Album Review: Halestorm - 'Back From The Dead'
Anything can happen in four years: from finding love to losing love; from births to deaths. But sometimes, you can come Back From The Dead. Enter Halestorm as they move swiftly into their best listen yet.
Frontwoman Lzzy Hale introduces the album in the right style, screaming out, “I’m back from the dead!” The album opens with the title track, leading single, best introduction to this new chapter of rebirth and retaliation. Hell couldn’t hold Hale and co down, and there’s no going back to where they came - and everyone is thanking their lucky stars for it.
Being their first release since the 2018 record Vicious, this is the second coming of Halestorm after years of no touring, no playing, and the unpredictability of a global pandemic. But now they’re back and hell has come to Earth. The theme of the afterlife down below comes back in the following track ‘Wicked Ways’, where Hale resents being angelic and admits to all sinful wrongdoings. She calls herself a liar, a cheat, a freak, and many other terms as the track continues. Out of it all however, she swears she will never be evil. Just wicked. A fine but valid difference, that we are about to observe more of.
‘My Redemption’ is the heaviest song with references to religion, beliefs, forgiveness and saving. Hale claims she doesn’t need anything from anyone else; “I’m my own redemption”, she proudly exclaims in the track, and it works as a loud and proud reminder to everyone that they don’t need to rely on others to fight back and come back from falling to rock bottom. They can always forgive themselves and work on themselves. You can always be your own redemption. It’s inspiring to rockers around the world and beyond.
Back From The Dead is an 11-track power move from Lzzy Hale and the group, as it tells a full story of coming back from the lowest of lows and fighting every opponent to get to the top once again. Everyone falls in some way, at some point in their life, so this is a biographical tale for all who listen who felt the pressure to fight and take things to the extreme while crawling back up to the light where they fell from. Respect and obedience - it’s time to stop asking for it and start demanding it.
Zombies or demons, however it is interpreted, Halestorm are back from the dead and feeling - and sounding - more alive than ever before.
Words by Jo Cosgrove
