Review: DEF LEPPARD's Candied Metal For Masses

August 13, 2003

Ben Rayner of the Toronto Star reviewed DEF LEPPARD's performance at the Molson Amphitheatre Tuesday night (August 12).

"Holding triumphant court before roughly 10,000 loyal fans — an aging crew fond of cellphone pouches, denim shirts and gratuitous breast implants — at the Molson Amphitheatre last night, DEF LEPPARD in 2003 sounded remarkably similar to DEF LEPPARD in 1983, when 'Pyromania' first sent the band rocketing to the top of the charts alongside Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'.

This is noble, since songs about the act of 'rockin'' — two off the top of the set, including the poetic statement of purpose 'Rock Rock (Till You Drop)' — and lyrics where the word 'woman' is uttered in close proximity to the phrase 'You know what I want' were hopelessly gauche when DEF LEPPARD was lining its bank account with them 20 years ago.

"And aside from the drudgerous 'Now' — a programmatic electro-rock dud from last year's 'X' album that recalled an even wussier LINKIN PARK fronted by Steve Perry — there were no awkward grasps at present-day relevancy in the set, only hits, hits, hits broken up by the occasional new number that slotted comfortably, if unremarkably, in with the whole.

"Whether your personal tastes lead you in that direction or not, the durability of the band's dumb-as-nails pop hooks is such that, eight bars into even such lesser catalogue entries as 'Make Love Like A Man' and 'Woman' ('Skin on skin / Let the love begin / Womaaaaaaan!') every single note comes roaring back from memory." Read more.

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