It’s definitely odd-sounding and not exactly raw and rocking, but it works for this set of songs. Maybe that’s more a comment on modern production sounds than anything, but I feel that Hysteria just is not as soulless as we always say it is. Thing is, this album isn’t actually as robotic and stiff as we remember it being. Clearly, once the band got a glimpse of the technology bug, they dove in like a kid in a candy shop. Melodies that pull on the heartstrings but also inspire joy? Absolutely.īut, yeah, the production: now, I realize part of the reason why Def Lep plunged so deep into the world of ultra-modern production was necessity, as drummer Rick Allen had to switch over to a electronic drum set-up at this point in his career. Choruses both predictable and anthemic? Definitely. I’m not entirely convinced this album isn’t some kind of experiment sent down here by aliens who were trying to understand what the humans enjoy putting in their ears: sugar-sweet melodies? Why, yes. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the argument of whether or not music made by machines can have heart and soul, because I think Hysteria was mainly made by machines. It’s barely music as we understood it existing at that point, yes. But here in 2018, it’s worth reconsidering both these points, because while they’re totally valid, they’re also totally why the album is worth a second consideration. This was the “metal” equivalent of a really long ad jingle. Now, we all hated Hysteria when we were younger (a lot of those 25 million people were disappointed metalheads who muttered something about the NWOBHM every time they pulled out one of their cassette drawers and the still-basically-untouched, glossy spine of Hysteria gave them a silent plea to just try listening one more time) because it was produced to the point of not even sounding human and because the songs were totally transparent ploys to get stuck in our brains. But did Lep jump the shark with Hysteria? Let’s not be so hasty. Thing is, like all self-respecting metalheads, you probably think the first two Def Lep records are killer (I think High ‘n’ Dry is insanely good), and you either politely tolerate Pyromania or you’re honest with yourself and admit that it’s killer too (it is). I feel like half this album is ballads the title track of this album is a ballad, so the band certainly were playing to their strengths. They still have a bit of bite, something this band just lost rapidly from here on out (further albums can not be justified) here, the ballads totally work. It has its shortfalls, but the good outweigh the bad, and, today, I’m going to justify the shit out of this thing.Īlso, let’s get this out of the way, and I say this as a Gore Beyond Necropsy fan, and a guy who has Def Leppard snuggled up next to Deeds of Flesh and Defeated Sanity on his computer: the ballads on this album are great. This time around, Greg Pratt defends Def Leppard’s Hysteria.Īdmittedly, this is going to be a tough sell, but Def Leppard‘s 1987 ultra-hit album Hysteria, which maybe you’ve heard of, and maybe you’re one of the 25 million people who bought the damn thing, ain’t half bad. Occasionally, a Decibel staffer or special guest will take to the Decibel site to bitch and moan at length as to why everybody’s full of shit and said dud is, in fact, The Shit. The orchestral collection is available to preorder now in CD, vinyl, limited color vinyl, picture disc, CD/Blu-ray and digital formats.Almost every band has that album: you know, the critically and/or commercially reviled dud in an otherwise passable-to-radical back catalogue. We decided to create something special where we would have something classic, but present it in a brand-new way." That process included "recording new parts, remixing previous sounds, taking some of our instruments out so the orchestra could breathe and literally making a new album."ĭrastic Symphonies follows 2022's Diamond Star Halos, Def Leppard's 12th album of new material. Guitarist Phil Collen added, "We didn't just want an orchestra plonked over our previous recordings. Although we're far from the first band to ever do this, working directly with an orchestra at Abbey Road on some of our more orchestrated songs seemed too good of an opportunity to pass up." "So when the offer to revisit some of our back catalog with the Royal Philharmonic was presented to us, to a man we all jumped at it. . "Def Leppard has always enjoyed veering off the expected path - working with the likes of Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift and Alison Krauss, for example," Elliott said in a previous statement. The LP also features newly recorded vocals and guitars, with singer Joe Elliott duetting with his younger self at several points.
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