-ahead rock sound. Critics point to similarities in their music across four decades.

"With us, it's to be expected," Young said, according to Kerrang!. "As my brother used to say, when somebody said, 'Every album you've ever made sounds the same,' he said, 'Yeah. It's the same band! When we started, we weren't reinventing the wheel. This is what we do best. We make rock and roll."

Take their 1979 hits, "Highway to Hell" and "If You Want Blood." The tracks pack a similar punch, with Bon Scott's gritty vocals cutting through thick walls of blues-tinged guitar riffs.

Young singled out two standout tracks: "'Back in Black.' It was a riff that Malcolm played," he told Far Out Magazine. "We had been touring on 'Highway to Hell', and he put the riff on a cassette and played it for me... He said, 'What do you think of that? Is it rubbish? Should I trash it?' So I said, 'No, don't trash it. If you're gonna trash it, give it to me and I'll say I wrote it.'"

Music giants saw their worth early on. Frank Zappa tried to sign them in the 1970s. His son, Dweezil, explained, "I think he saw what everybody saw: they could play, they had a ton of energy, and they were authentic."

When the new wave swept through music in the 1980s, labels pushed for change. The band stuck to their guns. This mindset held strong after Brian Johnson stepped in for Scott after his death.

Their 2020 release, Power Up, keeps Malcolm Young's spirit alive. His guitar work and writing shine through all 12 tracks, recorded before his passing.