Def Lepp

After the lackluster performance of Adrenalize, Def Leppard realized it was time to abandon their trademark wall-of-guitars sound. Jettisoning producer Mutt Lange – who, admittedly, was busy producing his wife, country singer Shania Twain – the group stripped its sound to the basics for Slang…

VAULT: DEF LEPPARD GREATEST HITS (1980-1995) is DEF LEPPARD'S first compilation album released October 31, 1995. The album contained 15 hits and one new original song. The single 'When Love & Hate Collide' reached number two on the UK singles chart, the highest ever for a single alongside 'Let's Get Rocked'.

After the lackluster performance of Adrenalize, Def Leppard realized it was time to abandon their trademark wall-of-guitars sound. Jettisoning producer Mutt Lange – who, admittedly, was busy producing his wife, country singer Shania Twain – the group stripped its sound to the basics for Slang. There are very few layers-of-guitar effects on the album, just straight, crunching chords. Most notably, Rick Allen has returned to playing acoustic drums after playing an electronic kit for nearly a decade. The change in approach is apparent and welcome – Def Leppard hasn't sounded so immediate since Pyromania. Furthermore, they decided to expand their musical vocabulary slightly, working elements of R&B and funk into the rhythms. Not all of the experiments work, but Def Leppard sound revitalized, particularly when they attack a straightforward rocker. Slang would have been even better if they had come up with a set of hooks that sounded as alive as their performance, but the album is a much-needed return to form for the group.

Like 2005's Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection, 2018's The Story So Far: The Best of Def Leppard spans 35 songs spread over two discs. Since this is a basic hits collection, that means there is considerable overlap between the two compilations: a grand total of 20 tracks, with the remaining 15 largely dedicated to deep cuts, along with a new cover of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus." On the whole, The Story So Far doesn't necessarily best Rock of Ages, but it's not worse, either. The difference between the two compilations is on the margins, with the album cuts on both proving that Def Leppard delivered plenty of excellent music that wasn't always hits.

Like 2005's Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection, 2018's The Story So Far: The Best of Def Leppard spans 35 songs spread over two discs. Since this is a basic hits collection, that means there is considerable overlap between the two compilations: a grand total of 20 tracks, with the remaining 15 largely dedicated to deep cuts, along with a new cover of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus." On the whole, The Story So Far doesn't necessarily best Rock of Ages, but it's not worse, either. The difference between the two compilations is on the margins, with the album cuts on both proving that Def Leppard delivered plenty of excellent music that wasn't always hits.

Def Con Dos - Alzheimer
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 489 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: DRO # 063011944 2 | Country/Year: Germany 1995
Genre: Rock, Hip Hop, Electronic | Style: Crossover

A rap/metal act from Spain, Def Con Dos started playing covers of Public Enemy and Beastie Boys while touring Madrid's club scene under the name of Freddy Krueger y los Masters del Universo. Soon they recorded a demo called Primer Asalto, signed up to local label Dro, and released Segundo Asalto in February of 1990. A good chance to leave the underground came when Def Con Dos, also known as DCD, had the opportunity to open for Run-D.M.C. while the American rap band was touring Spain. Kamarada Nikolai became DCD's new member before recording Alzheimer, released in April of 1995. Soon after, they recorded the main title for Alex de la Iglesia's movie El Día de la Bestia…