Warthur This is a bit of an oddity, since when you are listening to it you're hearing a Def Leppard lineup that never actually existed. Pete Willis had already laid down rhythm guitar parts for all of the songs when he was kicked out of the band due to his alcohol problems becoming too much for them to handle. In stepped new guitarist Phil Collen, who performs the lead guitar solos and sections that Willis hadn't recorded yet. Thus, even though Willis and Collen never actually shared a stage or recording studio with each other, you hear them both together on the album.

That's an interesting bit of trivia, but it's one which illustrates the transition the band was going through at this time: the rough and ready NWOBHM stylings of their previous albums was more or less absent at this point, and despite the violent cover art the music presented here is actually fairly middle of the road AC/DC-inspired hard rock with some mild glam metal undercurrents here and there. How much of this was down to Collen is an open question - it's notable that Collen's previous post had been with the glam band Girl, but regardless of whether he brought this new influence with him or whether he was chosen because the lads figured his style would fit with their new direction, the end result is some hard rockin' pop metal which is pleasant enough to listen to but which if you don't have any affection for it as a result of growing up with it won't necessarily win you over.

Sinkadotentree Late in 1979 i started buying cassettes instead of LPS because most of my listening back then was in my Trans Am.This was one of the few recordings i actually had on vinyl and cassette.The first time i ever heard of this band was when reading a Rock magazine and there was this picture of them all wearing t-shirts with different band names on them.They were all bands that i loved so i remembered the name DEF LEPPARD.I still remember buying this cassette and popping it in as we left the store for the 35 minute ride home.I had some Jensen triaxle 3 speakers in the back and a power-booster/equilizer so i could crank it.I remember the music being so loud at times i couldn't hear myself when i'd cough.Hey do you guys remember the video for "Photograph" with Elliott in that Union Jack t-shirt and Steve Clark with that low slung Les Paul ? Love these bands with the two lead guitarists.Phil Collen was the other one.Joe Elliott looked so much like this guy named Bobby i used to hang with in High School.Sadly he overdosed out in British Columbia many years ago."Pyromania" was my favourite recording from the band.Sure there was nothing too complex about it but it rocked out pretty good and had lots of great sounding tracks.My favourite was "Foolin'" but i liked them all."Comin' Under Fire" was probably the darkest and heaviest.Great tune.Anyway as i re-visit it there are defintetly lots of issues but this will always have sentimental value to me.Driving around the beaches with the t-roof off in the summer was a blast and this was a big part of it in the early eighties.

Time Signature Rock, rock till you drop...

Genre: heavy metal, hard rock

An album consisting of mostly solid hard rockers, "Pyromania" deserves its status as a heavy metal and hard rock classic. It is teeming with more or less classic guitar riffs, such as the simple, catchy and unforgettable main riff of the opening track "Rock! Rock! (Till you Drop!)", which, for my money, is an anthemic and headbanging inspiring heavy metal riff - even to this day.

This album is also interesting, because the original guitarist Pete Willis was kicked out during the recording and replaced by the talented Phill Collen, and thus the album contains guitar parts by both Collen and Willis.

This album is a metal classic and I think that it will appeal to most fans of hard rock and traditional heavy metal alike.