Releasing an album of some of your memorable and some not, songs in a new rendition with the help of Symphonic orchestra, is something that since the late 60s with DEEP PURPLE has engaged most of the famous bands. From METALLICA to SCORPIONS, the attraction of the black and white formal c;assical Symphonic orchestra was always a bit of validation for the seasoned rock musicians. Credibility, that their popularity and sales couldn't give among the mature audiences. The results were not always successful. From time to time we have exaggerations, or very successful experiments , or just a cinematic version with the addition of some cheesy strings to some well known songs. Everything depends on the budget, the interest and the curiosity of the rock musicians. THERION is the prime example on how you could take your music to another level and become part of the classical music genre, along with MEKONG DELTA and a few other artists like Yngwie Malmsteen.
DEF LEPPARD knows their songs, their strengths and their limitations. They introduce some of the most well known songs with differences in the approach, vocaly and in the orchestration as the classical orchestra, gives the extra depth, the extra strength that some of these songs needed. You can listen to a more sensitive and sugar coated "Love bites'', a different less rock, more chamber music "Pour some sugar on me" and in general to an album where the songs havent changed dramatically, but have departed from the 3/4 rock roots for good. A fine example is the instrumental "Switch 625' and the monstrous, over energized 'Gods of war' where the songs elevate to a new level of immensity and melody.A mature album, a fruitful collaboration covering most of the DEF LEPPARD era, focusing on bringing to the front a different aesthetic , creating a balanced album of new versions of well known songs, enhanced and not drawn by the classical instruments.
This is another successful addition to the DEF LEPPARD armoury and an album proving that especially for some of their songs there is much more meat and potatoes than the Mutt Lange over polished production ever let to be seen.
7,5
Comments