| 27 May 2022 | |||
| Glam rock[1][2][3] | |||
| 61:27 | |||
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Diamond Star Halos is the twelfth studio album by the English rock band Def Leppard. It was released on 27 May 2022 through Bludgeon Riffola and Mercury Records,[7][2] and is the band's first studio album in nearly seven years since 2015's Def Leppard. The album takes its name from the 1971 T. Rex single "Get It On"[8] and includes imagery from Anton Corbijn, Maryam Malakpour, and Oliver and Joshua Munden.[9]
Critical reception[edit]
Professional ratings| AllMusic | |
| The Arts Desk | |
| Blabbermouth.net | 7/10[2] |
| Louder Sound | |
| The Daily Telegraph |
Ultimate Classic Rock's Michael Gallucci called the album "most obvious callback to glam's glory days as well as their own past triumphs", claiming that the band have learned to not "mess with what works" unlike past projects Slang and X. Having noted influences of glam rock stars David Bowie, Mott the Hoople and T. Rex, Gallucci also wrote that while, "like most tribute albums, the take-and-give results on Diamond Star Halos don't always match what was heard the first time around", "the band hasn't sounded this invigorated on record since the early '90s."[8] The Arts Desk's Joe Muggs wrote that "this album starts and ends so brilliantly", starting with "a salvo of three tracks that remind you exactly why Def Leppard became one of the biggest bands in the world in the mid Eighties" and ending with "heavily Queen-indebted high drama closer 'From Here to Eternity'", a "grand way to close a record", contrasting with a middle section that is "way too generic, slightly countrified and very American soft rock" and "can't really live up" to "these great bookends".[1]
Blabbermouth.net's Dom Lawson explains the band's appeal as being because they "have never stopped behaving like the wide-eyed, priapic teenagers they were when they penned 'Hello America' all those years ago" rather than "resting on their laurels, touring the world on an endless nostalgia trip and never again making a new album", and that while the band are "relaxed" and the album "low on shiny bells and high-tech whistles", "it compensates by being (mainly) full of simple, heartfelt and punchy songs" and "is a very good time had by all."[2] Louder Sound's Neil Jeffries called "SOS Emergency", "All We Need", "Open Your Eyes", "Gimme a Kiss", and "Unbreakable" "especially strong" and "stadium pleasers in the grand Leppard tradition"; and the album "best appreciated as a double album: three sides, each begun by three rockers and ending with a change of pace, then a shorter fourth side that abandons the pattern and goes out on the high of [Rick] Savage's 'From Here to Eternity', an epic track with a swinging, Pink Floyd-like tempo."[3] The Telegraph's James Hall also emphasised the album's "[not messing] with the formula" in comparison to Slang, save for the "fascinating curveballs" brought in the form of the Alison Krauss-featuring "This Guitar" and "Lifeless", the former of which Hall called the better of the two and "a subtle (by Def Leppard standards) ballad that could well turn out to be a smash in the Nashville country charts."[11] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that "Leppard crank up the hooks, melodies, and amplifiers, adding little bits of distinctive flair along the way", noting that "its individual moments may not be excessive" but "the cumulative effect is almost overwhelming, especially as Def Leppard gives it their all in each cut."[10]
Track listing[edit]
Standard edition
| "Take What You Want" | Joe Elliott, Rick Savage | 4:14 |
| "Kick" | Dave Bassett, Phil Collen | 3:42 |
| "Fire It Up" | Collen, Sam Hollander | 3:19 |
| "This Guitar" (featuring Alison Krauss) | C. J. Vanston, Collen | 3:50 |
| "SOS Emergency" | Elliott, Collen | 3:25 |
| "Liquid Dust" | Collen | 4:01 |
| "U Rok Mi" | Collen | 3:33 |
| "Goodbye for Good This Time" | Elliott | 4:27 |
| "All We Need" | Elliott, Collen | 4:46 |
| "Open Your Eyes" | Elliott, Collen | 4:19 |
| "Gimme a Kiss" ([a]) | Elliott, Collen | 3:12 |
| "Angels (Can't Help You Now)" | Elliott | 4:57 |
| "Lifeless" (featuring Alison Krauss) | Elliott, Collen | 4:19 |
| "Unbreakable" | Elliott | 3:46 |
| "From Here to Eternity" | Savage | 5:37 |
| 61:27 |
Deluxe edition
| "Goodbye for Good This Time" (Avant-Garde Mix) | Elliott | 4.34 |
| "Lifeless" (Joe Only Version) | Elliott, Collen | 4.21 |
| 70:22 |
Japanese standard edition
| "Angels (Can't Help You Now)" (Stripped Version) | Elliott | 4.57 |
| "This Guitar" (Joe Only Version) | Vanston, Collen | 3.50 |
| 70:14 |
Notes[edit]
- ^ Called "Gimme a Kiss That Rocks" on the CD version
Personnel[edit]
Def Leppard[edit]
- Joe Elliott – lead vocals, guitar (8, 12, 14), additional engineering
- Phil Collen – guitar (1-7, 9-15), backing vocals (1), additional engineering
- Rick Savage – bass guitar, guitar (1-3, 15), backing vocals (1), additional engineering
- Vivian Campbell – guitar, backing vocals (1), additional engineering
- Rick Allen – drums
Additional personnel[edit]
- Ronan McHugh – producer, drum programmer, editor, engineer, mixing
- Joe LaPorta – mastering engineer
- Debbi Blackwell-Cook – backing vocals (2, 3, 11, 12)
- Dave Bassett – backing vocals (2, 3)
- Alison Krauss – lead vocals (4, 13)
- Ross Hogarth – recording engineer (4, 8, 12)
- Eric Gorfain – string arrangements (4, 8, 12)
- Mike Garson – piano (8, 12)
Charts[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Muggs, Joe (26 May 2022). "Album: Def Leppard - Diamond Star Halos". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d Lawson, Dom. "Def Leppard - Diamond Star Halos". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- ^ a b c Jeffries, Neil (26 May 2022). "Def Leppard have just released their best album in 30 years". Louder Sound. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- ^ Brannigan, Paul (17 March 2022). "Def Leppard announce new album Diamond Star Halos, share single "Kick"". Louder Sound. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Def Leppard Releases New Single "Take What You Want"". Blabbermouth.net. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Def Leppard Releases new single "Fire It Up"". Blabbermouth.net. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Def Leppard's Diamond Star Halos gets the coloured vinyl treatment". Metal Hammer. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ^ a b Gallucci, Michael (25 May 2022). "Def Leppard, Diamond Star Halos: Album Review". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ Peacock, Tim (17 March 2022). "Def Leppard Announce New Album, Diamond Star Halos". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Def Leppard Diamond Star Halos". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
- ^ a b Hall, James (27 May 2022). "Def Leppard, Diamond Star Halos". The Telegraph. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ "Def Leppard Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 202222 on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ "Def Leppard: Diamond Star Halos" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2022. 22. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Def Leppard". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-06-06/p/2" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
- ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2022/06/01 公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 June 2022.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
- ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ "Def Leppard Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ^ "Def Leppard Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 June 2022.