Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has returned to his heavy metal roots, recording brand new material with his former band Sweet Savage for the first time in nearly 45 years. The unexpected reunion was exclusively revealed by Sweet Savage frontman Ray Haller during a recent conversation with Eonmusic‘s Eamon O’Neill.
Speaking backstage at the Download festival, Haller confirmed that the collaboration is part of a larger archival project focusing on the Belfast group’s formative years. With the backing of Universal Records, the band is preparing to open their vault of unreleased classic-era material.
“Universal want to put out all the old stuff, so we’re going to,” Haller told Eonmusic. “We’ve gone through all these tapes and all these recordings from the ’80s. Then Viv and I came up with the idea, ‘Why don’t we do two new ones?’ So we recorded two new songs, and they’re ready to rock and roll.”
Although the newly recorded tracks were originally intended to debut this year, the release timeline has been pushed back to accommodate Campbell‘s extensive touring obligations with Def Leppard. The band is now targeting an early 2027 release to ensure a proper promotional cycle.
“We think it would be more advantageous to hold it until the start of next year,” Haller added. “The two new songs are absolutely amazing. It’s Viv, and it’s the Viv that we know.”
Vivian Campbell co-founded Sweet Savage with Haller in 1979 when they were still teenagers, helping to establish a sound that would become a vital piece of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. He remained with the group until 1982 before exiting to achieve massive global success with Dio, Whitesnake, and eventually Def Leppard. Despite his early departure, he maintained a close friendship with Haller. The two previously shared a stage in February 2011 when Campbell joined Sweet Savage to perform “Killing Time” during support slots for Thin Lizzy in Belfast and Dublin.
The legacy of Sweet Savage was famously introduced to a new generation of fans when Metallica covered “Killing Time“, releasing it as the B-side to their massive 1991 single “The Unforgiven“. Haller has consistently credited the thrash legends with keeping the band’s name alive during their hiatus.
This upcoming archival release and the new tracks with Campbell will follow Sweet Savage‘s recent creative resurgence, arriving on the heels of their acclaimed 2025 studio album, Bang.
