Def Leppard Announce 'Drastic Symphonies' With The London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Def Leppard will release a new album May 19 called Drastic Symphonies. The release will feature classic tracks alongside the work of The London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

You already know I love when rock and metal bands work with orchestras. Symphonic Led Zeppelin by the London Philharmonic Orchestra is one of my favorite albums of all time. Now I get a Def Leppard version - but this upcoming release is different! While the Led Zeppelin album - and many orchestral interpretations - just feature the music without lyrics, this new Lep work features the vocals, often in re-imagined or in re-recorded ways. About the upcoming release, Def Lep guitarist Phil Collen says:

"t was an amazingly inspirational process culminating in the live recording of the RPO at Abbey Road studios in London. An absolute team effort that took a good part of a year. It's a new Def Leppard album, it's a greatest-hits-plus album, with some rarely heard songs, it's a live RPO album and we think it's perfect."

You read that correctly: the Leps spent a year on the project. The songs were recorded last March and it's been in production since. I just pre-ordered the vinyl version off Amazon - it was around $40. You can do the same by clicking the image in this post.

Comments

[Gogmagog]

Hard pass. (It's not just Def Leppard ... I'm a hard pass on any rock bands reworking songs for symphony orchestras.)

[Him]

The Moody Blues with a full orchestra at Royal Albert? Yes (and I was there)! A lot of other bands doing the 'orchestral' treatment (maneuvers in or out of the dark optional)? Iffy, esp. when the original material is forced into a format that does not suit it, even if it is re-imagined or what have you.

'Tallica? Didn't make me hate or love them any more or less.

'Deth? Come on, Dave, gimme a break.

Zep? Been done at least a few times. Some work. Some don't. Opinions vary.

This Lep sample? Sounds like AI took the original vocals and washed them in 1s and 0s. And the band played on. No new tale to tell . . . even if they are trying. Speaking of which, Love and Rockets are touring in May. Yippee!!!

Consider a reverse design: take the best orchestral songs--or, say, classical ones--and submit them to a metal version? You buying? Or how about a really cool, chill, Brazilian-sounding song and then giving it that classic 70s rock sound? Oh wait. Blackmore already did that. It's called "Smoke on the Water." Giggle. Or how about the Fun Lovin' Criminals turning Ozzy and others (and themselves) into zombie-pot lounge music? Okay, I will admit the collection _Mimosa_ has some shiny moments, even if I don't know what the hell 420 is! And Laibach's _Opus Dei_ is an interesting thought-experiment/performance idea. You will never hear Queen the same way again!

But, no. Soft pass. I'm waiting for the _Songs from the Mom Jeans Lounge_ remixes. Oh wait. They have been doing that stuff for awhile now!