Def Leppard On Track

In thebeginning, there was Led Zeppelin – and Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple, theprogenitors of British heavy metal, a musical form that wildly expanded theterrain of rock in the early Seventies. And as that decade progressed, it beganto mutate, as Judas Priest fused heavy metal’s intensity and dark emotion withunbridled theatricality and the power of twin guitars. The New Wave of BritishHeavy Metal was underway. Five young men from Sheffield – some of them still inschool – took that new sound and infused it with large doses of the glam they’dgrown up on – T. Rex, Queen, Davie Bowie – and blazed a trail into theEighties, leading NWOBHM into the new era of MTV.

   Taking the name Def Leppard, they broughtunprecedented energy and innovation to every song, to every show, thenpartnering with legendary producer Mutt Lange to become heavy metal’s apostlesto top 40 radio – delivering an astonishing string of hit singles andmulti-platinum albums while setting new standards for arena rock.

 

   They’restill rocking the world today, a dozen albums in, touring the world and neverresting on their laurels. Heavy metal, NWOBHM, hair metal have all come andgone – but Def Leppard remain