Def Leppard: Phil Collen (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, mandolin); Vivian Campbell (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, dulcimer); Rick Savage (vocals, acoustic guitar, synthesized bass, bass); Joe Elliott (vocals, guitar, bass); Rick Allen (drums, percussion).

Additional personnel includes: Craig Pruess (conductor, arranger); Gloria Flores (vocals); Gavyn Wright (strings); Pete Woodroffe (piano, keyboards); Av Singh (dohl); Brad Buxer, Bobby Brooks, Hugh Drumm, Ger McDonnell (programming).

Recorded in Spain and Fine Bow Lane Studios, Dublin, Ireland.

With '80s hard rock all but dead and gone by the mid-'90s, Def Leppard rethought their approach and resurfaced with 1996's SLANG. The indulgences that rocketed Leppard to the top of the charts a decade earlier were stripped away as the veteran band attempted to stay in step with the new alternative rock acts.

While SLANG didn't hit the charts as hard as such past classics as PYROMANIA and HYSTERIA, it contained its share of highlights, namely "Work it Out," "All I Want is Everything," and "Blood Runs Cold." The group would revisit their original sound with their next release, 1999's EUPHORIA.

Entertainment Weekly (5/17/96, p.62) - "...Lep alternate sparkling ballads with industrial funk that won't sound outmoded on MTV. They come off as market-savvy pros, but creative pros." - Rating: B+