British hard rock legends Def Leppard have roared back with their strongest material since 1999’s ‘Euphoria.’ ‘Diamond Star Halos,’ an album title taken off of a T-Rex lyric, is a great representation of what Def Leppard are all about in 2022. They’ve acclimated into the current musical climate. While also retaining who they are. Rocking hard, staying relevant and showing the younger generations how it’s done.
It’s pretty well agreed upon by fans that Def Lep had quite a streak of weak material. 2008’s ‘Welcome to the Sparkle Lounge’ was and remains their worst album. By a long shot. Uninspired and completely lacking in any passion. Then there’s the album that proceeded it, 2006’s ‘Yeah!’ Which is a covers album which doesn’t suck. But they were certainly quick to jump on the trend that all the 80’s bands were doing at the time. 2015’s self-titled album had some signs of quality. But it’s a largely repetitive album that lacks depth and creativity. But the new ‘Diamond Star Halos’ is different. It’s got some great riffs. Timeless themes. Creative notation modulations. And a few killer ballads.
But not all is well. There are few moments sprinkled out that are trying too hard to keep up with the times. The first single ‘Kick,’ with it’s overproduced, electronic drum box beat just doesn’t fit the band. ‘Unbreakable’ falls under the same category. Which is a shame because it could have been an excellent track with Rick Allen’s bad ass electronic drum set. The riff and chorus anthem are solid. The two ballads featuring Alison Krauss: ‘This Guitar’ and ‘Lifeless’ are just that…lifeless. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t killer moments of balladry. ‘Goodbye For Good This Time’ contains an epic, Elton Johnesque vibe. And also has some insanely spot on Def Lep vocal harmonies. So does ‘Open Your Eyes.’ Which is strongest ballad the band has written since ‘Hysteria.’ Major MVP credits go to bassist Rick Savage for laying a bad ass bass groove. Displaying that he’s one of the most underrated players in the game. Just a great opening bass line and riff. ‘Angels (Can’t Help You Now)’ kind of falls in between the good and bad moments of sensitivity from the Leppard.
The rockers on the album, for the most part, are really good. It’s Def Leppard’s best since ‘Euphoria.’ And with tracks like ‘Take What You Want,’ ‘Fire It Up’ (with it’s sexy as all hell post chorus riff) and the melodic ‘SOS Emergency,’ it’s easy to see why. ‘Take What You Want’ is one of the best riffs in a long ass time from the Lep. That’s not all though, there’s plenty more rock excellence. ‘All We Need’ is in a similar world with ‘SOS Emergency.’ Classic, melodic rockers that are top 40 worthy no matter what era of music is popular. ‘Liquid Dust’ brings in depth that’s on par with the quality of 1996’s ‘Slang.’ Along with the album closer ‘From Here to Eternity,’ Def Leppard prove that there’s still plenty of gas in the tank. The funky, ‘U Rok Mi,’ despite its terrible title, is actually a pretty good song. The bubble gum rocker ‘Gimme A Kiss’ rounds things off on the rocker side. All in all, pretty damn strong song writing. Not great lyrics, but that’s not really the point of Def Leppard.
Overall, ‘Diamond Star Halos’ is the Def Leppard album that’s needed in 2022. Yes, there’s a few blunders that fall too much in line with the current musical climate. But the album experience as a whole is strong. The band never really loses who they are. And they have before. But this album is a solid one. It makes me excited for the upcoming stadium tour to be honest. A lot of these songs are going to sound great in the upcoming venues. A solid 3 out of 5 stars. Well worth the purchase.
