Def Leppard is a band with which I have a bit of a history. From their first appearance in Maine opening for Ozzy Osbourne at the Bangor Auditorium in the early 1980s to several shows in Portland in the new millennium, I've been an avid fan of this band.

Now, they have a brand new album, "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" (Bludgeon Riffola/Island/UMe Records), and once more they've proved that they are a viable group growing musically each and every year -- no resting on their laurels here.

Their body of work to date is phenomenal, to say the least, and they could easily tour on their greatest hits alone. But the 11 new tracks on this CD show that Joe Elliott, Rick Savage, Rick Allen, Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell can still write songs that take them in new directions with new power and those same gorgeous vocal harmonies. There's even a country twist with superstar Tim McGraw (who co-wrote "Nine Lives" with the band and sang on it, too) on their first single from "SFTSL."

Hats off to Rick Savage for the track "Love," which is a ballad of simple beauty and probably one of the softer moments from the lads (again, great harmonies, very Beatle/Queen-esque, for sure). And there are also some killer rockers in the form of "Go," "Cruise Control," "Hallucinate," "Tomorrow" and "Come Undone."

If you're like me, a DL fan, do yourself a big favor and pick up this album and enjoy the latest from one of the best bands around today -- period.