Out of 19 total albums, Halestorm’s “The Strange Case of…” remains a remarkable collection of music that blends heavy metal, hard rock, alternative metal and even piano into one piece. With a total of 12 songs and a length of 40 minutes and 56 minutes, this album has stayed my number one rock album of all time.
The album was released April 10, 2012, and became Halestorm’s second studio album. It features many remarkable achievements made by the band, such as “Love Bites (So Do I)” receiving a GRAMMY for category of Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. In addition to the win, lead singer and rhythm guitarist Lzzy Hale became the first woman to receive that award in the category. Furthermore, “Here’s To Us” appeared in the well-known TV show “Glee” (season 3, episode 14) and was performed by Rachel Berry (played by actress Lea Michele).
The first song of the album, “Love Bites (So Do I)”, starts off strong with a powerful guitar entrance and gets right into an energetic vibe. There is never a dull moment within as the song strives to keep your heart elevated and brings an excitement to a person’s soul. Along with that, this song perfectly demonstrates Lzzy Hale’s wide vocal range of raspiness to smooth high notes in quick switches.
“Break In”, the seventh song in the album, consists of only piano and melodic vocals, significantly contrasting the other high-energy songs. It represents being vulnerable and accepting who you are, more so finding that special someone that will appreciate you despite everything. Lzzy Hale wrote this piece for this exact reason, as she wanted to show an honest side of herself that she could share with her fans.
As the last song in the album, “Here’s To Us” strives to be my absolute favorite out of all of them. This piece brings out the idea of remembering moments in life that have significantly changed a person. It highlights the achievements made and hardships that one has to go through in order to be where they are now. All in all, it’s a toast to an eventful life, the promise of never backing down, and the acceptance that life continues on.
“The Strange Case Of…” by Halestorm will always have a special place in my heart, and I would give this album 5 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy a female-led rock band, you should definitely check out Halestorm.
