Def Leppard – Euphoria

Def Leppard
Artist: Def Leppard
Title: Euphoria
Label: Mercury
Rating: 6.5/10

So you think the ’80’s are dead? They’re dead, but they’re not gone. Now it seems that we are heading for a comeback. Will we have to suffer through all of that big hair and makeup? I don’t know, but you won’t suffer through Def Leppard’s latest release, Euphoria. It’s actually pretty damn good.

Def Leppard gave a shot at alternative a few years ago and it failed miserably. Now the original Def formula is back. The rock ‘n’ rollers break the bank with their first track, “Demolition Man”. Its high-octane rock is signature Def Leppard, with all the raging guitars and harmonies you can handle.

The first single, “Promises”, isn’t as good as “Demolition Man”, but it’s as sentimental as metal can get. “Back In Your Face” is the anthem for all of the rock that died when Nirvana put it out of business. This is the song that Aerosmith should have written a few years ago.

As a kid, I don’t think that I realized Def Leppard had such sharp, cutting harmonies. I guess it was taken for granted, but “21st Century Sha La La La Girl” shows why they sold so many records over the course of their career.

“It’s Only Love” is a true hit. It’ll have the thirty-something women swooning. Maybe their daughters will cut mom some slack on her music, give up on Hanson, and dream of real men. Okay, that might not be such a great idea, but you get the point.

If there is one failing to this disc, it is the slow love songs, but that never hurt bands like the Backstreet Boys or even Aerosmith, and Def Leppard does have forty-three million record sales behind them. From where I’m sitting, it doesn’t look like they’re going to be done any time soon. Long live rock. Well, as long as Poison doesn’t decide on a comeback.

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