On Through the Night
,
Def Leppard
's debut album, established the band as one of the leading lights of the
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
. While possessing the tight, controlled attack of comrades
Judas Priest
and
Iron Maiden
was uninterested in the fantastic, menacing, and sometimes gothic themes of those bands; instead,
is a collection of working-class
hard rock
anthems informed by the big, glittering hooks of
glam
rock
. It may lack the detailed production and more
pop
-oriented songwriting of later efforts, but it's also arguably their heaviest album, and some
Leppard
fans prefer this sound. ~ Steve Huey