ALBUM REVIEW: Halestorm get Vicious with their new album

30th July 2018 admin

Within heavy music, there is a subset of bands whose sound is always reliably familiar. Cherished by fans and (usually) critics alike, they tread their path with determination and dependability, steadfast and true. Think AC/DC, or Def Leppard; ZZ Top or Blink-182: like a tin of Ronseal, you know exactly what you’re going to get – and we love them for it.

Take American hard rockers Halestorm, who have just released their fourth album “Vicious“: without even hearing a single word, chord or riff, you just know you’ll hear some powerful, triumphant vocals, sexy, defiant lyrics, punchy riffs and ‘classic rock given a modern feel’ tunes. It’s been that way ever since they formed in 1998 (yes, the band really are twenty years old this year) and signed to Atlantic Records, releasing three full length albums (their self-titled debut in 2009, The Strange
Case Of… in 2012, which earned them a Grammy award for lead single ‘Love Bites’, and 2015’s Into the Wild Life) as well as three ReAnimate Eps consisting purely of covers.

Frontwoman Lzzy Hale has become something of a legend in that time, with her fiery vocal style and unapologetic lyrics which deal with sexuality and solidarity in equal measure; she even won the Metal Hammer Golden Gods ‘Dimebag Darrell Shredder of the Year’ for her ferocious guitar playing in 2016.

And so to album number four, the boldly titled “Vicious”.

Recent interviews with Hale have revealed a struggle to create the album, as she dealt with something of an identity crisis and scrapped a swathe of tracks before finding a therapeutic catharsis in writing the songs that would eventually make the album. The result is twelve tracks that deal with overcoming inner demons, but also with being unapologetically proud of who you are, even if it doesn’t fit with the mainstream narrative. Take opening number ‘Black Vultures’, which teams defiant lyrics (“I don’t give in, I don’t give up”) with a gnarly wailing riff and a stomping chorus. ‘Uncomfortable’ follows a similar theme: a blistering blast of metal-edged hard rock, it is defiance personified with a simple yet devastatingly effective chorus – and the pre-chorus line “I did it all to break every single preconceived notion” may as well be Hale’s personal motto.

Sex and sexuality also play a major role in the album, as it has done on their previous releases. A trio of tracks are presented for your pleasure, beginning with ‘Buzz’, an homage to Joan Jett if ever there was one, all raunchy riffs and ‘gimme more’ lyrics. Then there’s ‘Do Not Disturb’, a slinky and fun celebration of female sexuality – and if you’re looking for coy, you won’t find it here. What you will find is the first guitar solo of the album, and a vibrant, joyous one at that. Finally, there’s ‘Conflicted’, which sees Hale pondering the Rules (who calls first, when should you see someone again after a date) as she decides to take charge and get her kicks with her new man. As a group of songs, they sizzle.

It’s not all fun and games though, with a few tracks delving into the darker side of life. ‘Skulls’, the bastard son of classic rock and nu-metal, despairs at the state of the world but reiterates the author’s determination not to succumb like everyone else, while ‘Killing Ourselves to Live’, a stomper of a number with a proper anthemic chorus, has a rather melancholy feel. There’s also the ather bitter ballad ‘Heart of Novocaine’, which follows in a similar vein of Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Because of You’ or even ‘Blood’ by In This Moment by sarcastically thanking an ex for making her heart numb.

In an album packed with potential hits, there are two that stand out (outside of bolshy lead single ‘Uncomfortable’): White Dress is a brash and bold track, filled simultaneously with self-realising lyrics and an apology of sorts to family and friends (“I’m not the girl in the white dress”). It’s a real rallying cry’ song, broadly similar to ‘Freak Like Me’ and ‘Rock Show’. Then there’s the final track on the album, the gorgeous ‘The Silence’. A rather simple number, it sees Hale reminiscing about a
previous relationship in a voice so filled with yearning and melancholy that it’s sure to raise goosebumps on the listener (and maybe even a tear or two). It’s stunning, and a superb way to wrap the album up.

Halestorm certainly have hit on a winning formula with their songwriting: some tasty licks, fist-pumping drums, impassioned lyrics which hide nothing, and a gloriously powerful vocal performance that leaves the listener both agog and elated in equal measure. “Vicious” combines of all that with crisp production and a bunch of songs that could all potentially become live favourites almost immediately. Have they reinvented the Halestorm wheel? Hell no – and we wouldn’t want it any other way.