Def Leppard – Def Leppard

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28th October 2015 Kenn Jensen Album Reviews 0

Def Leppard has arguably released two of the most important hard rock albums ever! Many prefer “Pyromania” because of its more NWoBHM sounds, but the true masterpiece in my book and many others is “Hysteria”. And the numbers support it: six top 15 hit singles and more than 20 millions albums sold.

“Hysteria” is packed with great catchy songs, and since then they have had a hard time trying to live up to their success. “Adreanalize” had its moments, while albums like “Slang”, “X” or “Songs from the Sparkle Lounge” really struggled to convince the common rock fan. Only a couple of ballads “Two Steps Behind” and “When Love & Hate Collide” have managed to grab the attention of the fans.

And “Hysteria” was after all released 28 years ago, but Def Leppard has fought on and have always been a great live band, and now they are ready to fire another hard rock missile towards us …

I am a huge Def Leppard fan and have been buying their albums with pleasure over the years, and this new album is also worth my hard earned money. Actually, they are delivering their best album since “Adrenalize” …

Kicking it all off is the perfect opener: “Let’s Go” with its classic signature guitar riff, catchy chorus and Joe Elliot’s great voice carrying the song. “Dangerous” keeps the pace and is a real groove monster. “Man Enough” has a kind of Queen vibe and fits the song perfectly. “ We Belong” is an instant classic, great ballad like we love them.

The album drops a few notches towards the end and some of the songs are not quite as strong as the opening quartet. But this is still a great hard rock album that might not open up immediately. Not a new genre classic, but still a rock solid album from Sheffield’s finest.

Tracklist:

Let’s Go
Dangerous
Man Enough
We Belong
Invincible
Sea of Love
Energized
All Time High
Battle of My Own
Broke ‘N’ Brokenhearted
Forever Young
Last Dance
Wings of an Angel
Blind Faith

Playing time: 54:33

Release date: October 30, 2015

Label: earMUSIC

Website: www.defleppard.com

About Kenn Jensen 288 Articles

When I kicked this site off back in 2003, I had no idea that it would turn into what it has become. I am very proud of what we've done and achieved over the years. Musically I have a soft spot for 80s inspired hard rock, but my favourite music and bands are all to be found in the progressive universe these days.