There is no other way to say it: If you’ve heard Airbourne’s superb, fist-pumping love letter to rock ‘n’ roll and everything that goes with it, their 2008 album Runnin’ Wild, you’ve heard the Australian quartet’s follow-up, No Guts, No Glory. The biggest difference is that instead of standing up for rock ‘n’ roll, this time they’re raising a flag for it.

Here’s the funny part: That’s not a bad thing. In fact, I might be disappointed if that were not the case. After all, would you tell someone who owns Highway to Hell not to buy Back in Black? Or vice versa?

I place Runnin’ Wild in the same category as those classic AC/DC records. As Airbourne’s first U.S. release, it’s even more astonishing. Playing a rigid style of music that leaves little room for experimentation (known as “pub rock” in their homeland), it is virtually impossible for Airbourne to have the same affect on me with another release.

No Guts, No Glory, easily one of the best albums of its kind since Runnin’ Wild, is 13 tunes of sleazy, high-energy, blues-based, working-class rock ‘n’ roll. Guitars, bass, drums, vocals (of the Brian Johnson variety, but frontman Joel O’Keeffe has yet to blow out his vocal cords)—and that’s it. And that’s all they need since the songs are overflowing with swaggering riffs and catchy hooks. Standout tracks include “Blonde, Bad and Beautiful,” “Raise the Flag,” “Bottom of the Well,” “White Line Fever,” “Steel Town” (even though I’m dreading the day Pittsburgh Steelers fans adopt it as their new anthem) and “Armed and Dangerous.” (Don’t you just love those titles?)

This album didn’t instantly grab me like Runnin’ Wild did, but if Airboune continues to deliver this level of quality (essentially out AC/DC-ing AC/DC), their career should be a long one. And it’s worth noting that if the order of release had been switched somehow, No Guts, No Glory probably would be the record I was raving about.