It was 1987’s Lange-produced Hysteria, featuring sleekly melodic mega-hits “Animal” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, that confirmed Def Leppard’s status as the kings of pop-metal. The five members leaned into that strategy for 1983’s Pyromania, using producer Mutt Lange’s multi-track wizardry-gated drums, a hint of synth and soaring vocal harmonies-to temper the guitars’ bite and Elliott’s shredded yell. Guitarist Phil Collen would replace founding member Pete Willis after two albums and Vivian Campbell would step in to round out the group’s twin-axe attack after Steve Clark’s untimely death in 1991.ĭef Leppard made noise with its raucous 1980 debut, On Through the Night, but 1981’s High ‘N’ Dry proved that the band could write not just riffs but also hooks. Def Leppard formed in 1977 and soon settled on a core lineup of singer Joe Elliott, bassist Rick Savage and drummer Rick Allen-just 15 when he joined. That audacious gambit sweetened a sound forged in the UK’s industrial heartlands and proved that power and pop were not mutually exclusive, paving the way for bands like Bon Jovi. In the early ’80s, as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was still ringing in headbangers’ ears, Sheffield, England’s Def Leppard bucked the trend by drizzling honey over hard rock.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |