Airbourne: Airbourne

Australian rockers Airbourne have never been ones to think small. But on their self-titled sixth studio album, they’ve outdone themselves. Airbourne, a name that has, after all, become synonymous with bombastic, beer-soaked, dangerous, sexy rock’n’roll. “This record distils everything we stand for into one album,” explains Ryan of the title. “It’s the best album that we could possibly make.” Reuniting with the powerhouse production team of Brian Howes (who produced 2013’s Black Dog Barking) and engineer Mike Fraser (who worked on 2016’s Breakin’ Outta Hell and 2010’s No Guts. No Glory.), the band knuckled down at Music Farm Studio in “the jungle” outside Byron Bay. The complex boasts the original Neve console from Alberts Studios, on which bands like AC/DC, Rose Tattoo and The Angels recorded their landmark early albums. It’s all presented in a meticulously crafted package mixed by Zakk Cervini (BMTH, Architects) that captures the passion, fire and sweat-soaked danger of a band at the peak of their powers, complete with drums that sound like canons and guitars that cut like buzzsaws.