Album Review: Halestorm - Reimagined
Reviewed by Tim Finch
Halestorm are, by now, familiar to most music listeners. Their brand of hard hitting rock, fronted by the powerful vocal talents of Lzzy Hale, has driven them to Grammy award wins and multiplatinum albums. Fans of theirs will be familiar with the E.P’s they put out in between album cycles. Filling the void with a few songs, mostly cover versions of rock and metal classics, to wet the fans appetites until they return with new music. This time, however, the band decided to shake things up a little. ‘Reimagined’ features just one cover version (we’ll come to that later) the rest of the content of the album being reworked classics from their own back catalogue. For ‘Reimagined delivers just what it says on the tin… Halestorm have re-imagined themselves.
If you’re expecting the usual high energy, fist pumping rock and roll the band have become known for, you may be a little surprised by this album. Kicking off the album with a reworking of ‘I Get Off’ changing up the original rock ballad and dousing it in lashings of bluesy rhythms and adding a heap of soul to the chorus.
‘I Miss The Misery’ starts with an echoing original version playing in the distance. Then as this acoustic version kicks in Lzzy’s vocals come to the fore powerfully driving the song on her own merit, the guitar and gentle drum adding depth to this version of the song. ‘I am The Fire’ continues in a similar vein, Lzzy’s vocals again the focus, driving the song with her powerful delivery. For ‘Break In’ the band draft in the talents of Amy Lee to accompany the band through another strong reworking of the bands classic.
The track that stands out, for multiple reasons, on this E.P. is the only cover they have chosen. The Dolly Parton original, perhaps made more famous by Whitney Houston, 'I Will Always Love You' resonates through the listeners ears as Lzzy’s voice once again takes centre stage. Is it as good as the previous versions? That’s for the individual listener to decide, it’s a different take on the song and shows just what range Lzzy has.
To close the E.P. ‘Mz. Hyde’ gets the rework treatment. Not losing any of the energy the original version has, Halestorm have reworked this funky tune in a brilliantly unique way that grabs the listeners attention and closes out the recording perfectly.
It’s certainly a different way to fill the void between albums. Rock and roll by numbers this is not! Halestorm have reworked their well known tunes in a unique way adding value to the fan favourite numbers.
Halestorm release 'Reimagined' via Atlantic Records on August 14th
