DEF LEPPARD‘s new single, “Kick”, has landed at position No. 39 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. It’s the British rockers’ first appearance on the chart since March 2003.
“Kick” is the first single from DEF LEPPARD‘s upcoming album, “Diamond Star Halos”, which will arrive on May 27 via UMe. The follow-up to 2015’s self-titled LP is available for pre-order now in multiple configurations, including a deluxe edition, 2-LP vinyl, digital formats and more. Exclusive bundles including newly designed album merch have also launched.
“Kick” is the first single from DEF LEPPARD‘s upcoming album, “Diamond Star Halos”, which will arrive on May 27 via UMe. The follow-up to 2015’s self-titled LP is available for pre-order now in multiple configurations, including a deluxe edition, 2-LP vinyl, digital formats and more. Exclusive bundles including newly designed album merch have also launched.
DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, who came up with “Kick” as an additional track after the first 14 songs were already completed, told Billboard that “‘Kick’ represented where we were at as well. It’s got that glam rock feel, that hand-clap groove, big vocals. It was just a no-brainer. It was not only that it’s got to be on the album, it’s got to be the first single as well.”
“It’s a stadium anthem, and we were about to go into stadiums,” singer Joe Elliott said. “We didn’t write it for that reason, but Phil‘s always trying to write the next ‘Sugar’ or ‘We Will Rock You’ or ‘I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll’. We all are, but he actually came up with one, and it’s, like, ‘Yeah, we’ve got to do that,’ so now it’s a 15-song record.”
“Kick” thrusts into an anthemic stadium-ready frenzy kickstarted with driving guitars and bombastic drums woven into its musical fabric. Meanwhile, the chorus has all the makings of another iconic LEPPARD hit with its skyscraping vocals and melodies the band has become synonymous for. The artwork for “Diamond Star Halos” is art in itself. The design follows pedigree with their instantly recognizable album covers from their celebrated past. With images by world renowned photographer and director Anton Corbijn, styling concepts by Maryam Malakpour and graphics by the U.K.-based Munden Brothers, the design truly follows the band’s influence through their eyes today.
Over the past two years, DEF LEPPARD recorded “Diamond Star Halos” simultaneously in three different countries with Elliott in Ireland, Rick Savage (bass) in England, and Collen, Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums) in the United States. Without the pressure of timelines or a fixed schedule, they poured all of their energy into crafting 15 meaningful tracks with a mixture of classic spirit meets modern fire. Thematically, they nodded to their earliest collective influences such as David Bowie, T.REX and MOTT THE HOOPLE, among others. The title itself notably references T.REX‘s “Bang a Gong (Get It On)”. However, they didn’t embark on this journey alone. The multi-Grammy Award-winning and legendary artist Alison Krauss lent her instantly recognizable and angelic voice to “This Guitar” and “Lifeless”, while David Bowie pianist Mike Garson performs on “Goodbye For Good This Time” and “Angels (Can’t Help You Now)”.
“Kick” can be streamed below, with “Diamond Star Halos” now available for preorder on the DEF LEPPARD web site in a variety of formats, including a deluxe edition, two-LP vinyl, digital and more.
“Diamond Star Halos” track listing:
01. Take What You Want
02. Kick
03. Fire It Up
04. This Guitar (feat. Alison Krauss]
05. Sos Emergency
06. Liquid Dust
07. U Rok Mi
08. Goodbye For Good This Time
09. All We Need
10. Open Your Eyes
11. Gimme A Kiss
12. Angels (Can’t Help You Now)
13. Lifeless (feat. Alison Krauss)
14. Unbreakable
15. From Here To Eternity
DEF LEPPARD‘s “The Stadium Tour” with MÖTLEY CRÜE, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS was originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020 but ended up being pushed back to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo credit: Anton Corbijn
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