Halestorm, the hard rock band from Red Lion, Pennsylvania, was formed by Lzzy Hale (vocalist and guitarist) and her little brother Arejay Hale (drummer), when she was just 13 years old. Years later, guitarist Joe Hottinger and bassist Josh Smith joined the band. They signed with Atlantic records in 2005 and went on to release four studio albums. The self-titled debut album Halestorm was released in 2009, followed by The Strange Case Of in 2012, Into the Wild Life 2015 and Vicious 2018.
With hits like “Love Bites (So Do I)” that won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance in 2013 and albums like Into The Wild Life ranking at number five on Billboard 200 and Vicious at number eight on the charts, Halestorm is no stranger to the music scene. Being one of the top touring bands in the US often performing 250 shows per year they have a lot of die-hard fans lovingly called “freaks” excited to see them perform new music from their 5th studio album Back From The Dead released on May 6 after almost two years of no live shows.
The title track “Back From The Dead” was released as a single in August 2021 and starts with Lzzy screaming “I’m back from the dead.” This banger off a deeply emotional album is a perfect start to deliver the message that they are back and exited to be back with or without live shows. Kicking off some live shows after the release of the track proved that fans was just as exited to get new music from them and live shows returning. With lyrics like: “Back from the dead alive, Hell couldn’t hold me, Back from the other side, Up from the dirt I rise,” Lzzy shows her humanity by admitting that she has her own demons she had to fight throughout the past years. Being very interactive with her fans this humble and human side is what makes fans follow her and the band religiously. The #Freakfam is a fandom that inspires and support each other with Halestorm and Lzzy in the frontline. In an interview, Lzzy stated that she feels fans will relate to this album. Months of teasing with bits of lyrics on twitter and singing some of the new songs like “Bombshell” and “Raise Your Horns” during A Night With UK tour, showed fans really do relate to this album even before the release.
Listening through this album, it just highlights what makes Halestorm such a great band, they all deliver. The connection in the band can be heard through the perfect synchronizing of instruments not to mention Lzzy’s vocals, from screaming like a banshee to the soft emotional tone strong and otherworldly. This album takes you on a roller-coaster ride through anger, sadness, vulnerability to feeling alive, lifted and ready to take on the world. “Strange Girl,” inspired by a teenage girl whose parents was less than supporting when she came out as gay, touches the heart strings. “Would you call me daughter? Would you love me when my halo’s bent and crooked, when you call me malcontent? Sad, sicker than usual, Can’t you be more like the girl next door, Instead of little miss misfit” This song not so much a ballad but something to shout out. Being able to feel makes this a great anthem for anyone who feels like a “Strange Girl” no matter what the situation.
“Raise your Horns”: “Sing every verse, every sermon, for the dead are unheard, Shout from the rooftops while you still live every word, ‘Cause the pendulum swings for those who dare wait, Through flesh and through bone to where nothing escapes, So follow true north on the road that will lead you away, And raise your horns, Raise ’em high, Let ’em soar, Let ’em fly, Up through the heavens, Forevermore, Let ’em reign down, Raise your horns, Forgive every fear that convinced you to put out your light, Show every flaw, every scar that this world made you hide, From who you are” The #Raiseyourhorns campaign is something Lzzy started that promotes mental health and now this song pitches in on preaching about self-love. This song took me by surprise the first time I heard the video snippet when Lzzy sang it in the UK during a night with tour. Looking at the title, I expected that famous Lzzy scream but instead we got the soft vulnerable voice. It speaks to the masses just as loud as her screaming her head off voice, bringing fans across the world to tears. It’s the perfect ending to this album.
This album has the signature twist that Halestorm brings. There’s the dark and the light, it’s controversial and yes, Lzzy was right. It’s definitely relatable and for me, their best album yet.
I’m Music Magazine Contributing Writer Magda Engelbrecht
