Halestorm: A Hard Rocking Debut

HALESTORM. 

SCORE: 87/100

Halestorm's label debut is a fiery project, showcasing the vocal powers of Lzzy Hale and painting a portrait of a band that is led by a fine-tuned vocalist and instrumental precision. 

It's a hard rock record that keeps both the 2000's and more dated sounds in tact, making them all come together for a delightfully blended and well-crafted rock record that keeps itself centered and grounded. It's unbiasedly heavy rock, and it feels like something perfect for any fans of hard rock - it isn't too generic while still keeping a formula, and it comes together with delightfully catchy tracks and a sharp edge that other bands do not possess with such a bright flame. 

Hale is catty with her deliveries, clearly confident and able to clearly annunciate the lyrics that she had helped to craft and bring to life. With a great team of writers and Howard Benson backing production, the album turned out sharp with just enough grit and glamour to feel like a competitor to any men in the rock scene - Hale never came to boast, she just came to rock; and the authenticity of the album is what makes it count as much as it does.

There is a delightfully inclined mix of older, more classic rock sounds, ballads, and heavy, more modernized tracks that keep the album fresh and timeless despite its age. It's a gorgeously wise rock portrait that does everything it needs to do, and despite some weaker moments, everything falls into place very well in the end and keeps a solidly pristine structure that does have some needed bumps. 

"We lived through a fire, a mudslide, an earthquake and 19 months in Burbank, California to make sure our debut album was released." -Hale [Wikipedia] 

Here, there is a lack of a falsified persona, instead leaving an authentically real and true album that stays true to the band's members and their styles. It's clear that the members play together very well, and Hale leads the band with her soaring, clawing vocal performances that steal every show they're a part of. 

The album keeps a sense of power while providing cinematic and varied tracks, with every song being something completely different and something to enjoy; there's something for everyone within the album, and songs like 'I'm Not an Angel' create striking highlights that are impossible to ignore.

Despite a mix of softer and harsher songs, one theme remains the same - a strong approach where Hale is the one in control, the one to unleash rage and pain, the one to keep a situation the way she wants it; and it's clear that the album was under her vision. 

She isn't just another heartbroken girl, not a stereotype - not even close. 

Hale fights for her feelings and belts about being the one to move on from a relationship's end, speaking on how she will be the one missed, not the one hung up on missing somebody. With controlled, careful spikes of rage that make Halestorm a band that rages on - and it truly is Hale's storm. 

Everything changes and lashes in different ways, with the album having careful tune shifts and dramatic song structures that create an unpredictable flurry of an album that continues out the band's unique style - although it's clear that they have influences from other bands, they manage to warp that into something truly, strikingly original.

Each and every moment has something to relish in, and few other bands have the variety that Halestorm managed to pull off with this album, from a striking sound palate to every single song being something unique from the last, this is an album that you simply should not ignore.