It’s been over half a decade since Def Leppard have released any new material. And it’s been 23 years since they’ve released anything truly up to their standards. Unfortunately, the new single ‘Kick,’ has fallen in line with a rapidly declining song writing drive.
It’s really a shame. I know Def Leppard have way more technical, emotional and mental capabilities than the drivel that is ‘Kick.’ Upon first listen, I immediately knew what I was in for. A band in their early 60’s and late 50’s trying to stay relevant with the most thoughtless pop crap possible. Just when I thought Def Lep couldn’t do anything worse than their abysmal 2008 album, ‘Welcome to the Sparkle Lounge,’ (yeah, that’s the name of the album) they outdo themselves.
Now, I don’t really know how the rest of the album is going to sound. But I have a good idea with song titles such as: ‘U Rok Mi,’ ‘Fire It Up’ (possibly the most used hard rock song title ever done) and ‘Unbreakable’ that it’s not going to be that great. Who knows though, I might be wrong. Frankly, I hope I am. Def Leppard are one of the true greats. There were some pretty decent moments from the last, self titled, album from 2015. Particularly the ballad ‘We Belong,’ which features each members excellent voices. And while the lyrics aren’t insanely intellectual, Def Leppard provided a musical depth that sustained the song. Much like most of their music. Which is something greatly lacking in the new single ‘Kick.’
The generic chords and melodies seem trite. The drum machine effects are just abysmal. And it seems that Def Leppard are trying to stay relevant by releasing material that is so far derived from their intelligence and capabilities, it’s almost hard to believe. We’ll see how the new album fares as a whole. But as of right now, I’m not particularly excited.
