AC/DC’s founding lead singer is back with a blistering four-track EP that shows he has no interest in trading on past glories.

Naming the EPNothing To Proveis as much a statement of intent as it is a challenge to himself: you can be damn sure if the music wasn’t up to scratch that he would be cut down to size instantly. ‘Put Up Or Shut Up’ is a similarly aggressive challenge to the naysayers and bullshitters. Written with Absolva’s Chris Appleton, it features some of the raunchiest guitar work this side of heavy metal. ‘I Believe’ is an anthem the likes of which they just don’t write anymore, while Big Joe Williams’ blues standard ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’, which Evans has been playing since his year-long tenure with AC/DC around 1974, is similar to AC/DC’s version, but perhaps showing what the song was like before Bon Scott tried it on for size.

Nothing To Proveis an excellent EP from a man who was there when hard rock evolved, and credit must be given not only for his role in that, but also that he is still here 40 years later making original music that is not in debt to his former band.

4/5 stars

Out now on Rockstar Records

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