Album Review: Airbourne – Breakin’ Outta Hell (Spinefarm Records)

Airbourne, the hard rocking & beer swilling band from Australia are back with their fourth album, Breakin’ Outta Hell! A band that epitomises the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ formula.

The boys from Down Under have garnered themselves a rabid following, so strong-minded are the fans that much of the bands short-comings are glossed over. For those that aren’t on board, Airbourne are little more than AC/DC-lite, a cheaper, younger alternative to the stadium rock band.

However, Airbourne are all too aware of the flaws in their music but make up for it with a can-do attitude, great live energy & riffs to blow your socks off.

Breakin’ Outta Hell is packed to the brim with riffs, plenty of great, hard-rocking riffs that will please most hardcore Airbourne fans. There are no surprises here, Airbourne’s fourth album is filled with songs that could have come of the third or second album. This isn’t going to win any detractors over but it’s certainly not a bad album!

In fact, songs like Thin the Blood, I’m Going to Hell for This & When I Drink I Go Crazy are top Airbourne songs. The latter of those three songs will be a firm live favourite with its faster pace & drink-based lyrics.

Unfortunately, it also has its fair share of not so good songs. Down on You takes the AC/DC-esqe nature & dials it up to 11. It also has cringe-worthy lyrics that lack any kind of subtleness. Lyrics like “when I was a boy, I played with my toy” and the chorus of “I’m going down, down, down on you” are infantile at best.

Rivalry’s plodding beat, average guitar solo & lack of bite ensures it doesn’t live long in the memory while the un-inspired, It’s Never Too Loud for Me has a swagger that almost turns it into a great song but falls at the last hurdle.

11 songs long, 39 minutes in length…it’s not exactly an album where you’re likely to feel the boredom set in even if you’ve heard it all before. Airbourne do Airbourne which sounds a lot like AC/DC on a faster speed. If it’s not your thing already, Breakin’ Outta Hell isn’t going to change that.

For everyone else, hold your beers up & enjoy the riffs.

Full Track List:

1. Breakin’ Outta Hell
2. Rivalry
3. Get Back Up
4. It’s Never Too Loud For Me
5. Thin The Blood
6. I’m Going To Hell For This
7. Down On You
8. Never Been Rocked Like This
9. When I Drink I Go Crazy
10. Do Me Like You Do Yourself
11. It’s All For Rock n’ Roll