Music is a truly magnificent thing. It has so many different ways of being able to connect with an audience on emotional, mental, physical, and even spiritual levels. Some forms of music are able to inspire and guide others in the pursuit of introspective thinking and self-healing. Some forms of music are there to project a natural cathartic release for channeled aggression and rage via an artistic outlet. But then there are artists who can evoke and conjure such joy and fist-pumping glory – all in the name of good clean fun, and epic musicianship.
So it came as a huge surprise to this writer when he found out that one of Britain’s finest rock bands of all time – Def Leppard, just dropped their self-titled 11th studio album, after at least seven years away! For yours truly, Def Leppard’s seminal masterpiece Hysteria was the first album owned on vinyl when I was five years old – the first proper rock album I had ever heard. Along with other happy attached memories of old, you could say that this was the gateway in to a wider world of six-stringed awesomeness. But when it all comes down to it … this is Def Leppard we are talking about here.
Let’s take a look at the facts for a moment, for those who need reminding.
Starting their career in 1977 coming straight out of Sheffield, they are one of the world’s biggest selling artists, with over 100 millions albums sold worldwide. They made one of the biggest selling and charting albums of all time, they achieved a Guinness World Record in 1995 for playing three concerts in three continents in one day, and they have probably played nearly every stage in the world. Alas they have also had their fair share of well documented tragedies, but no matter what the odds they have always come back swinging harder than ever. And in this case with their brand new self-titled album, it seems that they have actually found a fresh new lease of life and artistic creation. Which could well mean they are about to appeal to a whole new generation of fans once again!
But this album is a lot different from their previous releases. This is arguably the first ever Def Leppard album to really spread its wings in the sense of musical diversity. Do not be fooled – this is absolutely classic ‘Leppard at their finest. You can clearly hear this on such hard rock bangers as opening track ‘Let’s Go‘, the bullet train speed of ‘All Time High‘, and ‘Dangerous‘ – which sounds like a combination of their Hysteria-era tracks ‘Run Riot‘ and ‘Armageddon It‘. But this is no trip down memory lane by any means; there is actually a lot of musical range for everyone on this album.
Take for example the funky grooves and dirty blues rock of ‘Man Enough‘, and the outlaw country inspired leanings of the brilliant ‘Last Dance‘ and ‘Battle On My Own‘. Two major musical left turns for a band that have indulged in solid hard rock for most of their career. But it does not stop there! You even have alternative and grunge influences on tracks such as ‘Forever Young‘, and album highlight ‘Wings Of An Angel‘. The latter actually sounding a little reminiscent of Alice In Chains songs ‘Voices‘ and ‘Bleed The Freak‘. There is even an electronic based song on here (seriously) called ‘Energized‘, which sees the band embracing their inner Depeche Mode.
These are just some examples of how adventurous Def Leppard have decided to be on this album – and that is most definitely one of the strong points of the album. The fact that the band have been taking notes and acknowledging other bands and genres over the course years (even if they are a little late on board the wagon) is a true nod of respect to the artists they have seemingly been influenced by. It is almost like their homage to those who they have been inspired by, by finding contemporary new ways to further expand their sound whilst still maintaining their relevance, whilst not sounding dated. Their flirtations with other contemporary artists and genre observations have given them greater knowledge and interest in to what their fans old and new, may want to hear from them next.
The production on this album is interesting in two polarising ways. Whilst the band have admirably self produced it under the watchful eye of long time collaborator Ronan McHugh, they actually do a great job of bringing a little bit of extra life in to some of these songs. Even the old Mutt Lange style production techniques are evident on some tracks – particularly ‘Let’s Go‘. However, one of the most frustrating things about the production, is that on some of the tracks it sounds a little too over-produced. For example, there is a lot of heavy compression on some of the guitar and drum tracks (notably on ‘Dangerous‘, and ‘Energized‘). The use of marginal over-production and some small mixing inconsistencies ruin the feel of a couple of the tracks. This being said, one feels that these tunes will excel far greater in a live environment.
The only other critique is arguably due to some tracks being evidently stronger than others on this album. As mentioned before, ‘Energized‘ is pretty much the weakest track, followed by ‘Blind Faith‘. This is not to say they are bad songs, but they do pale in comparison to some of the best songs on here such as ‘Invincible‘, ‘Wings Of An Angel‘, ‘Battle Of My Own‘, and ‘All Time High‘. With that being said, having weaker tracks on this album is a good thing in this instance – because Def Leppard are for the first time experimenting with a whole new level of musical creation, and that should be the redeeming quality for this critical flaw.
Whilst this album is certainly not reinventing the wheel and has its minor flaws, it is certainly breathing new life in to an already legendary band who have managed to maintain a greater relevance, not just to the rock and metal communities, but to a mainstream audience as well. But with this album, Def Leppard have returned with such a refreshing conviction that they are about to embark on a brand new chapter in their career which may well see them win over a whole new legion of fans to their already dedicated fan base. Their self-titled album may have it’s minor flaws, but this is without a shadow of a doubt Def Leppard’s most adventurous and rewarding offering in many years. For that we should be thankful that the band wish to continue to explore fresh new territories, and not just spew out the same old typical product that most bands tend to release.
Gentlemen, it has been far too long! Welcome back, and a good old fashioned tip of the ol’ Sheffield steel worker’s cap to you all! A terrific comeback album, and an everlasting reminder why Def Leppard are one of the finest bands in British rock history.
