Airbourne is delivering a festive shockwave this season with the release of “Christmas Bonus”, a high-energy single unveiled today as a holiday treat for fans on both the “naughty and nice” lists.
The track arrives loaded with a cheer-inducing guitar solo and playful nods to the original Die Hard — a movie many argue is the ultimate action-packed Christmas classic.
Frontman Joel O’Keeffe reflected on the band’s approach to seasonal music, saying he has always preferred heavy riffs over traditional carols. “Christmas is a time to rock ‘n’ roll! I remember being a little kid, and I really didn’t like carols at all — I thought they were annoying. I just wanted to listen to AC/DC and Black Sabbath. But then I got this new AC/DC record, The Razor’s Edge, and there was this song, “Mistress For Christmas”. I had no idea what it meant, but that’s what I was playing for Christmas that year. Rockin’ out at Christmas is one of the best times of the year to rock out — let’s all headbang around the Christmas tree!”
The band also dropped an NSFW animated video to accompany the single, adding to the track’s irreverent spirit.
Both “Christmas Bonus” and the previously released “Gutsy” were produced by Brian Howes, who also worked with the band on their 2013 album Black Dog Barking. Engineering was overseen by Canadian studio veteran Mike Fraser — known for his work with AC/DC, Aerosmith, Rush, and Metallica — while mixing duties were handled by Zakk Cervini, whose résumé includes Dayseeker, Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, and Machine Gun Kelly.
Airbourne is gearing up to return to Europe early next year, keeping the momentum rolling as they shred their way from winter into spring.
Both singles feature the band’s current roster: brothers Joel and Ryan O’Keeffe, longtime bassist Justin Street, and the group’s latest addition, rhythm guitarist Brett Tyrrell.
