Many would agree with me when I say you can never really get too much of Def Leppard. Whether it’s tuning into those heartbreak emotions with ‘Hysteria’ or getting your weekly dose of good time rock at the local bar with ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’. Timeless classics written through many incarnations of whichever decade the music was produced in. This next turn of the Def Leppard wheel comes in the form of an album which sees them collaborate with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Rock classics reimagined through the unending, expansive sounds of the RHO, it’s a sixteen-track listing showing an entirely different side to one of the industry’s most favourably notorious bands.
The record opens with ‘Turn To Dust’. Staying true to that eastern underlay the track lifts and we’re suddenly opened up to the world of Def Leppard and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Be prepared to experience a full 180 in what you thought you knew about DL and its hard rocking exterior. The first quarter of the album gracefully throws out ‘Paper Sun’, ‘Hysteria’ and ‘Love Bites’. ‘Animal’ sends a particular warmth down one’s back as the string section elevates its already beautifully composed arrangement. ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ surprises as an entirely different piece of work from the original. I never thought I’d hear that leather in hand 80s raunch instigator as a ballad but with the RHO on hand, it’s been transformed into something serene, steady and sumptuous.
Interestingly enough Joe Elliott harmonised with his younger self on the album. Vocally his performance is good as ever and with Leppard constantly on the road whilst also writing for new releases it’s not as though Elliott would have had to brush off his pipes for the re-recording with much strain. ‘Goodbye For Good This Time’ showcases its solo in a heartfelt classical guitar whilst ‘Love’ and ‘Gods Of War’ keep the dramatic values going strong. If I’m not wrong, the latter features some of those Joe Elliot harmonies with the 1987 version of himself. Proof of the pudding that he remains one of the great hair metal vocalists throughout the four decades of the band’s ongoing career.
Using an orchestra on songs (not least The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) lends an epic, film-like quality to the music. ‘Angels (Can’t Help You Now)’, ‘Bringin’ On The Heartache’, ‘Switch 625’ and all slip into that territory with ease. Def Leppard has always loved a good ballad, so for ‘Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad’ it hits perfectly with a little added grandiose.
The last leg of the album contains ‘Too Late For Love’, ‘When Love & Hate Collides’ and ‘Kings Of The World’. Violins, piano and huge arrangements deprive the listener of any questionable thoughts regarding whether the album works in this format. Never dropping that signature Def Leppard feel, each song takes the original piece of work and springboards into new and exciting territory.
Aside from continuing to release critically acclaimed ew music – most recently their 12th studio album, ‘Diamond Star Holes’ – Def Leppard has hit a different note of musical brilliance with ‘Drastic Symphonies’. It’s an album that can’t really go wrong with the quality of which it’s reimagined snippets of their discography. For old fans, it’ll be a treat to see the different take on their favourites but the tracks also stand as great works of music on their own. Well worth a listen and well worth the hype it will no doubt rouse. Catch Def Leppard also on their upcoming world tour, kicking off in Sheffield in a few day’s time.
Def Leppard – Drastic Symphonies is released May 19th courtesy of Universal Music
Review: Monty Sewell
Album Pre-Order link: https://DefLeppard.lnk.to/ds-physicalpr
Album Hero Link (Pre-Order & Pre-Save): https://defleppard.lnk.to/drs-symppr
Album tracklisting as follows:
- Turn To Dust
- Paper Sun
- Animal
- Pour Some Sugar on Me (Stripped version)
- Hysteria
- Love Bites
- Goodbye For Good This Time
- Love
- Gods Of War
- Angels (Can’t Help You Now)
- Bringin’ On the Heartbreak
- Switch 625
- Too Late for Love
- When Love & Hate Collide
- Kings Of the World
The vinyl and Atmos versions will also feature an exclusive bonus track.
- Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad
Album Pre-Order link: https://DefLeppard.lnk.to/ds-physicalpr
Album Hero Link (Pre-Order & Pre-Save): https://defleppard.lnk.to/drs-symppr
IG1 Animal Listen Now: https://DefLeppard.lnk.to/animal-dspr
DEF LEPPARD
“One Night Only”
The Leadmill, Sheffield
Friday 19th May 2023
Net Proceeds From Tickets Sales From The Show To Go To Music Venue Trust
Pre-order any format of Drastic Symphonies from the Official Def Leppard store to receive exclusive ticket pre-sale access.
Gig To Be Livestreamed Via Veeps.
Tickets for Def Leppard “One Night Only” are available to purchase worldwide now (or after May 13 for fans in the UK) for $14.99 ($17.99 on or after 19 May) at Veeps.com.
2022 saw Def Leppard release their critically and commercially acclaimed 12th studio album “Diamond Star Halos” which charted all over the world including a top 5 and top 10 in both the UK and North America. Early 2023 saw the band score a UK No 1 Netflix film with their cameo in acclaimed movie “Bank Of Dave”. Joe Elliott is currently riding high in charts across the world with his guest vocal on the Ghost track “Spillways”.
