Review Summary: "Pyromania" is a rare find in the world of 80's metal. Namely, it's good. Not only that, it's extremely good: 10 songs of pure melodic metal bliss, this record was released before Def Leppard became too obsessed with selling records to write anything of v
"Pyromania" is not generally considered to be Def Leppard's "signature album." Most unfortunately, that title is given to DL's next effort, "Hysteria," a collection of straight-up bubblegum rock that was primarily constructed around the goal of issuing a set of radio-friendly singles that pop stations as well as rock stations can play. And this is exactly what makes listening to "Pyromania" for the first time such a pleasant surprise to the metal fan, familiar only with "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Women."
"Pyromania" is ten songs of pure melodic-metal bliss. Whereas "Hysteria" represents everything there is to hate about the pop-metal explosion of the 80s, "Pyromania" represents everything to love.
And surprsingly, there's a lot to love. From the opening seconds of "Rock Rock (Till You Drop", which effectively builds anticipation for a raucous anthem with a crisp, crystal guitar chugging; to the explosive, repetatitive riff featured in the the album's closer, "Billy's Got A Gun," DL delivers effective, riff-heavy melodic metal that's sure to make even metal fans who are not impressed by most 80's metal want to bang his head. "Photograph" has singer Joe Elliot at the top of his game, as he wails out surprisingly rich lyrics, reportedly inspired by his obsession with Marilyn Monroe. "Stagefright" is almost all-out metal, with no sign of pop element until the chorus, which, while poppy, is a quite suiting respite to a song that would otherwise literally beat the listener into submission.
While Joe Elliot's vocals are a close second, the most impressive part of this album is the guitar. While it is mostly due to production, the guitars crunch and the bass pounds in such a clean, unison style that it makes even the most unthreatening of riffs sound like a bombing raid (case in point: the riff during the verses in "Die Hard the Hunter.") Elsewhere, the guitar goes instantly from a haunting, unnerving fuzz to a painfully loud monster-distortion and then back again. And then back again, actually ("Too Late for Love.")
In fact, the guitar (or at least the guitar production) is so incredible that it conceals what little flaws this gem carries. The weakest part of the album is the lyrics, which, if read without the music, are usually typical 80's cheese. "Billy's Got a Gun" is painfully melodramatic. "Rock of Ages" could truly have been written by a 9-year old KISS fan, with inane lines like "What do you want? What do you want? (I want rock'n'roll), yes I do
(Long live rock'n'roll)." But again, each one of these songs are saved by the guitars and Joe Elliot's wails. And besides, who can't give DL credit for at least writing a few songs about something other than the usual topic of 80's metal: sex?
Perhaps that's what makes this album so great: when you listen to it, you know full well the lyrics are cheesy. But, somehow, you manage not to feel guilty singing along. This is because in this album, unlike DL's contemporaries (and their own later albums), they manage to sound genuine. You can tell DL weren't writing these songs just to make money. They were enjoying what they were doing. It is sung and played this album with the same amount of conviction Led Zeppelin sung and played their classic tunes, and that's something perhaps no other 80's pop metal band can brag about.
And one last thing: it's nothing short of a crying shame that Def Leppard's most well known song is the mediocre "Pour Some Sugar on Me." "Too Late for Love," with its creepy, urgent atmosphere; piercing wails from Joe Elliot; haunting but earthquaking guitars; and most importantly, its message's utter seriousness, deserves to be heard by literally everyone on earth. It is by far DL's greatest song. "Pour Some Sugar on Me" is a joke lyrically. "Too Late for Love" shows off DL's strongest features: their ability to rock hard, be serious, and even... dare I say it?... make you think, certainly things "Pour Some Sugar on Me" doesn't even attempt to do.
