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Post by tsmith on May 16, 2022 10:59:55 GMT -8
For sure. Promo has really seemed to die down as last week seemed very quiet. I know tomorrow night we do have that Talk Live thing going on which will be nice. And I think next Monday is the one contest where some people will get to hear the album in advance so that'll generate some buzz. But I'd think they'd want to keep the momentum rolling and get a final push going for pre-orders and such and releasing Fire It Up this week might do that. It would also give that song a week or so to sort of have it's own life. I feel like once the album drops, any single talk is going to be tabled and everybody will just be talking about the album. It's almost not fair to the next single lol. I mean, Kick had a couple months to exist on it's own and Take What You Want also got a month. Now this last single is going to get tossed out and probably will end up just getting glossed over in a sense and not get nearly the attention as the previous 2 have gotten. Either way, excited to hear it and the sooner, the better! Relatively quiet on promo today. I kind of expect Fire It Up to release between now and the 27th. |
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Post by bucketfinck on May 16, 2022 12:26:52 GMT -8
I think Sea of love and Blind faith are two of the best from self titled. Looking forward to From here to eternity and liquid dust based on descriptions
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Post by timzy on May 16, 2022 23:55:07 GMT -8
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Post by treffo on May 17, 2022 1:34:34 GMT -8
Seems like country/americana songs, orchestrated piano ballads and pop/funk experiments generally get dissed from rock fans/reviewers. Nothing to be really surprised by I guess. I still hope those songs have some rock and Leppard sound to them.
I wonder if it's the same songs that Joe thinks make Def Leppard take a quantum leap in quality and career?
I will keep myself open minded until I've heard it all a couple times! Not long now!
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Post by andylgr on May 17, 2022 1:52:26 GMT -8
The albums been leaked alright. I’ve seen a post on Facebook from someone telling everyone they’ve got a copy.
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Post by Dan on May 17, 2022 3:30:19 GMT -8
It seems as soon as anyone benchmarks High n' Dry as their favourite Def Leppard album you can almost certainly count on them not enjoying many of the following releases. Granted that is a legitimate point of view. I don't find it reflective of the majority of fans that enjoyed much of the rest of the bands releases as well as HnD. It's a varied fan base. Like Treffo says I'll have to hear DSH a few times myself before I have an opinion on the whole album. I'm enjoying the tracks released so far.
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Post by timzy on May 17, 2022 4:16:07 GMT -8
Seems like country/americana songs, orchestrated piano ballads and pop/funk experiments generally get dissed from rock fans/reviewers. Nothing to be really surprised by I guess. I still hope those songs have some rock and Leppard sound to them. I wonder if it's the same songs that Joe thinks make Def Leppard take a quantum leap in quality and career? I will keep myself open minded until I've heard it all a couple times! Not long now! Agree, its very subjective, i personally dont care if there's country or americana or funk, as long as the song quality is good, i am quite happy for them to be trying out new styles. Yes its painful the wait isnt it. |
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Post by timzy on May 17, 2022 4:16:59 GMT -8
The albums been leaked alright. I’ve seen a post on Facebook from someone telling everyone they’ve got a copy. I saw someone say they have a "press" copy, |
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Post by tsmith on May 17, 2022 4:43:47 GMT -8
Agree with this 100%. I totally understand it and I know there's a lot of people that share that viewpoint of wanting stuff that sounds like HND or Pyro. That's just not reality though and not the kind of music this band has made the past 35+ years. I'd guess that most of us here have found plenty to like in "post HND/Pyro" Def Leppard or we wouldn't be here lol. That said though, I've got no problem saying there's been plenty of songs in the past 35 years that I haven't cared for and make me scratch my head. My wheelhouse is just catchy melodic rock which for me is what they've always done best. When they do that, I'm usually pretty happy. I'd be lying though if I said I were excited about the Country/Americana type stuff as those styles of music have never interested me. I'll give it a chance but I can't say it's the kind of songs I'd want from Def Leppard if I could put in my two cents lol. But the way I'm looking at this new one is that with 15 tracks, I'll be very happy if there's 6-7 tracks I really dig and it's easy enough these days to put whatever tracks I want in my playlist  So far they're 2-2 and I'll be surprised if Fire It Up doesn't make it 3-3. It seems as soon as anyone benchmarks High n' Dry as their favourite Def Leppard album you can almost certainly count on them not enjoying many of the following releases. Granted that is a legitimate point of view. I don't find it reflective of the majority of fans that enjoyed much of the rest of the bands releases as well as HnD. It's a varied fan base. Like Treffo says I'll have to hear DSH a few times myself before I have an opinion on the whole album. I'm enjoying the tracks released so far. |
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Post by Jefflep on May 17, 2022 5:18:26 GMT -8
Ouch…🤞it lands a little better with our ears. |
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deef
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Post by deef on May 17, 2022 5:39:59 GMT -8
Again, another salty review. Won’t affect me though! Still beyond excited!!!
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Post by TurnToDust86 on May 17, 2022 5:57:52 GMT -8
It's nice when reviewers are up front about their obsession with the OTTN/HND period, cause it immediately lets me know that the review isn't to be taken seriously. I love HND as much as anyone else (it's currently my third favorite Lep album) but to judge every new release by the band against what they did during the first four years of their career (with two different guitarists) rather than the 40+ years that followed it is a f*cking joke.
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Post by Armageddonit on May 17, 2022 6:26:44 GMT -8
It's nice when reviewers are up front about their obsession with the OTTN/HND period, cause it immediately lets me know that the review isn't to be taken seriously. I love HND as much as anyone else (it's currently my third favorite Lep album) but to judge every new release by the band against what they did during the first four years of their career (with two different guitarists) rather than the 40+ years that followed it is a f*cking joke. Every long running band has those same critics. There is a whole contingent of Metallica fans that refuse anything past the first 3 albums. My thought was if you want HnD then go listen to it. It's not realistic for any artist to release work at 60 yrs old that is the same as something that they released at 20 yrs old. We grow, we change, we experience life and hopefully that gets reflected in art. |
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Post by foolin3 on May 17, 2022 7:15:06 GMT -8
All of this talk about comparing anything Lep does to HND or Pyro, or to anything previous is natural I guess. For me, I just like to hear new music from them, and wish they would actually change more than they do. I will always love the rock and the heavier tunes. Fact is, I am almost 50. Life has changed for all of us older folks. Rock til I drop consist of being awake for 3 consecutive hours, rise up gather round, means I got out the bed in the morning, women to the left women to the right means the nurses are checking vitals. No it is not that drastic, but I'm making a point of its ok to have an older more mature sound. When I feel frisky I can always pop the old cassette in and listen to Wasted or what ever else floats my boat that day. I think I can honestly say there is not a single son they have made that I hate. Like everyone I have my favorites, but I honestly do not know of any that I hate. There are plenty of bands(Motley for example) I love that put out music I simply cant listen too. i have never been disappointed by these guys. As long as they keep playing, I will spend my three hours as close to the stage as possible, with my hands as high as they will go hoping to get out of bed the next morning without waking up to nurses all around me!
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Post by pooley on May 17, 2022 7:23:41 GMT -8
I had an option 2 weeks ago to hear it but chose not to. I want to enjoy it properly on the day of release with a hard copy and knowing that loads of other Leps fans are experiencing the same thing on the same say. Call me old fashioned, but I like the sense of a collective experience and the unveiling of an album being an event. The albums been leaked alright. I’ve seen a post on Facebook from someone telling everyone they’ve got a copy. |
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Post by pooley on May 17, 2022 7:27:18 GMT -8
All the "they lost their balls after High n Dry" lads. Zzzzzzzz :-) It's nice when reviewers are up front about their obsession with the OTTN/HND period, cause it immediately lets me know that the review isn't to be taken seriously. I love HND as much as anyone else (it's currently my third favorite Lep album) but to judge every new release by the band against what they did during the first four years of their career (with two different guitarists) rather than the 40+ years that followed it is a f*cking joke. |
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Post by quarky on May 17, 2022 7:29:27 GMT -8
Also, a lot of their albums have had variety, or songs different from what they did before. Hysteria had Excitable and Love Bites. Slang had Breathe a Sigh (that was quite different from the rest of the album, but the entire album was different!), Euphoria had All Night and It's Only Love, X was full of different sounding songs, SFTSL had Nine Lives and Love, and Def Leppard had Battle of My Own, Sea of Love, Energized. So having a few tracks on an album that are different, isn't actually different.
I would love it if every track is awesome, and just forms some deep personal connection with me, but that rarely happens. Guess we will find out soon though!
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Post by andylgr on May 17, 2022 7:53:16 GMT -8
I had an option 2 weeks ago to hear it but chose not to. I want to enjoy it properly on the day of release with a hard copy and knowing that loads of other Leps fans are experiencing the same thing on the same say. Call me old fashioned, but I like the sense of a collective experience and the unveiling of an album being an event. The albums been leaked alright. I’ve seen a post on Facebook from someone telling everyone they’ve got a copy. My exact words too when I was offered the chance. I regret hearing previous albums early which is why I changed my mind this time around and declined. |
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Post by andylgr on May 17, 2022 7:56:18 GMT -8
It's nice when reviewers are up front about their obsession with the OTTN/HND period, cause it immediately lets me know that the review isn't to be taken seriously. I love HND as much as anyone else (it's currently my third favorite Lep album) but to judge every new release by the band against what they did during the first four years of their career (with two different guitarists) rather than the 40+ years that followed it is a f*cking joke. I couldn’t help but reply to their tweet about the album review. It’s ridiculous to expect another HnD. I get that we all have a favourite but it’s so blinkered to think a band will be able to replicate a classic or recapture the same sound and for it to have the same impact, it’s unrealistic, not forgetting the fact that they have changed sound from that to become the band they wanted to be and there’s been 8 or 9 albums since then too. |
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Post by Armageddonit on May 17, 2022 8:48:05 GMT -8
Not putting alot of stock in early reviews from metal magazines. They are certainly not a metal band. As of right now I'm particularly interested in hearing Open Your Eyes, Liquid Dust and From Here to Eternity.
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Post by Dan on May 17, 2022 10:23:33 GMT -8
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Post by tsmith on May 17, 2022 11:58:43 GMT -8
Another review I saw posted. Page down for the english version. I like reading these things although I always take them with a grain of salt. linkReview at least touches on every song a bit. I don't really get the comment in this day and age about an album suffering from being too long though. I mean, I get it back in the heyday when people really got into albums and it was a pain to fast forward those cassettes lol. But today with many people streaming or whatever, it's easy enough to pluck whatever tracks you want to listen to and with 15 tracks here, easy enough to trim to 10-11 tracks yourself if you want to. Even though this review didn't score it overly high, I'm actually pretty encouraged by this review. I'm really not expecting to care all that much for the Krauss and Garson tunes so not really impacted at all by the reviewers thoughts on those songs. That said though, the other songs are all sounding very interesting to me. I dig the Slang like comparisons for SOS Emergency and Liquid Dust. And Open Your Eyes with it's darker, alternative vibes also has me thinking about something like Deliver me while U Roki Mi, Gimmie A Kiss and Unbreakable sound like good, fun tunes to me. I'm really feeling like I'm going to be able to find at least 9-10 tracks in this that I dig which is basically a "normal" album of material. |
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Post by treffo on May 17, 2022 12:13:04 GMT -8
Those reviews help us to get the expectations down a notch. Might be a good thing, rather than just listening to what Joe and Phil say. :-)
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Post by andylgr on May 17, 2022 12:13:54 GMT -8
Those reviews helps us to get the expectations down a notch. Might be a good thing, rather than just listening to what Joe and Phil say. :-) Now I know you’re on a wind up looking for a bite. |
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Post by mikeleppard on May 17, 2022 13:31:22 GMT -8
Another review I saw posted. Page down for the english version. I like reading these things although I always take them with a grain of salt. linkReview at least touches on every song a bit. I don't really get the comment in this day and age about an album suffering from being too long though. I mean, I get it back in the heyday when people really got into albums and it was a pain to fast forward those cassettes lol. But today with many people streaming or whatever, it's easy enough to pluck whatever tracks you want to listen to and with 15 tracks here, easy enough to trim to 10-11 tracks yourself if you want to. Even though this review didn't score it overly high, I'm actually pretty encouraged by this review. I'm really not expecting to care all that much for the Krauss and Garson tunes so not really impacted at all by the reviewers thoughts on those songs. That said though, the other songs are all sounding very interesting to me. I dig the Slang like comparisons for SOS Emergency and Liquid Dust. And Open Your Eyes with it's darker, alternative vibes also has me thinking about something like Deliver me while U Roki Mi, Gimmie A Kiss and Unbreakable sound like good, fun tunes to me. I'm really feeling like I'm going to be able to find at least 9-10 tracks in this that I dig which is basically a "normal" album of material. Those reviews are from people who are waiting for another Hysteria since 1987... |
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Post by tsmith on May 18, 2022 7:03:58 GMT -8
Another review...Pretty well written and a good review: linkReview by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
They’ve been through incredible highs and shattering lows but the one thing that has consumed their souls above all is music and in ‘Diamond Star Halos’ Def Leppard prove once again that this laser-like focus produces some of the most anthemic hard rock music of this, or any other, era.
This album, their twelfth, more than just tips the hat to the glam rock era that birthed its title but imbues its very DNA with the power and the sense of good times that typified that golden era.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is just a tribute to those times, as loving and warm as the references are, because the quintet of Joe Elliot, Rick Savage, Rick Allen, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell have crafted something that is both traditionally anchored in great song writing but also fresh and modern.
Very much a Def Leppard album for 2022, ‘Diamond Star Halos’ bristles with the spiky energy the band displayed at the start of their career, a visceral excitement and passion that was wonderfully untamed.
Just how the band captured this tightrope walk between the confidence and maturity that comes from years together, this line-up having clocked up three decades now, and that blazing fire of youth is a marvel but one they’ve achieved.
Over a generous fifteen tracks the quality never even hints at dipping and the album stands as a testament to their eternal commitment to their craft.
Hearty party rockers mix with a smattering of slower songs that highlight the dynamic range that Leppard have made their own, refining the style that was properly forged in the nascent days of working with Mutt Lange.
As technology has moved on, the necessity of booking an expensive studio to funnel all your creativity in one precious time frame has faded, the global pandemic also giving space. These factors have meant that the band were able to really have the time and space to work on the album their way. This approach certainly shows and ‘Diamond Star Halos’ benefits from a tight but loose feel that shows in every groove of its two-year creation.
The pounding and sparkling opener ‘Take What You Want’ could have been hewn from ‘Pyromania’, the bounce and grit fully there, the solos stinging.
Kick’ is a fizzing blast of 70’s style glam, its bubble gum hard rock replete with gang choruses and sounds like T Rex jamming with The Sweet on their heavier album tracks.
This hat trick of hard hitters is completed by ‘Fire It Up’, its dirty, skittering riff full of attitude and the solo ripping things apart in no uncertain measure.
So far, so rocky. It’s now though that things take a delightful twist with the country tinged ‘This Guitar’ which features the gorgeous tones of Alison Kraus adding her vocal magic and some lush orchestration. Having dabbled in the fringes of the genre before, this isn’t a total left field choice but its certainly one that the band feel comfortable in and the blend is perfectly balanced, the writing and production giving space to each side of the equation.
Whilst much maligned by those who view the genre through outmoded ideas full of cliché, it’s become more and more acknowledged that the quality of both the writing and performances in Country has always been there. Leppard have the experience to understand that one central tenant and embrace it: the song is key. Kraus also appears on the shimmering pop rock of ‘Lifeless’ and her contribution raises things even further, the contrast between her vocals and those of Elliot beautifully counterpointed.
It’s foot to the floor again with febrile rocker ‘SOS Emergency’, the Bowie meets the mystical East wonder of ‘Liquid Dust’ and the Slade title inspired ‘U Rok Mi’ where Savage’s bass gets centre stage as it drives the song and Leppard throw in a massive glitterball to get feet dancing.
As with ‘Take What You Want’ before it, there’s a touch of the Electric Light Orchestra in the superior ballad ‘Goodbye for Good This Time’ as strings swell and there’s a sense of Jeff Lynne’s troupe running through its veins. Adding to this already delicious concoction, the keys by David Bowie cohort Mike Garson and a sublime acoustic guitar solo make this the best tearjerker they’ve done since ‘Love Bites’.
The bright and breezy ‘All We Need’ is Leppard at play, energised and full of a widescreen, feelgood bonhomie that manages to be big but curiously intimate at the same time, the mate who draws along side to check on you during a great night out.
There is a Chilli Peppers feel to the funk and swagger of ‘Open Your Eyes’, Savage and Allen carving out a canyon wide groove whilst Collen and Campbell are on blistering form, Elliot’s vocal going from laid back to attacking in the chorus.
Gimme A Kiss’ is a full-on stomper that you can imagine will be filling arenas and stadiums shortly before it’s time to slow things down again with the second big ballad of the album, ‘Angels (Can’t Help You Now)’. Again, graced with the keys of Mike Garson and tasteful orchestration, this sounds like Leppard’s take on what things may have sounded like had Bowie collaborated with Elton John on ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’.
With the sleek but gritty ‘Unbreakable’ insinuating its hook-filled chorus into your brain, there’s just time for ‘From Here to Eternity’ to strike the killer blow. Arguably the best track on the album, its epic scope and drama filled dynamics are never overwrought but distil all the magic that Leppard have managed to capture on the album, everything just seemingly bigger and brighter.
This may be a huge sounding track but it never loses sight of the still, small voice and very human heart at its centre, the core strength making it even more powerful as the band bring out some of the very best performances they’ve committed to record.
Vital, intense and thrilling, ‘Diamond Star Halos’ is the sound of a band reborn and stands shoulder to shoulder with their greatest work. |
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Post by fna692002 on May 18, 2022 7:32:15 GMT -8
Another review...Pretty well written and a good review: linkReview by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
They’ve been through incredible highs and shattering lows but the one thing that has consumed their souls above all is music and in ‘Diamond Star Halos’ Def Leppard prove once again that this laser-like focus produces some of the most anthemic hard rock music of this, or any other, era.
This album, their twelfth, more than just tips the hat to the glam rock era that birthed its title but imbues its very DNA with the power and the sense of good times that typified that golden era.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is just a tribute to those times, as loving and warm as the references are, because the quintet of Joe Elliot, Rick Savage, Rick Allen, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell have crafted something that is both traditionally anchored in great song writing but also fresh and modern.
Very much a Def Leppard album for 2022, ‘Diamond Star Halos’ bristles with the spiky energy the band displayed at the start of their career, a visceral excitement and passion that was wonderfully untamed.
Just how the band captured this tightrope walk between the confidence and maturity that comes from years together, this line-up having clocked up three decades now, and that blazing fire of youth is a marvel but one they’ve achieved.
Over a generous fifteen tracks the quality never even hints at dipping and the album stands as a testament to their eternal commitment to their craft.
Hearty party rockers mix with a smattering of slower songs that highlight the dynamic range that Leppard have made their own, refining the style that was properly forged in the nascent days of working with Mutt Lange.
As technology has moved on, the necessity of booking an expensive studio to funnel all your creativity in one precious time frame has faded, the global pandemic also giving space. These factors have meant that the band were able to really have the time and space to work on the album their way. This approach certainly shows and ‘Diamond Star Halos’ benefits from a tight but loose feel that shows in every groove of its two-year creation.
The pounding and sparkling opener ‘Take What You Want’ could have been hewn from ‘Pyromania’, the bounce and grit fully there, the solos stinging.
Kick’ is a fizzing blast of 70’s style glam, its bubble gum hard rock replete with gang choruses and sounds like T Rex jamming with The Sweet on their heavier album tracks.
This hat trick of hard hitters is completed by ‘Fire It Up’, its dirty, skittering riff full of attitude and the solo ripping things apart in no uncertain measure.
So far, so rocky. It’s now though that things take a delightful twist with the country tinged ‘This Guitar’ which features the gorgeous tones of Alison Kraus adding her vocal magic and some lush orchestration. Having dabbled in the fringes of the genre before, this isn’t a total left field choice but its certainly one that the band feel comfortable in and the blend is perfectly balanced, the writing and production giving space to each side of the equation.
Whilst much maligned by those who view the genre through outmoded ideas full of cliché, it’s become more and more acknowledged that the quality of both the writing and performances in Country has always been there. Leppard have the experience to understand that one central tenant and embrace it: the song is key. Kraus also appears on the shimmering pop rock of ‘Lifeless’ and her contribution raises things even further, the contrast between her vocals and those of Elliot beautifully counterpointed.
It’s foot to the floor again with febrile rocker ‘SOS Emergency’, the Bowie meets the mystical East wonder of ‘Liquid Dust’ and the Slade title inspired ‘U Rok Mi’ where Savage’s bass gets centre stage as it drives the song and Leppard throw in a massive glitterball to get feet dancing.
As with ‘Take What You Want’ before it, there’s a touch of the Electric Light Orchestra in the superior ballad ‘Goodbye for Good This Time’ as strings swell and there’s a sense of Jeff Lynne’s troupe running through its veins. Adding to this already delicious concoction, the keys by David Bowie cohort Mike Garson and a sublime acoustic guitar solo make this the best tearjerker they’ve done since ‘Love Bites’.
The bright and breezy ‘All We Need’ is Leppard at play, energised and full of a widescreen, feelgood bonhomie that manages to be big but curiously intimate at the same time, the mate who draws along side to check on you during a great night out.
There is a Chilli Peppers feel to the funk and swagger of ‘Open Your Eyes’, Savage and Allen carving out a canyon wide groove whilst Collen and Campbell are on blistering form, Elliot’s vocal going from laid back to attacking in the chorus.
Gimme A Kiss’ is a full-on stomper that you can imagine will be filling arenas and stadiums shortly before it’s time to slow things down again with the second big ballad of the album, ‘Angels (Can’t Help You Now)’. Again, graced with the keys of Mike Garson and tasteful orchestration, this sounds like Leppard’s take on what things may have sounded like had Bowie collaborated with Elton John on ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’.
With the sleek but gritty ‘Unbreakable’ insinuating its hook-filled chorus into your brain, there’s just time for ‘From Here to Eternity’ to strike the killer blow. Arguably the best track on the album, its epic scope and drama filled dynamics are never overwrought but distil all the magic that Leppard have managed to capture on the album, everything just seemingly bigger and brighter.
This may be a huge sounding track but it never loses sight of the still, small voice and very human heart at its centre, the core strength making it even more powerful as the band bring out some of the very best performances they’ve committed to record.
Vital, intense and thrilling, ‘Diamond Star Halos’ is the sound of a band reborn and stands shoulder to shoulder with their greatest work.This review imo understands where Def Leppard are right now as a band. They are not trying to do hnd 2 or pyromania 2. They are a band who knows how to dabble in dif genres without totally turning people off. And this reviewer seems to understand that |
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Post by DesertSun81 on May 18, 2022 7:53:35 GMT -8
That might be the best review I’ve read so far especially if you are talking about what to expect from each individual track. Reviewer had a lot of great things to say about FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. Sounds like Sav really brought it this time around. I like the “stand shoulder to shoulder” line at the end which is perhaps a nod to TWYW. Another review...Pretty well written and a good review: linkReview by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
They’ve been through incredible highs and shattering lows but the one thing that has consumed their souls above all is music and in ‘Diamond Star Halos’ Def Leppard prove once again that this laser-like focus produces some of the most anthemic hard rock music of this, or any other, era.
This album, their twelfth, more than just tips the hat to the glam rock era that birthed its title but imbues its very DNA with the power and the sense of good times that typified that golden era.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is just a tribute to those times, as loving and warm as the references are, because the quintet of Joe Elliot, Rick Savage, Rick Allen, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell have crafted something that is both traditionally anchored in great song writing but also fresh and modern.
Very much a Def Leppard album for 2022, ‘Diamond Star Halos’ bristles with the spiky energy the band displayed at the start of their career, a visceral excitement and passion that was wonderfully untamed.
Just how the band captured this tightrope walk between the confidence and maturity that comes from years together, this line-up having clocked up three decades now, and that blazing fire of youth is a marvel but one they’ve achieved.
Over a generous fifteen tracks the quality never even hints at dipping and the album stands as a testament to their eternal commitment to their craft.
Hearty party rockers mix with a smattering of slower songs that highlight the dynamic range that Leppard have made their own, refining the style that was properly forged in the nascent days of working with Mutt Lange.
As technology has moved on, the necessity of booking an expensive studio to funnel all your creativity in one precious time frame has faded, the global pandemic also giving space. These factors have meant that the band were able to really have the time and space to work on the album their way. This approach certainly shows and ‘Diamond Star Halos’ benefits from a tight but loose feel that shows in every groove of its two-year creation.
The pounding and sparkling opener ‘Take What You Want’ could have been hewn from ‘Pyromania’, the bounce and grit fully there, the solos stinging.
Kick’ is a fizzing blast of 70’s style glam, its bubble gum hard rock replete with gang choruses and sounds like T Rex jamming with The Sweet on their heavier album tracks.
This hat trick of hard hitters is completed by ‘Fire It Up’, its dirty, skittering riff full of attitude and the solo ripping things apart in no uncertain measure.
So far, so rocky. It’s now though that things take a delightful twist with the country tinged ‘This Guitar’ which features the gorgeous tones of Alison Kraus adding her vocal magic and some lush orchestration. Having dabbled in the fringes of the genre before, this isn’t a total left field choice but its certainly one that the band feel comfortable in and the blend is perfectly balanced, the writing and production giving space to each side of the equation.
Whilst much maligned by those who view the genre through outmoded ideas full of cliché, it’s become more and more acknowledged that the quality of both the writing and performances in Country has always been there. Leppard have the experience to understand that one central tenant and embrace it: the song is key. Kraus also appears on the shimmering pop rock of ‘Lifeless’ and her contribution raises things even further, the contrast between her vocals and those of Elliot beautifully counterpointed.
It’s foot to the floor again with febrile rocker ‘SOS Emergency’, the Bowie meets the mystical East wonder of ‘Liquid Dust’ and the Slade title inspired ‘U Rok Mi’ where Savage’s bass gets centre stage as it drives the song and Leppard throw in a massive glitterball to get feet dancing.
As with ‘Take What You Want’ before it, there’s a touch of the Electric Light Orchestra in the superior ballad ‘Goodbye for Good This Time’ as strings swell and there’s a sense of Jeff Lynne’s troupe running through its veins. Adding to this already delicious concoction, the keys by David Bowie cohort Mike Garson and a sublime acoustic guitar solo make this the best tearjerker they’ve done since ‘Love Bites’.
The bright and breezy ‘All We Need’ is Leppard at play, energised and full of a widescreen, feelgood bonhomie that manages to be big but curiously intimate at the same time, the mate who draws along side to check on you during a great night out.
There is a Chilli Peppers feel to the funk and swagger of ‘Open Your Eyes’, Savage and Allen carving out a canyon wide groove whilst Collen and Campbell are on blistering form, Elliot’s vocal going from laid back to attacking in the chorus.
Gimme A Kiss’ is a full-on stomper that you can imagine will be filling arenas and stadiums shortly before it’s time to slow things down again with the second big ballad of the album, ‘Angels (Can’t Help You Now)’. Again, graced with the keys of Mike Garson and tasteful orchestration, this sounds like Leppard’s take on what things may have sounded like had Bowie collaborated with Elton John on ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’.
With the sleek but gritty ‘Unbreakable’ insinuating its hook-filled chorus into your brain, there’s just time for ‘From Here to Eternity’ to strike the killer blow. Arguably the best track on the album, its epic scope and drama filled dynamics are never overwrought but distil all the magic that Leppard have managed to capture on the album, everything just seemingly bigger and brighter.
This may be a huge sounding track but it never loses sight of the still, small voice and very human heart at its centre, the core strength making it even more powerful as the band bring out some of the very best performances they’ve committed to record.
Vital, intense and thrilling, ‘Diamond Star Halos’ is the sound of a band reborn and stands shoulder to shoulder with their greatest work. |
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Post by Jefflep on May 18, 2022 8:09:52 GMT -8
Wow! It just goes to show you how one individual can interpret a song vs. another. I’m really excited to soak this album up!
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Post by Armageddonit on May 18, 2022 8:16:29 GMT -8
Wow! It just goes to show you how one individual can interpret a song vs. another. I’m really excited to soak this album up! Same for me. That last review really captured all that I want a Leppard album to be in '22. Can't wait to sit down for the first listen with headphones with no skipping songs. |
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Relatively quiet on promo today. I kind of expect Fire It Up to release between now and the 27th. 
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