Ever find yourself longing for the days when Def Leppard released albums with titles that didn’t stretch beyond one word? Pyromania, Hysteria, Adrenalize. OK, forget Adrenalize, but you know what I mean.

But Songs From The Sparkle Lounge? How rock and roll is that for an album title? And take a look at that album cover – I see what you did there, Leppard, you ripped off the Sgt Pepper’s cover. Highly original. Bet no-one’s done that before.

Forgive me folks, I’m always hardest on the bands I’ve loved in the past and want to love again. And the press release over on Heavy Metal Addiction site definitely bodes well for fans like me who severed their connection with Def Leppard with Adrenalize:

“The whole record’s got a great ’70s feel,” said lead singer Joe Elliott. “By our standards, it’s a very different album as we’ve been very adventurous, musically, on certain numbers. On the album there are classic Def Leppard songs and then there’s also tracks that are very new-wave influenced while others sound like middle-to-late ’70s AC/DC. There will definitely be some moments on it where anybody that’s familiar with our music will go, ‘Whoa! I wasn’t expecting that!’”

Apparently, the songs have the writing values of Hysteria coupled with the production values of High N Dry. That ticks all the right boxes, doesn’t it?

Other stuff you need to know: The Sparkle Lounge is named after a backstage area where the band would go to write songs while on tour. Makes a change from all those tales of fornicating with groupies.

The album’s slated for a phased release: 29th April in North America, 30th April in Japan and their loyal British fans get the album last, on 5th May. Thanks lads!

Track Listing

1. Nine Lives
2. C’mon C’mon
3. Go
4. Love
5. Cruise Control
6. Bad Actress
7. Hallucinate
8. Tomorrow
9. Come Undone
10. Only The Good Die Young
11. Gotta Let It Go