3 STARS (out of 5): "Slang" must have taken Def Leppard a long time to complete, the production effort alone is stellar but presents a two-fold problem. "Slang" sounds too good (how's that for a problem) and fans may be sorely disappointed when Leppard heads to the road and has to recreate the new tunes live.
But what of the rest of the album? Fans may be pleasantly surprised at the tact Leppard and producer Pete Woodroffe took with songs that, otherwise, might seem flat in today's supercharged music world.
The first three cuts, "Truth?", "Turn To Dust" and the title track offer the listener a good first impression as to what the rest of the 8-tracks have in store.
"Slang" has its share of low points, the ballads - for example: "Breathe A Sigh" and "All I Want Is Everything" miss the crucial element of passion (perhaps it's just too far down in the mix).
Another low point: "Deliver Me" seems to be Def Leppard's tip of the hat to alternative. The song seems out of place, almost hard rock Nirvana-esque. "I'm tired of feeling hateful / I'm tired and I can't breathe... That's me diggin' my heeels in / That's me with the Holy Ghost."
Within the boundaries of what Def Leppard is famous for -- hard rock -- with a little more production thrown in for good measure, the hard music on "Slang" is a pretty good. Everything else on the release can be shipped off to "Pyromaniacs Anonymous".
-- Lisa Fairbanks
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