Def Leppard announced their new album, Drastic Symphonies , in which the band re-recorded career classics alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of the United Kingdom. Interestingly, vocalist Joe Elliott performed duets with the Joe Elliott of 40 years ago on one of the tracks.
With a release date set for May 19th, the album will feature 16 songs. In the reworked versions, Def Leppard will showcase new guitars and vocals – including duets between the 63-year-old vocalist and a younger version of himself.
In an interview with BBC Radio 2's The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show Louder Sound) , Joe Elliot described the project and the experience of these duets between past and present. “What we did was rework 16 of our most symphonic songs, and we recorded this material with the Royal Philharmonic. I sang some of them again, because the original vocals were out of place after you added an orchestra. So, in one of the songs, which is called 'Too Late for Love', I did a duet with myself… from 40 years ago,” he said.
Regarding the feeling of having his own voice at different ages in the same songs, Elliot described the experience as "the weirdest thing," but also fun. "The timing and phrasing [of the songs] came to me instantly. It's like it never left my DNA. But it was one of the strangest things I've ever done. It was like singing with a ghost that's still alive, if that makes any sense," he explained.
The version of “Too Late For Love” hasn’t been released yet, but Def Leppard has already released the new track “Animal.” Listen below.
READ ALSO: Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard bring the best (and worst) of 80s rock to São Paulo
