Diamond Star Halos
An elaborate black-and-white drawing of a human eye in a diamond in the middle of several other patterns and objects.
Studio album by
Def Leppard
Released27 May 2022
Genre
Length61:27
Label
Producer
  • Def Leppard
  • Ronan McHugh
Def Leppard chronology
The Story So Far – The Best Of
(2018)		 Diamond Star Halos
(2022)		 Drastic Symphonies
(2023)
Singles from Diamond Star Halos
  1. "Kick"
    Released: 17 March 2022[4]
  2. "Take What You Want"
    Released: 20 April 2022[5]
  3. "Fire It Up"
    Released: 20 May 2022[6]

Diamond Star Halos is the twelfth studio album by the English rock band Def Leppard. It was released on 27 May 2022 through Bludgeon Riffola and Mercury Records,[7][2] and is the band's first studio album in nearly seven years since 2015's Def Leppard. The album takes its name from the 1971 T. Rex single "Get It On"[8] and includes imagery from Anton Corbijn, Maryam Malakpour, and Oliver and Joshua Munden.[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
The Arts Desk[1]
Blabbermouth.net7/10[2]
Louder Sound[3]
The Daily Telegraph[11]

Ultimate Classic Rock's Michael Gallucci called the album "most obvious callback to glam's glory days as well as their own past triumphs", claiming that the band have learned to not "mess with what works" unlike past projects Slang and X. Having noted influences of glam rock stars David Bowie, Mott the Hoople and T. Rex, Gallucci also wrote that while, "like most tribute albums, the take-and-give results on Diamond Star Halos don't always match what was heard the first time around", "the band hasn't sounded this invigorated on record since the early '90s."[8] The Arts Desk's Joe Muggs wrote that "this album starts and ends so brilliantly", starting with "a salvo of three tracks that remind you exactly why Def Leppard became one of the biggest bands in the world in the mid Eighties" and ending with "heavily Queen-indebted high drama closer 'From Here to Eternity'", a "grand way to close a record", contrasting with a middle section that is "way too generic, slightly countrified and very American soft rock" and "can't really live up" to "these great bookends".[1]

Blabbermouth.net's Dom Lawson explains the band's appeal as being because they "have never stopped behaving like the wide-eyed, priapic teenagers they were when they penned 'Hello America' all those years ago" rather than "resting on their laurels, touring the world on an endless nostalgia trip and never again making a new album", and that while the band are "relaxed" and the album "low on shiny bells and high-tech whistles", "it compensates by being (mainly) full of simple, heartfelt and punchy songs" and "is a very good time had by all."[2] Louder Sound's Neil Jeffries called "SOS Emergency", "All We Need", "Open Your Eyes", "Gimme a Kiss", and "Unbreakable" "especially strong" and "stadium pleasers in the grand Leppard tradition"; and the album "best appreciated as a double album: three sides, each begun by three rockers and ending with a change of pace, then a shorter fourth side that abandons the pattern and goes out on the high of [Rick] Savage's 'From Here to Eternity', an epic track with a swinging, Pink Floyd-like tempo."[3] The Telegraph's James Hall also emphasised the album's "[not messing] with the formula" in comparison to Slang, save for the "fascinating curveballs" brought in the form of the Alison Krauss-featuring "This Guitar" and "Lifeless", the former of which Hall called the better of the two and "a subtle (by Def Leppard standards) ballad that could well turn out to be a smash in the Nashville country charts."[11] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that "Leppard crank up the hooks, melodies, and amplifiers, adding little bits of distinctive flair along the way", noting that "its individual moments may not be excessive" but "the cumulative effect is almost overwhelming, especially as Def Leppard gives it their all in each cut."[10]

Ultimate Classic Rock placed Diamond Star Halos at 13th of their top 30 best rock albums of 2022.[12]

