Arguably one of the best and, (no argument here) the best-selling of the new wave of 1980’s British heavy metal acts, The Leps have always paid much more attention to songwriting and studiocraft than most of the bunch. Hence their mammoth success at the time with multi-million selling albums like Pyromania and Hysteria which spawned anthems such as ‘Animal’,

‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ and ‘Love Bites’.

Recorded in three separate locations (Dublin, LA and, perhaps surprisingly the Swedish hit factory of Andreas Carlsson and Per Aldeheim who’ve also produced hits for Britney and The Backstreet Boys), X is their tenth album in a career spanning a quarter of a century.

The band’s trademark megawatt riffs, killer guitar lines, multi-layered vocals and aural sweep are all present and correct but X sees a more considered (did somebody say mature?) approach to songwriting. In fact, they’ve rarely sounded mellower than on the acoustic balladry of ‘Long Long Way To Go’ with its memorable melody and lighter-waving chorus. ‘Unbelievable’ too is almost boy-band sweet and syrupy, the heavily textured guitars the only clue to the band’s pedigree.

On the other hand, ‘You’re So Beautiful’ and ‘Four Letter Word’ are both worthy rockers with a sharp metallic edge that would comfortably stand side-by side with any of their past glories.

There are times though when they come across as bland and unadventurous, the mid-paced rocker ‘Everyday’, for example, veers way too close to Bryan Adams for my liking.

Which is a shame really because at least some of the time, X hits the spot.