AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd reckons the band’s first album without Malcolm Young is better than 2008's Black Ice.

The mainman took no part in recording sessions during May as a result of long-standing health issues – which may mean he’ll never return to the band he’s led since 1973.

Describing the Aussie giants’ 15th studio work as “stellar,” Rudd tells Triple M: “It was done in 10 days and I’ve never played better. I hope it’s as good as I remember when I came away from the studio. It’s pretty damn good.”

He says mastering work has been completed, but he believes the production process could be faster: “Usually you master something and wait a couple of weeks and you go and have a listen to it. They do things a certain way – I think they’re taking too long.”

He recently completed debut solo album Head Job, out on August 29 – a recording he describes as “All Phil, no filler.” He’s joined by Allan Badger and Geoffrey Martin.

Despite the track Lonely Child having been written a quarter of a century ago, Rudd insists the album feels contemporary. He says: “We started a long time ago. It’s been a long process but the album is current to us – it doesn’t feel 25 years old.”

Badger adds: “It’s a great record. They’re not all that old – it’s a mixture of songs from back then and some stuff we did last summer.”