Keeping in mind that Def Leppard was one of the bands to head up the New Wave of British Metal movement including Iron Maiden, Diamond Head and Saxon, this important record is being re-issued by Mercury for Record Store Day.

Originally independently released in 1979, it established Def Leppard as a band with some balls, killer guitar players and a great singer. Of course, while the 3-song e.p. does foreshadow the commercial metal leanings they would quickly turn to as a top 10 band, the first two tracks on this record show the band to be young and full of fire. “Ride Into The Sun” is a straight up rocker with some blazing riffs and a great vocal delivery. “Getcha Rocks” is an instrumental with the band showing off its guitar solo dexterity and solid, heavy rhythms. “The Overture” is indeed a an epic at nearly 8 minutes. It begins with the soft sounding intro that the band would later capitalize on as a commercial success. Coming off sort of like a NWOBM version of Rush while attempting sound like Maiden, the song has some stunning heavy parts and pop-like mellow sections with Joe Elliott strongly hinting at the heartthrob singer he would later mold himself into. A limited edition for Record Store Day, the 12” record is a must have for newer fans who missed this stage of the band the first time around and people who can’t afford the rare original.