Halestorm [CD]

I actually only caught Halestorm very recently on Kerrang tv, something I stopped watching a while ago but a pre-work-easy-to-watch chance meant I saw the "I Get Off" video.

I've always liked female rock vocalist in all of their guises, from the 70's prog of Sonja and Curved Air, the 80's brought us Lee Aaron, Wendy O, Doro Pesch, Saraya, Robin beck (the list goes on for that decade) the 90's Christina Steele, Skin from Skunk Anansie and the onslaught of "symphonic" bands like After Forever and the early screaming of the wonderful Maria Brink. Female vocals throughout the decades of rock music have a lot to give a listener. The short explanation I can give is that the dark and light in rock music, to have a female voice over seering guitars and pounding drums. It's a sound to behold.

This dark and light has evolved though and at the moment, the symphonic angle is over-done, there are some diamonds in the rough but the record companies have gone over the top. Female fronted prog is barely getting a look in within the mainstream, a shame considering the talents of Mostly Autumn, Karnataka, The Reasoning and Touchstone.

Halestorm are a breath of fresh air. It would be wrong to say that this harks back to the 80's, for me it does but I know there is negativity about the decade and don't want to tag it in this way, my reasoning is that the Lizzy has the air and most probably takes inspiration from Beck, Ford, Aaron et al. What's important is Lizzy's voice is powerful, has range and is a joy to listen to. Ok, this is not just about Lizzy. The guitar grabbed me when I heard "I Get Off", clean and razor sharp. The rhythmn section are no slouches either. This is a foot tapping, no nonsense album, no worries as to finding complications within the music, or looking for hidden depths. This is an album for the car and for that time when only a straight forward rock album, verse-chorus-verse, will do.

I've no opinion as to lyrics, I can't get over the strength of Lizzy's voice to care a jot. This band have surprised and made me want to dig out a pile of female fronted bands and they won't be from this decade.

I've knocked a star off for the simple reason that they have more to offer in the way of their "heavy" and there is an insistence with ballads, always has been, unfortunately but they kind of break of the momentum. The cynic will say they have a record company to please as well. It's a personal preference that I'm not bothered about ballads, it's just in this case, it just broke the album up a little.

Halestorm will be massive and deservedly so.

3 - 4 minute long rock songs that go verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, chorus, end?
But wait... these songs are dangerously catchy. All of them. The vocals are very strong, providing a wide range of pitch.
The lyrics are pretty dirty - you wouldn't let your kids listen to this. This is party music for the rock fans.
It seems James Hetfield adopted a daughter with Nikki Sixx.
And she hung out with Hinder all day, every day.

This is an excellent first album from Halestorm. New nothing about them untili read a review in kerrang and bought it on a whim and its ace. If you like Kelly Clarkson this is more of the same but with a much more powerfulrock feel to it. Blinding vocals, awesome guitars and a babe for a singer . . . sold!