In the eyes of many they’re the future of good time rock and roll, the saviours of bar room bawls and the natural successors to fellow countrymen AC/DC.

No pressure there then.

Their name is Airbourne and they’re a happy-go-lucky bunch of typical Aussies who like nothing better than a barbecue, a tinny and a cracking game of cricket.

They released a brilliant debut for Roadrunner Records a couple of years back, blasted across the US and Europe on the back of a series of singalong anthems and returned home as conquering heroes.

Then it was time to write that second album.

As the aforementioned saviours of rock and heirs apparent to the Young brothers. And they’ve done a bloody good job in the circumstances.

Second album No Guts, No Glory doesn’t pull up any trees. It’s not even the best CD we’ve heard this year. But it’s a belting example of a bunch of mates playing the music they love and playing it with passion.

Why it works is simple. They’ve stuck to the winning formula which made their debut an instant classic and refused to tinker with it one bit.

Resisting the lure of pro-tools, a slick production and even slicker songs, Airbourne are still singing about whiskey, women and wanton excess without fear of upsetting the PC brigade.

They’re still writing songs with a smile on their face and they’re still making the kind of racket which makes grown men run for cover.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it and Airbourne show no signs of fixing anything as they stay true to the as-live studio approach and refreshing sense of urgency.

Listening to No Guts, No Glory you get the impression this is a band who couldn’t wait to get the next album recorded and released – opening the door to another stretch on the road. And that’s no criticism. It oozes raw passion from start to finish and sets the band up for what promises to be a belting 2010 set.

For now Airbourne, like any good band worth its salt, are thriving on that perceived pressure. They’re living the dream and living day by day – living to the rules of rock and roll.

There’s a time and a place for technical wizardry, overblown production and epic songwriting but folk trapped in the middle of a global recession demand more.

Airbourne are the perfect band for testing times. An act oozing optimism, bursting with confidence and offering punters the chance to sink a few pints with like-minded mates against a backdrop of no-holds-barred musical mayhem.

Enjoy them while you can.