Should AC/DC Continue Making Music Without Malcolm Young? – Readers Poll

After a week of rumors, AC/DC confirmed that there were key elements of truth in some of the gossip that had been swirling around. In a statement, they confirmed that guitarist and founding member Malcolm Young (seen at right above with brother Angus) was taking a break from the band due to ill health. However, the talk that this would lead to the band retiring was premature, as they also confirmed they would continue making music.

One of the things consistently mentioned amidst the rumors of Malcolm's ill health was that the band had a pact in place to never replace any of the current members, which added fuel to the flames of the retirement talk. But with Malcolm stepping away from the band due to his ailing health, what does that mean for AC/DC's future and are they making the right move by pushing toward a new album?

On one hand, the AC/DC band members are not getting any younger in age and have expressed interest in pushing forward with another album. Plus, after the success of 2008's 'Black Ice,' the band proved that they are as vital as ever by releasing one of that year's top selling discs. So with that fandom and response, it's clear the band still has something left in the tank and pushing ahead while they still can makes complete sense.

But on the other hand, Malcolm Young has been a big part of AC/DC's sound from the very beginning. While he doesn't get the recognition of his brother Angus Young, Malcolm has been key in serving as a songwriter for the band, lending his rhythm guitar talents and serving as a backing vocalist. It's that triple threat flexibility which has helped AC/DC succeed as much as they have over the years and would seemingly be noticeable if he were unable to take part in the new recordings. Just take a look at some of Young's greatest contributions here.

So, with that being said, we're asking if AC/DC are making the right move by deciding to continue making music while their guitarist and brother Malcolm Young battles an undisclosed illness. Let us know by voting in the Readers Poll below: