Album Review — Halestorm

Halestorm — Vicious

Halestorm released their fourth studio album, “Vicious”, on Friday. I can honestly say that before today I had never heard a Halestorm song so I won’t be comparing “Vicious” to any of their previous albums.

The album opens with the heavier “Black Vultures”. I really like Lzzy Hale’s voice and the song is very guitar forward. “Uncomfortable” is another rocker and the first single. “Buzz” has a nice buildup and I really like the chorus.

The second half of the album kicks off with “Killing Ourselves to Live” which features a great vocal and is one of my favorite songs on the record. “Heart of Novocaine” is up next and features an acoustic guitar and another great vocal performance. The album ends with another acoustic driven song “The Silence”, which should be a huge hit.

There are a few songs on the record that I’m not crazy about, but overall I like the sound of the band. Hale is really the star of the record. Her voice reminds me of a cross between Kelly Clarkson and Sheryl Crow but singing hard rock. She sounds great on the heavier stuff and she can sing an acoustic ballad with the best of them. Her voice alone makes me want to hear their other records.

Overall, I like the record and I want to hear more. I don’t love every song, but the ones I like I really like. I’ll be looking for the other Halestorm records on my next trip to the record store.

Overall — 85 out of 100

Track Listing

1. Black Vultures *
2. Skulls
3. Uncomfortable
4. Buzz *
5. Do Not Disturb
6. Conflicted
7. Killing Ourselves To Live *
8. Heart Of Novocaine *
9. Painkiller
10. White Dress
11. Vicious
12. The Silence *

*Best Songs