Though rumors have circulated for well over a year that AC/DC have a new record in the works, quite possibly with the return of Phil Rudd behind the kit, AC/DC drummer Chris Slade has questioned the discussion.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, he was asked about the photos showing estranged members Brian Johnson and Phil Rudd back at AC/DC’s recording studio in Vancouver. When asked if he knew anything about a new album, Slade, who returned to AC/DC during touring of their Rock or Bust album, stated, “Nope. I don’t at all. To be honest, those pictures are so old. I think it was probably… I don’t know if I was the first drummer to go through Canada. But it looks, to me, like old pictures, to be honest.”
He continued, “If you look at the hair on everybody and what the hair is like now, including me, you’ll see what I mean. There are so many rumors about AC/DC. There are daily, and I mean daily, rumors. ‘Oh, Angus has bought New Zealand.’ It’s ridiculous. ‘Oh, I know things because I know. They recorded an album and they’re going to be touring in 2020!’ You know what? They’re not [laughs].”
When asked about the discussion of using Malcolm Young riffs for the band’s new songs, Slade suggested he could see that happening if they did work on a new record. “We all know about technology,” he explained. “I’m certain that Malcolm and Angus talked in great depth about this before he passed and before he was really, seriously ill. I’m sure there was a master plan. Of course, you throw away plans. Plan A turns into Plan Z. Personally, my gut feeling is that Angus is not going to retire. There could quite possibly be another album. I’m pretty certain there will be. Who is on it? I have no idea. Will Cliff come out of retirement? Who knows? If he’s had enough fishing for a while, maybe he’ll want to come back to rock & roll.”
As for his status in the band, Slade was told he’s still listed as their drummer on the band’s Wikipedia page. He responded, “To my absolute knowledge, and this is me being absolutely honest, I am the current drummer in AC/DC. [Laughs] It may sound deluded to some people. I’ve said that before in interviews and people have gone, ‘The man is deluded. He’s lost it. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.'”
He continued, “Nobody has ever called me and said, ‘By the way, you’re not the current drummer’ or, ‘By the way, Phil’s been in the band for three years.’ Nobody has ever said that. As far as I’m concerned … God, I’m philosophical enough to realize that Phil may well be back in the band. I have no idea. I had no idea last time when they called me before Rock or Bust. I’m open to all possibilities. That’s the way people should be, open-minded.”
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