Def Leppard enjoyed the process of recording virtually so much during the pandemic — they're looking to keep doing it in the future. Frontman Joe Elliott shed light on howe the band recorded their new album, Diamond Star Halos, which drops on May 27th, telling Classic Rock magazine, “It was so exciting to wake up in Dublin and see a message from (guitarist) Phil (Collen) with a new idea. This was a whole new way of working for us — and I don’t think we’ll ever do an album the traditional way again. This way, there was no pressure. And the record doesn’t sound disjointed. It sounds like a band all on the same page, which is what we are.”
This time around, guitarist Viv Campbell sat out of the composing duties for the album, admitting, “I just wasn’t ready this time. That’s the bottom line. I thought we were going on tour, and then it was: 'We’re making a record!' I was in full panic mode. I do feel bad for not pulling my weight. But it wasn’t like we were short of songs.”
Joe Elliott added: “Vivian was happy to do the Ronnie Wood thing on this record. But his contribution to this record is immense from a performance point of view. His (Jimi) Hendrix-like solo in 'This Guitar' is superb.”