DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen tells Artisan News that the band will enter the studio on February 1 to begin work on the follow-up to 2008's "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge".

"I saw Joe [Elliott, vocals], Vivian [Campbell, guitar] and Rick [Allen, drums] on Rick's birthday out here on November 1," he said (see video below). "And we were discussing and we were all excited and buzzing about new material. I can't even remember the last time we were like that about that stuff. 'Cause it's been a long time since we've had new recordings out, so it's like a brand new band; you have all these ideas and we're just gonna get together and bash it out."

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Collen revealed that the band has plans to record both an EP and full-length album. He explained: "An album would obviously take too long, so we're gonna do about four or five songs, get those out and then [later in the] year have an album come out, so it'll be an EP and an album."

DEF LEPPARD will release a Deluxe Edition of its 1996 classic album "Slang" across multiple formats through its own Bludgeon Riffola label on February 10.

The "Slang" reissue will be available in three formats: a CD Deluxe Edition and Digital Edition containing the original 11 album tracks remastered and original rare bonus tracks made up of demos, alternate versions and mixes with a series of new songs recorded during the time the band was creating "Slang". Most of these additional bonus tracks have never been released. A special iTunes Digital Edition will have everything from the Digital Edition, plus a further set of additional bonus tracks. A Double Vinyl Deluxe Edition will also be available and will feature the original album, and its own set of exclusive songs.
The band will release a special "Slang Video Collection" the same day (February 11) exclusively on iTunes that will feature videos from singles "Slang", "Work It Out" and "All I've Ever Wanted".

"Slang" was first released in May 1996 and is considered the band's most underrated album. At the time of its release, the music industry was at the height of the '90s grunge scene and DEF LEPPARD with bands like NIRVANA, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and PEARL JAM were dominating the airwaves. Despite this musical shift, "Slang" charted on the Top Five U.K. official chart and the Top 15 in the U.S. on The Billboard 200 chart. The album was also voted in the Top Ten Albums Of 1996 by the U.K.'s prestigious Q magazine.

As a testament to DEF LEPPARD's music transcending through time, "Slang" was recognized for its musical departure from the band's signature sound. The collection incorporated new sonic elements that gave the album a slightly darker introspective mood than their previous releases. As guitarist Phil Collen stated in an interview with Metal Hammer: "We've all got personal things that have happened during the recording of 'Slang', and we've just ploughed on and some of it has come out on the record."

DEF LEPPARD has tapped TRIXTER guitarist Steve Brown to fill in for Vivian Campbell while Vivian is undergoing stem-cell treatment in his continuing battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Brown will make his live debut with DEF LEPPARD at the pre-game show at the first of this year's three NFL International Series games on Sunday, September 28, when the Oakland Raiders host the Miami Dolphins. He will also perform with DEF LEPPARD in Santa Ynez, Rancho Mirage and Temecula in late October and early November.

Campbell — who before joining DEF LEPPARD in 1992 was well known for his work with DIO and WHITESNAKE — went public with his Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis last summer, but announced in November that he was in remission.

The term "remission" means that the symptoms of the cancer have either been eliminated or reduced. When the tumor is completely gone, doctors call it "complete remission."

However, Campbell revealed earlier in the year that the cancer had returned and he was battling the disease with a new high-tech chemo treatment.

In a message to fans on DEF LEPPARD's official web site, Campbell wrote: "While I can't say that I'm looking forward to the process ahead, I'm very much looking forward to what I feel will be a most successful outcome.

"Next year will be very busy for DEF LEPPARD with a new album and a world tour, and frankly, I don't think they would sound as loud without me, so I have no intention of letting the team down!"

Selon Phil Collen de DEF LEPPARD, le prochain album du groupe sera "la meilleure chose depuis Hysteria", et sortira en octobre prochain. Le groupe a enregistré les chœurs et met les touches finales à ce projet. L'enregistrement de cet album s'est finalement fait en trois étapes. Au départ, un single, puis un EP, pour aboutir à 12 puis 14 chansons avec de grosses guitares rock enregistrées en live avec tout le groupe et du travail de composition en studio.
"Tout s'est fait dans une ambiance relax, sans aucune pression de qui que ce soit ! Il n'y a rien d'expérimental dans ce nouvel album. Nous avons laissé les choses s'exprimer simplement.".