Jared DuBach
Daily Egyptian
From the very start, 'Pyromania' has a hint of someone trying to record a musical masterpiece.
The only problem is that some great songs are mixed in with tunes that lack any substance other than fancy guitar playing. People who want to hear fancy guitar work can go and buy the latest Van Halen venture.
The first song on 'Pyromania,' "Rock Rock," starts out with a rather odd light melody but breaks into a raunchy guitar riff. The vocals on it differ quite a bit though from those on the rest of the album. One could even say that they sound a lot like the vocals of AC/DC singer Brian Johnson. What makes this even more interesting is that Pyromaniac's producer, Mutt Lange, produced and worked with AC/DC on their 1980 album, "Back in Black."
The next song, "Photograph," is a very radio-friendly song and will most likely be one of this album's singles. "Stagefright" lacks the intensity of the first two and hinders the flow of the album. Not only that, but lead singer Joe Elliott yells, "Welcome to the show" at the beginning of the song. Up until the release of 'Pyromania,' KISS front man Paul Stanley would proclaim this at the beginning of each KISS show. But perhaps this is just a coincidence.
"Too Late for Love" is a stirring rock 'n' roll love ballad that is just perfect for those weekend rides in the country. But once again, a dud for a song is stuck in the middle of a good mix of rocking tunes. Clocking in at more than six minutes makes "Die Hard the Hunter" a particularly long bore.
The B-Side of this album starts first with a fast tune, "Foolin'," and a ballad, "Rock of Ages." "Rock of Ages" tends to differ somewhat from "Too Late for Love" in that it is composed of varying rock 'n' roll sounds. Compared to "Too Late for Love," "Rock of Ages" is a ballad that is much better suited to the appeal of the target male-teenager audience.
As far as the rest of the album, 'Pyromania' seems to drop off after "Rock of Ages" as far as interest in sound and overall appeal is concerned. As a whole, 'Pyromania' will not be able to sell itself, but if the right songs are marketed and released as singles, Def Leppard could stand to gain a lot of popularity with this album.
For more information on Def Leppard, go to http://www.defleppard.com
Reporter Jared DuBach can be reached at jdubach@dailyegyptian.com
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
