Review DEF LEPPARD ‘Diamond Star Halos’

‘Kick’ was the first single taken from Def Leppard’s new album ‘Diamond Star Halos’. The song is a powerful rock song that includes a lot of airplay potential. Rocking and melodic, that is how this appetizer can be described.

Seven years after the UK rock veterans released the self-titled album. Their latest longplayer could connect to the success of the `80s when Def Leppard released with ‘Hysteria’ a mega-seller album. The longplayer went straight into the Top 10 in various charts and now it is up to ‘Diamond Star Halos’ to continue the winning streak.

One thing right away. The legendary status of the first three longplayers will stay untouched. The new album, with all the bright moments, can’t connect to the metallic roots of the early days. Instead, ‘Diamond Star Halos’ is a well-done rock album that carries partly the spirt of ‘Hysteria’. Songs like ’SOS Emergency’ show some parallels especially in the chorus with a melody made for the big stadium shows.

‘U Rock Mi’ is an interesting song on the album since the first half is stripped down to the minimum. Joe Elliot’s voice is very much in focus in the verse before the tune gains power in the chorus part with the joining guitars.

The record features 15 songs which a respectable running time for a longplayer. Songs, adding to the length of the album, are the ballads … and there might be a few too much. ‘Goodbye For Good This Time’ is one of these soulful moments and while listening to it one can easily imagine the army of lit smartphones during a live show. ‘This Guitar’, together with ‘Lifeless’, is another emotional moment on the album. The rock veterans invited Alison Krauss for joining the band for these two country-inspired tunes. The first one, although named ‘This Guitar’, isn’t about the roaring riffs. Instead, the acoustic guitar dominates and the song itself is an emotional story about the guitar, having the potential to give perspective to life. It is almost a love song for the six-string instrument.

‘Angels (Can’t Help You Now)’ is another calmer moment on the album, and it is a pity that the band doesn’t unleash the beast of rock’n’roll more often. ‘Unbreakable’, although not being the loudest track on the album, shows some more energy and there are a few songs, like ‘Take What You Want’, the opener, being a typical Def Leppard mainstream smashers. Why not more of this kind of tunes is the remaining question after the last tones of ‘From Here to Eternity’ fade away.

Def Leppard play is safe this time which also means that there are too many compromises. Def Leppard doesn’t take any risk and release with ‘Diamond Star Halos’ a crowd pleaser. This longplayer is a standard rock album that feels like the band had an obligation to release an album more than the guys having been on fire when starting work on their newest effort. This halo unfortunately fades rather quickly.