2022 saw Def Leppard play a SOLD OUT stadium tour across North America with Motley Crue – selling over 1.3 million tickets. February and March 2023 saw the tour wow audiences throughout Central and South America. In May, June and July the must see tour of 2023 comes to Europe, including a stop at the iconic Wembley Stadium on the 1st July. The band will then return to the USA for more live dates in August 2023.
THE WORLD TOUR DATES:
Mon, May 22, 2023 Sheffield, UK Bramall Lane
Wed, May 25, 2022 Mönchengladbach, Germany SparkassenPark
Sat, May 27, 2023 Munich, Germany Koenigsplatz
Mon, May 29, 2023 Budapest, Hungary MVM Dome
Wed, May 31, 2023 Krakow, Poland TAURON Arena Kraków
Fri, Jun 2, 2023 Prague, Czech Republic Prague Rocks *
Sat, Jun 3, 2023 Hannover, Germany Expo Plaza
Tue, Jun 7, 2022 Solvesborg, Sweden Sweden Rock Festival *
Fri, Jun 9, 2023 Helsinki, Finland RockFest *
Sun, Jun 11, 2023 Trondheim, Norway Trondheim Rocks *
Wed, Jun 14, 2023 Copenhagen, Denmark COPENHELL *
Fri, Jun 16, 2023 Clisson, France Hellfest *
Sun, Jun 18, 2023 Dessel, Belgium Graspop Metal Meeting *
Tue, Jun 20, 2023 Milan, Italy Ippodromo SNAI San Siro
Fri, Jun 23, 2023 Lisbon, Portugal Passeio Maritimo de Alges
Sat, Jun 24, 2023 Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Spain Auditorio Miguel Ríos
Tue, Jun 27, 2023 Thun, Switzerland Stockhorn Arena
Sat, Jul 1, 2023 London, UK Wembley Stadium
Sun, Jul 2, 2023 Lytham, UK Lytham Festival *
Tue, Jul 4, 2023 Dublin, Ireland Marlay Park
Thu, Jul 6, 2023 Glasgow, UK Glasgow Green
Sat, Aug 5, 2023 Syracuse, NY, USA JMA Wireless Dome
Tue, Aug 8, 2023 Columbus, OH USA Ohio Stadium
Fri, Aug 11, 2023 Fargo, ND, USA Fargo Dome
Sun, Aug 13, 2023 Omaha, NE, USA Charles Schwab Field
Wed, Aug 16, 2023 Tulsa, OK, USA Skelly Field @ H.A. Chapman
Stadium
Fri, Aug 18, 2023 El Paso, TX, USA Sun Bowl
*Festival Date
For tickets check local listings for complete details including VIP offerings, on sale times vary. To purchase tickets please visit defleppard.com.
ABOUT DEF LEPPARD:
With more than 110 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards in the U.S., 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame® inductees Def Leppard – Joe Elliott (vocals), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick Savage (bass), Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums) — continue to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career the band has produced a series of classic ground-breaking albums that set the bar for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group’s spectacular live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading Def Leppard to be heralded as the world’s greatest live rock band. Def Leppard’s influential career includes numerous hit singles and ground-breaking multi-platinum albums—including two of the best-selling albums of all time, Pyromania and Hysteria, capturing the group’s legendary tracks, bringing together classic Leppard hits such as “Rock of Ages”, Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Foolin.” For the first time, in January 2018 Def Leppard debuted their full recording catalogue worldwide via streaming and download platforms. As they did with the original release of their records, Def Leppard dominated the worldwide charts again, which found their albums charting in the iTunes Top 10 in more than 30 countries, including Hysteria at #3 in the US, and #5 in the UK (36 years after the album had charted at No 1 in the Billboard charts). Def Leppard also had the #1, #2 and #3 records on the US catalogue albums chart. The band have gone on to amass a staggering 5.5 billion streams since 2018, reaching a younger 18-44 demographic that now represents 58% of their fanbase. Additionally, the band have garnered an impressive 15 million followers across their social media platforms. In May 2022, Def Leppard released their twelfth studio album Diamond Star Halos. The album debuted at #1 on the Apple and Amazon Music charts. The album also scored a Top 10 debut on North America’s Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart, marking the band’s eighth Top 10 album of their career, and garnered a #1 debut on Billboard’s Hard Rock chart. Diamond Star Halos had numerous Top 10 chart entries globally including a Top 5 debut in the UK. Following the close of their historic 2018 co-headline stadium and arena run in North America, Def Leppard sold in excess of 1,000,000 tickets, a massive feat in today’s touring world. Def Leppard & Mötley Crüe topped that number yet again with another sold out North American stadium run in 2022 selling over 1.3 million tickets. As always, the group keep pushing the boundaries with their electrifying live shows.