Def Leppard - Hysteria (1987)

This album was released 3. August 1987 and is therefore 25 years and two days old.

I am one of those who did not particular enjoy Def Leppard's three first albums. Pyromania is OK. I had no wishes to get Hysterian back in August 1997. But I was swept away by the emotions and the miracle of the drummer who played/plays drums with one arm. So I got this album, played it and liked what I heard. It was a massive seller too. A well deserved best seller. More than twenty years has gone since I have played this album. I noticed the 25 years anniversary on Facebook and dusted of this album.

I am by no means a fan of big hair metal and AOR. Hysteria is unashamed that. It also has a sound I have not heard on any other album too. It has this almost organic techno sound. The songs are also very commercial too. I should really hate this album. But I don't hate it.

The songs are all great. The title track a superb song and the best song on Hysteria. The other songs are masterfully crafted too. There is a lot of excellent vocal and guitar harmonies on this album. The drums and bass is superb. Hysteria is by far the best of the big hair heavy metal albums and one of the last hurray of this genre before Nirvana's Nevermind album blew this scene out of the water and back to the underground again. Hysteria is anno 2012 a great album. It sounds better anno 2012 than back in 1987. It will not take me 20 years plus before I put it in my CD player again. Regard it as a regular in my living room. Happy anniversary !

4 points