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Music review: Def Leppard – ‘Drastic Symphonies’

By Clint Rhodes for The newsroom@heraldstandard.Com 2 min read
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Def Leppard - ‘Drastic Symphonies’

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Rhodes

I confess that I thoroughly enjoy a good blending of hard rock and classical music. Such is the case on Def Leppard’s latest release.

For “Drastic Symphonies,” the British hard rock icons revisit 16 tracks from their back catalog that remixes the signature Def Leppard sound with dashes of sophistication from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, the results couldn’t sound more euphonious.

From the opening mystical flavorings lushly offered on “Turn to Dust” to the majestic glory embracing the closing “Kings of the World,” the band creates a statement piece that can be savored from both rock and classical perspectives.

“Animal” and “Hysteria” get a stripped-down makeover in an effort to solely place the emphasis on Joe Elliott’s charismatic vocals and the sheer beauty of the sweeping musical arrangements.

Highlights include the forceful elegance of “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak,” the massiveness unleashed on “Gods of War” and the lavish extravagance of “When Love and Hate Collide.”

The lone misstep of the album appears on the suggestive “Pure Some Sugar on Me.” The band’s sultry hit from 1987’s “Hysteria” is definitely out of place and awkward as a piano ballad with additional vocals from Emm Gryner. It’s a great tune that deserves the full rock brigade treatment for stadium crowd consumption.

In comparison, “Love Bites” simply sounds stunning with the orchestral backing that adds a fresh sense of fragility and desperation to the original ballad.

For me, the standout number is “Too Late for Love.” From 1983’s “Pyromania,” this melodic rocker won me over on my first listen, and once again in 2023 with this fresh revamp. It was “Pyromania” that turned me into a true Def Leppard fan with its polished rock anthems filled with driving guitars and infectious choruses that would quickly become a personal soundtrack during my freshman year of college.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. “Drastic Symphonies” is set to become another Def Leppard album that provides the musical background for my summer listening pleasure all these years later.

Another job well done by the talented lads from across the pond.

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