By 1996 the popular musical landscape had dramatically changed since Def Leppard’s massive popularity in the 80’s and early 90’s. They had two of the biggest albums of the 80’s. As well as defying all odds with the number one ‘Adrenalize.’ Released in the midst of the grunge revolution. But a short four years later, industrial was taking over, alternative pop/rock was at the helm and Def Leppard needed to figure out how they fit into the changing music scene. The result was the underrated, stellar ‘Slang’ album. Their rawest record since Rick Allen lost his arm.
When I first heard ‘Slang’ I was actually kind of blown away. Def Leppard did an incredible job at making a modern, 90’s album. Without sacrificing any of their integrity or general sound of what makes them Def Leppard. And I will argue, to this day, that if Def Leppard had released another ‘Slang’ in 2002, instead of ‘X,’ it would have been massive. And most likely the direction the band would have taken for the foreseeable future. Because, there is an element to ‘Slang’ that’s about six or seven years ahead of its time. It’s held up better than any of their 90’s releases. ‘Truth?’ and ‘Turn to Dust’ are a great one, two punch to open the album. ‘Turn to Dust’ could and should have been a hit. Complete with it’s catchy, darker tone and sarangi vibes. The title track is one of the most Def Leppard songs ever. And whenever anyone says it’s this major departure from what they do, I play the title track. Yes, tracks like the incredible ‘Pearl of Euphoria’ have a significant greater amount of atmosphere to them. But the ballads really all have that classic Def Leppard sound. Particularly ‘All I Want Is Everything.’ It’s a perfect ballad. ‘Where Does Love Go When It Dies’ is could have fit on either ‘Adrenalize’ or ‘Retro Active.’ And ‘Breathe A Sigh’ seems to be ranked among fans as simply one of their best.
But it’s the rockers that really make ‘Slang’ pop. ‘Deliver Me’ is an excellent change of pace for Def Leppard. It’s moody, it’s dark, but not too dark. It still possesses a very Def Lep vibe. But it’s really ‘Gift of Flesh,’ the strongest track on the album, that pops. It’s simply one of the best Def Leppard songs in all of their works. It really throws back to that ‘Ride the Sun’ vibe from the early days. Just killer. My only real complaint about the material on the album is that there’s one too many ballads. I think it would have been a big boon to the record to maybe cut out ‘Blood Runs Cold’ for the tossed out ‘Burn Out.’ Which is featured in the bonus material of the remaster deluxe edition released in 2014. I think the album would have done a little better had that decision been made.
‘Slang’ was released on May 15, 1996 and was somewhat of a success. However, it didn’t perform like their last three albums and was considered a disappointment. Despite cracking the top 20 in the states and eventually going platinum. Some long time fans were not big on the new direction. And that direction ultimately failed to gain a new audience. But, there’s no Def Leppard record that has seemed to have ‘grown’ on the fans over the years more than ‘Slang.’ Maybe it was the fact that the band didn’t use their signature font on the cover. It remains the only Def Leppard album to have done so. What’s most impressive about the record though, is Rick Allens performance. It’s first Lep album to not have Ricks drum machine post arm loss. He played real drums, with one arm, and made it sound like he has two. And he did it during the whole tour as well. Which was a massive tour by the way. It was the first time Lep went into uncharted territory such as South Africa and South America.
Overall ‘Slang’ remains one of my favorite Def Leppard albums. It’s fresh, different and recognizable all at the same time. And the clock has been kind to the album. It holds up better to this day than almost any of their post ‘Hysteria’ albums. So jam it, crank it and celebrate ‘Slang.’
