What I Know:
Named after singer and undoubted focal-point Lzzy Hale (oh, and her brother Arejay), Halestorm are a punk-rock four-piece from Pennsylvania.

Having released their first full-length back in 2009, the band came to wider prominence in 2013 when their track Love Bites (So Do I) won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. However, the accolade is considered something of an albatross around their neck in some quarters as it’s led some to disregard them as ‘pop’.

Now returning with their fourth album Vicious in July, lead single Uncomfortable is starting to win around the doubters.

What I Like:
There’s no doubting Ms. Hale is pissed off. Sample the following lyrics;

I do it ’cause I love it
And I want some more of it
And I do it ’cause you said I can’t
I do it ’cause you fight it
And I know that you don’t like it when open up and talk about sex
I do it ’cause you hate me
And I do it for the ladies

Now, in some respects, this could be a retort to anything from an ex-boyfriend to those who’ve demeaned her band to some headmaster who once told her she couldn’t dye her hair.

But, in the #MeToo era we live in, it’s difficult not to read this as a battle cry for women everywhere; especially when it comes from a female working in such a male-dominated genre as metal.

I’ll admit, while I instantly fell in love with the Amen-sized riffs and Metallica-style stabs on Uncomfortable, Hale’s higher register did initially (if you pardon the pun) make me feel somewhat uncomfortable.

But, the more I listened to it, the more I’ve grown to like the more melodic quality it has – especially on the choruses where Hale’s singing of the song’s title sounds as sweetly sinister as it’s supposed to.

In another verse, Hale claims she’s ‘one of the boys’ but, in truth, she isn’t in my eyes and nor should she be. Her voice is different to those you typically hear in metal but it’s no worse for being so; in fact, it has it’s own qualities and strengths and is rightly being applauded for them.

LIKE THIS? TRY THESE

Halestorm: Love Bites (So Do I)
Amen: Drive
Metallica: Hardwired

THIS WEEK’S TRACKLIST

The Overview
Recommended Music | 8th June 2018

The ‘Charm Offensive’
Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson: Iguana Bird

The ‘Peaceful Protest’
Umi Copper: Requiem

‘Guerilla Warfare’
Oneohtrix Point Never: Warning

The ‘Quiet Riot’
Ben Howard: Nica Libres at Dusk