Def Leppard (2015)

Def Leppard (2015)

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Winston Churchill

By: Ghost Writer

In the 80s, the two top hard rock/glam/metal acts weren't even close to metal, or to traditional hard rock, U.S.'s Bon Jovi was an accessible hybrid between Bruce Springsteen and John Cougar Mellencamp, revitalized and disguised as a hard rock band, while U.K.'s Def Leppard was a survivor of the NWOBHM turned into pop metal act, the Leppards rarely used guitar, adapted T. Rex style melodies and hired Robert Mutt Lange as producer in order to recreate Tony Visconti's massive glam sound of the 70s.

A curious fact here is that Def Leppard along with the mighty Saxon and the epic Iron Maiden were the three most successful bands from the so called NWOBHM, and the fact that the three bands issued new records with a few months in between is kind of a sign of a new British invasion, but also we must consider that since this three classic bands originated in England, no such trio of metal giant has emerged from there in the next decades or years, is British hard rick/heavy metal growing old without proper heirs?

The fact that this record is a self-titled one, speaks of the band trying to start something again or reinventing themselves, is a kind of rupture with their immediate past and although is a fact that the band won't return ever to their NWOBHM sound, is a sign that the band is moving towards heavier territory, closer to hard rock, as a way of survival, guitars taking a more prominent role, as vocals are still important in the mix, but guitars are free here to roar in memorable way in opener Let's Go, a powerful middle that serves as a great presentation card for the record.

But Dangerous, the next song is less risky, less dangerous for the band as common sounds in guitars and voices are easy to identify, the band trying to conciliate both the present and the past of the band, but this glorious start is quickly interrupted by the ridiculous Man Enough a theme pretending to recapture the catchiness and pop instincts of the Pyromania and Hysteria records but failing miserably, too ridiculous lyrics and the lack of arena sized vocals and beats playing a big part in such erratic and unfortunate song.

The Leppards prove that they are capable of writing great sugar coated ballads, but We Belong falls short of the greatest ballads the band has done before, but is Invincible the song where the band finally demonstrates that they have recovered their muse, as catchy riffs and catchy vocals finally met in the same song leaving something really memorable for their longtime fans, and although Sea of Love features slashing Dave Navarro likes guitar and a chorus reminiscent of Tears for Fears is enough to keep things rolling making this record really entertaining, something the Leppards almost forgot to be decades ago, just check out the Hanoi Rocks glam stolen opening to All Time High, or the great back to basics of the hard hitting Broke N Brokenhearted.

This self-titled effort is a great come back for a band expert on "comebacks", the band shows its expertise in generating interest and in adding addictive elements to their songs, it's a shame that the Leppards still don't know the meaning of consistency and seem condemned to always make big comebacks every decade or so...