Album review: HALESTORM – Vicious
Atlantic [Release date 27.07.18]
I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I heard Halestorm’s fabulous 2009 eponymous debut. And it remains one of my favourite female fronted rock albums of the last decade and beyond.
But frankly, for me at least, things have gone steadily downhill since then, the commercial AOR edge of the band’s debut giving way to increasing bombast and ‘shoutiness’. That trend continues with Vicious.
But while their last two albums – The Strange Case Of – (2012) and Into The Wild Life (2015) both had their share of more ‘accessible’ songs, Vicious rarely strays from trying to flay the skin from your bones.
The mainstream press would have you believe it’s one of the better releases of its type this year. And that may well be the case, but it’s all about aggression and to my ears screams ‘corporate product’.
The subtleties producer Howard Benson brought to the original party, have finally given way almost completely to visceral hard rock as the band employ their most ‘metal’ producer yet in the form of Nick Raskulinecz (Korn, Mastadon, Alice In Chains).
According to vocalist Lzzy Hale Vicious it’s less about catchy songs, and the closest to what you get at a live Halestorm gig. In that case, with the exception of the ballads ‘Heart Of Novocaine’ and ‘The Silence’, for this reviewer it’s ‘thanks, but no thanks’. ***1/2
Review by Pete Whalley
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
Next session: Sunday 19 January
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024
In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections
Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections