Review
By 1979, Led Zeppelin were no longer the swaggering gods of IV or Physical Graffiti — they were battle-worn, fractured, and searching for direction. In Through the Out Door captures that turbulence with a strange mix of exhaustion and experimentation. Recorded at ABBA’s Polar Studios in Stockholm, it’s the band’s most keyboard-driven album, with John Paul Jones’ synths and Jimmy Page’s guitar switching roles in a way that signaled both evolution and fatigue. The result is uneven but fascinating — a record that feels like the sound of a once-mighty machine trying to reinvent itself.
Tracks like “Fool in the Rain” and “All My Love” show unexpected warmth, blending samba rhythms and sentimental balladry in ways few hard rock acts would have dared. “Carouselambra,” meanwhile, is a sprawling, synth-laden epic that feels like a peek into what Zeppelin might’ve become had they survived the ’80s. Yet there’s melancholy everywhere: Robert Plant’s lyrics ache with loss and nostalgia, and Page’s guitar, though still brilliant, sometimes lurks in the mix rather than leading it. It’s as if the band knew the curtain was falling and decided to write their epilogue instead of another anthem.
In Through the Out Door isn’t the record that defines Led Zeppelin, but it might be the one that humanizes them most. It’s weary, wounded, and weirdly beautiful — the sound of a band burning its last candle, still trying to find light in the smoke. - Graham
