Def Leppard: Hysteria

Artist: Def Leppard
Album: Hysteria
Year: 1987
Line-Up:
             Joe Elliot: Vocals
             Rick Savage: Bass
             Rick Allen: Drums
             Steve Clark: Guitars
             Phil Collen: Guitars
Sub-Genre: Hard Rock

Def Leppard continue down the road they had chosen with Pyromania, simplifying the music further and making it more radio friendly. Where Pyromania was softened up but still had many a heavy moments, with Hysteria the band increases the pop content from it's pop metal to the point that it is more of a pop album than metal. Despite being influenced by Michael Jackson's Thriller, this record holds many an enjoyable moments and as a whole turns out to be a barrel of fun.

Musically the band has reduced much of its heaviness in favor of simple, catchy yet effective melodies which the listener can appreciate by the first listen itself. The songs are simple in structure and all of them are built around a couple of riffs at the most. Even though the riffs and melodies are simple, they are executed quite well by the guitarists. The lyrics are very poor related to the subjects found in traditional rock which make no sense whatsoever. The music is mid paced for most of the duration. The high point of the songs are the choruses. In a simple and straightforward record, it is the choruses that hold the key. And thankfully Hysteria is a winner in that department. The choruses are insanely catchy in a good way and appreciable at the first listen. They are further helped by the multi-layered and toned down vocals. Oh yes that does feel cheesy at times, but to be frank this whole record feels cheesy and sugary as the sweetest syrups you ever might have tasted and the great part is that it is still very enjoyable.

Among the songs, Gods Of War, Armageddon It, Animal, Women, Hysteria Run Riot are all instantly addicting classics. All of them feature excellent musical composition and stellar performances. Gods Of War especially contains a very laudable chorus and works as the highlight of the album. Run Riot is a faster track quite similar Let It Go with more melodic guitar work. Love Bites is a much of a love-hate track, which is a ballad and quite a dullard composition compared to the rest of the upbeat and energetic tracks.

Leppard with this album though may have mellowed their sound, still pack quite a lasting punch in terms of enjoyment. Even though the music is quite watered down and pop influenced it still serves as a great guilty pleasure listen when you have been saturated with your latest brutal, cult death metal records. Bottomline; this album is highly recommended for all fans of classical rock and hard rock. Fans of heavier music are also recommended to check this out.

Final rating: 78/100