Track listing

Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Take What You Want"
4:14
2."Kick"
3:42
3."Fire It Up"
3:19
4."This Guitar" (featuring Alison Krauss)
3:50
5."SOS Emergency"
  • Elliott
  • Collen
3:25
6."Liquid Dust"Collen4:01
7."U Rok Mi"Collen3:33
8."Goodbye for Good This Time"Elliott4:27
9."All We Need"
  • Elliott
  • Collen
4:46
10."Open Your Eyes"
  • Elliott
  • Collen
4:19
11."Gimme a Kiss" (Called "Gimme a Kiss That Rocks" on the CD version)
  • Elliott
  • Collen
3:12
12."Angels (Can't Help You Now)"Elliott4:57
13."Lifeless" (featuring Alison Krauss)
  • Elliott
  • Collen
4:19
14."Unbreakable"Elliott3:46
15."From Here to Eternity"Savage5:37
Total length:61:27
Deluxe edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
16."Goodbye for Good This Time" (Avant-Garde Mix)Elliott4.34
17."Lifeless" (Joe Only Version)
  • Elliott
  • Collen
4.21
Total length:70:22
Japanese standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
16."Angels (Can't Help You Now)" (Stripped Version)Elliott4.57
17."This Guitar" (Joe Only Version)
  • Vanston
  • Collen
3.50
Total length:70:14

Personnel

Def Leppard

  • Joe Elliott – lead vocals, guitar (8, 12, 14), additional engineering
  • Phil Collen – guitar (1–7, 9–15), backing vocals (1), additional engineering
  • Rick Savage – bass guitar, guitar (1–3, 15), backing vocals (1), additional engineering
  • Vivian Campbell – guitar, backing vocals (1), additional engineering
  • Rick Allen – drums

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Diamond Star Halos
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] 3
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[14] 10
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[15] 30
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[16] 17
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[17] 16
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[18] 45
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[19] 61
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[20] 8
French Albums (SNEP)[21] 27
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22] 8
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[23] 18
Irish Albums (IRMA)[24] 25
Italian Albums (FIMI)[25] 86
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[26] 16
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[27] 19
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[28] 21
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[29] 22
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[30] 12
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[31] 26
Scottish Albums (OCC)[32] 3
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[33] 16
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[34] 14
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[35] 4
UK Albums (OCC)[36] 5
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[37] 1
US Billboard 200[38] 10
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[39] 2

References

  1. 1 2 3 Muggs, Joe (26 May 2022). "Album: Def Leppard - Diamond Star Halos". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lawson, Dom. "Def Leppard - Diamond Star Halos". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Jeffries, Neil (26 May 2022). "Def Leppard have just released their best album in 30 years". Louder Sound. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  4. ↑ Brannigan, Paul (17 March 2022). "Def Leppard announce new album Diamond Star Halos, share single "Kick"". Louder Sound. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  5. ↑ "Def Leppard Releases New Single "Take What You Want"". Blabbermouth.net. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "Def Leppard Releases new single "Fire It Up"". Blabbermouth.net. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  7. ↑ "Def Leppard's Diamond Star Halos gets the coloured vinyl treatment". Metal Hammer. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  8. 1 2 Gallucci, Michael (25 May 2022). "Def Leppard, Diamond Star Halos: Album Review". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  9. ↑ Peacock, Tim (17 March 2022). "Def Leppard Announce New Album, Diamond Star Halos". uDiscoverMusic. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  10. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Def Leppard Diamond Star Halos". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  11. 1 2 Hall, James (27 May 2022). "Def Leppard, Diamond Star Halos". The Telegraph. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  12. ↑ Irwin, Corey (23 November 2022). "Top 30 Rock Albums of 2022". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  13. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  14. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  15. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  16. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  17. ↑ "Def Leppard Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  18. ↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 22.Týden 2022 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  19. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  20. ↑ "Def Leppard: Diamond Star Halos" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  21. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  22. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  23. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2022. 22. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  24. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Def Leppard". Hung Medien. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  25. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  26. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2022-06-06/p/2" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  27. ↑ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2022/06/01 公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  28. ↑ "Charts.nz – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  29. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  30. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  31. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  32. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  33. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  34. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  35. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  36. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  37. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  38. ↑ "Def Leppard Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  39. ↑ "Def Leppard Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
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