AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd is defending charges against him including one of threatening to kill, reports The New Zealand Herald.

The ageing rocker was absent from the dock at Tauranga District Court today, where he was to appear to face charges of threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis.

Rudd's lawyer, Paul Mabey QC, entered pleas on behalf of the 60-year-old last week. Judge Tom Ingram said the matter would likely be heard at a judge alone trial next year. Further details available at this location.

In other AC/DC news, guitarist Angus Young was recently interviewed by The Malay Mail about the band's new album, Rock Or Bust, which will be released December 2nd. Sadly, it doesn't feature Angus' brother, guitarist Malcolm Young who has been diagnosed with dementia, and is now believed to be in a care facility in Sydney, Australia.  

Angus said he first noticed something was wrong when they were recording their last album, Black Ice, in 2008, a record that shot to the top of the charts in 31 countries. “When we were writing songs together, me and him, then, it was noticeable,” he told ABC television in an interview Monday. “It was just strange things, you know? I mean, memory things. “Malcolm was always very organised (so) it was kind of strange,” he added. “For the first time I'd seen him disorganised, being confused about a lot of things. That's when it kind of, you know, hit me. Something was not right with him.”

Angus said he spoke to Malcolm, telling him he did not need to keep going if he did not feel up to it. “And he said 'no I'll keep going, you know, until I can't'.” Eventually Malcolm could no longer remember his own songs. Click here for more info.

Rock Or Bust was produced by Brendan O’Brien, with Mike Fraser mixing at Bryan Adams' Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, BC.  The album’s cover art uses a developed 3-D lenticular technology, which gives the illusion of the band’s iconic logo exploding as the album is moved. Rock or Bust is the band’s first album of new material in six years, following their immensely successful Black Ice, which entered charts at #1 in 31 countries and has sold nearly 8 million copies worldwide.

Rock Or Bust tracklisting:

"Play Ball"
"Sign Of The Times"
"Ain't The Way"
"Rock Or Bust"
"Done Her Good"
"Steal My Meal"
"Watching Games"
"Cardhouse Blues"
"Bulletride"
"Rumble"
"Back In The Zone"