Sixth album, self-titled cover, and still the same question: how much are you allowed to sound like AC/DC? Blabbermouth (7.5/10) settles it with panache: this is « the best AC/DC record since The Razor’s Edge » — mimicry turned into a compliment, helped by luxury collaborators (Bryan Adams, Mutt Lange). Kerrang! (3/5) is less amused: « You’ve heard it all before. »
On the essentials, total agreement: the hooks are irresistible. « Last Man Standing », « Rock N Roll Ya », and above all « Alive After Death (Last Plane Out) », called by Blabbermouth « unquestionably one of the best hard rock songs of the year ».
The consensus fits in one line: zero evolution, maximum execution. A beer-and-sweat record that owns being exactly that — Kerrang! winces at some dated lyrical sleaze, but nobody disputes the efficiency.