:: Def Leppard - Songs From The Sparkle Lounge

Def Leppard

When a band manages the impossible and releases a watershed album that sells well into the tens of millions, it brings its own complications. And if one band that’s all too aware of those complications its UK hard rock act Def Leppard. Ever since the release of ‘Hysteria’ (1987), albums such as the decidedly more modern sounding ‘Slang’ (1996), the band’s comeback of sorts ‘Euphoria’ (1999), the overtly pop influenced ‘X’ (2002) and the group’s ill-fated covers album ‘Yeah!’ (2006) have left fans bitterly divided over the band’s constant shift in direction and sound. Perhaps with this is mind, the five-piece act have taken their time releasing a new album. But after a lengthy six year wait, Def Leppard have finally returned with their eleventh full-length effort ‘Songs From The Sparkle Lounge’. The guitar heavy ‘Go’ is a strange opener for the album. While there’s no shortage of guitar interaction between Collen and Campbell, the chorus is a little subdued and downbeat for the most part, and could have easily been slotted onto ‘Slang’ without sounding out of place. But it isn’t long before the band liven things up, with the single ‘Nine Lives’ sounding every bit the Def Leppard rocker. Although there were doubts about country singer Tim McGraw’s involvement, it has to be said that he doesn’t sound out of place. A little of the glam rock felt from ‘Yeah!’ can be heard in the grooving ‘C’mon C’mon’ and the fast paced ‘Bad Actress’, while ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘Hallucinate’ maintain the up-beat rocking direction Def Leppard favoured on ‘Euphoria’. There’s a distinctly harder edge heard on this album over the band’s last couple of efforts, with Collen and Campbell dominating on tracks such as ‘Come Undone’, the moody ‘Cruise Control’, the ‘60’s tinged ‘Only The Good Die Young’ and ‘Gotta Let It Go’. The only real notable absence on ‘Songs From The Sparkle Lounge’ over previous Def Leppard albums is the inclusion of any real ballads. The closest the band get to anything of the sort is the very Queen-like ‘Love’. And while it starts out in a slower fashion, it moves into rock opera-like territory midway through which inevitably transcends the song beyond the typical Def Leppard ballad. Some will no doubt hail ‘Songs From The Sparkle Lounge’ as a strong comeback for Def Leppard after their string of experimental releases. But speaking personally, this album is another strong sounding release from a band that have yet to make what could be considered a bad album. Def Leppard have weathered the indifference of changing tastes over the years, only to come out the other side and back in favour. It’s not the band’s comeback, but many fans will come to the realisation that Def Leppard have, and always will rock!