CD Review: Halestorm - The Strange Case Of

Written by Petra Whiteley Sunday, 06 May 2012 18:22

Artist: Halestorm
Title: The Strange Case Of...
Genre: Hard Rock
Release Date: 27th April 2012
Label: Roadrunner

Album Review

HALESTORM is a female fronted band from Pennsylvania and ‘The Strange Case Of...’ is their second album, which the aforementioned vocalist, Lzzy, promises to demonstrate “more depth and heart. It's a lot more expressive and really lets down the barriers." ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ really does so, and makes you ask - is being bitchy cool? This song proves that in this case it certainly is. It starts with vicious diatribes against her love target’s girlfriend, where the singer also offers plentiful attempts at convincing him about being hell lot better than her love rival. Does it remind you of AVRIL LAVIGNE’s ‘Girlfriend’? Thematically for sure, but this is more fierce and musically more dense, heavy and more interesting. ‘Mz Hyde’ still brings on the catchiness with a sassy, badass attitude aplenty, still more posturing but let’s face it, it’s rather convincing but what’s more - entertaining with a real zest and fun of Rock’n’Roll present in great measure.

‘I Miss The Misery’ is yet another intense showcase of what this band is about, it feels gritty yet is well refined, catchy but not one dimensional. ‘Freak Like Me’ feels a bit ‘quieter’ but the fierceness is in no way turned down, it’s just more darker than its predecessors, there is also more space for Lzzy’s band mates as they join on backing vocals and guitar riffs are given a more prominent place (that is, Lzzy’s charisma and strength doesn’t overshadow them). Just so you don’t get burned down there’s a trio of slower songs starting with ‘Beautiful With You’ which somehow lost a bit of sheen for me as it felt steering towards cliché. ‘In Your Room’ picked my interest up though; it just felt more fresh and closer to “being real” and ‘Break In’ had some more power to evoke a genuine emotional response. ‘The Strange Case Of...’ is an interesting album to pick up, it taps to the better times of Rock’n’Roll spirit that, as these days it seems to be, is just a manufactured affair, and is a bridge from the mainstream to a more appealing shore of possessing a distinctive personality, visceral rawness and a lot of gutsy approach.


Tracklist

01. Love Bites (So Do I) 3:12
02. Mz Hyde 3:22
03. I Miss The Misery 3:03
04. Freak Like Me 3:38
05. Beautiful With You 3:16
06. In Your Room 2:46
07. Break In 4:45
08. Rock Show 3:19
09. Daughter Of Darkness 3:55
10. YouCallMeABitchLikeItsABadThing 3:11
11. American Boys 3:28
12. Here's To Us 2:57


Line-up

Lzzy Hale - Vocals, Guitar
Arejay - Drums
Josh Storm - Bass, Vocals
Joe Storm - Guitar, Vocals


Websites

http://www.halestormrocks.com / http://www.myspace.com/halestorm


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10


Buy the album here!