Artists

Pre-release hype surrounding the new Def Leppard album promised everything from a return to Pyromania form, to a full-on country album. Fortunately, neither could be farther from the truth. Pound for pound, songs from The Sparkle Lounge is the strongest Def Leppard album since the triple-platinum Adrenalize in 1992, delivering a hard-rocking combination of the band’s dynamic pop sensibility, bustling choruses, and some of the best guitar work from any mainstream rock act this side of the new millennium.

To their credit, Def Leppard don't try and reinvent the wheel in their Sparkle Lounge. Instead, they refine what it is they've always done best, without being afraid to admit that they've grown a little in the process. The album opens strong and doesn't let up, "Go" blistering with an invigorating crunch and melodic muscle that suits the band well, guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell ripping and grinding a path for the tracks that follow. The rumors of a country hue were no doubt raised by the presence of Tim McGraw on "Nine Lives," but it's his fans that might be doing the most head-shaking, as the country icon rocks it hard, his vocals melding seamlessly with those of Def frontman Joe Elliot. Again, Collen and Campbell shine. "C'Mon C'Mon" is every bit as poppy and catchy as the title suggests, "Love" is a lush, quaint and naked ballad that wears its unabashed Beatles influence on its sleeve, "Tomorrow" is a feel-good anthem with more rock-solid guitars, and "Cruise Control" is one for the Def Lep highlight reel, a rambunctious blend of modern rock aesthetics and the band’s buoyant pop indifference.

For the first time in a long time, Def Leppard have found the perfect balance between the histrionics of their hard rock roots and the pop accessibility that has made them such a favorite with mainstream America. They still deliver feel-good music, but they make it feel just as good when it hits hard. That's the one-two punch that makes songs from The Sparkle Lounge shine the brightest.

— Paul Gargano
05.09.08