Halestorm, Back From The Dead (Atlantic 2022)

The new album from Halestorm will help you shake off ghosts of the past: Back From The Dead.

Halestorm is a hard rock band with an alt rock approach that includes elements of metal, grunge, and beyond. Their self-titled album came out more than ten years ago and aroused immediate widespread interest. Growing in popularity steadily over the years, their most recent album, Vicious (2018), set the high water at the time. For me, Back From The Dead is even better. Halestorm is Lzzy Hale (vocals, guitar), Arejay Hale (drums), Joe Hottinger (guitar), and Josh Smith (bass).

Any chance to see Halestorm is one you can’t let go by. I last saw them at Aftershock just before the pandemic and they were absolutely great. They are all energy, intensity, and fun in a hard-edge rock setting. There might be a couple other bands in this lane but there is only one Halestorm.

The title track kicks things off and it is a heavy player. Powerful guitars and Lzzy Hale’s soulful voice combine for rock and roll perfection. I am expecting to hear this one a lot as summer comes on. It is an excellent set opener for live shows and a good radio call as well. “Wicked Ways” seesaws in next with a gruffer leading edge. “Strange Girl” has a sinisterly playful tinge to it with an effervescent aggression that cannot be ignored.

The harder rock songs are the ones I think of first but of course there are a lot of different things to hear on the album. “The Steeple” is the second single from the record, and it is filled with stadium vibes and an eminently singable chorus, and “Terrible Things” is a thought-provoking ballad. “I Come First” is a gritty declaration and “Psycho Crazy” is a ferocious pushback. And then there is “Raise Your Horns,” which, from the title, sounds like it would speaks for itself, but it is not what you might expect.

Fans of Halestrom are going to be glad for this new one. It compares well to their earlier albums, and this one is more fervent, I would say, very vibrant. Recommended.

Out now through Atlantic Records, you can get Back From The Dead anywhere. And you should. Links below.