Back From the Dead

Product Information

Produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Mastodon, Alice in Chains) with co-production by Scott Stevens (Shinedown, Daughtry, New Year’s Day), Back From The Dead quickly evolved from songwriting exercises into a matter of survival for the band, taking the listener through ‘a journey of navigating mental health, debauchery, survival, redemption, and rediscovery, while still maintaining faith in humanity’ says frontwoman Lzzy Hale. We carry a broad range of CDs and vinyl (7”/12” singles and LPs) and specialise in indie, alternative, rock, punk, metal plus a few other genres. She truly has never sounded better and if Raise Your Horns doesn’t leave you impressed, you’re listening wrong for Hale is one of the greatest vocalists the world has ever known and even after all these years, she’s just getting started. Halestorm began working on their fifth studio album slightly before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Watch the video for Sophie Lloyd’s “dream come true” collab with Lzzy Hale, Imposter Syndrome, taken from her upcoming debut album of the same name.

On the throat-busting Wicked Ways and Psycho Crazy, her envelope-pushing performance is like that of a woman running from – or maybe towards – an avalanche. Many of the album's lyrics are informed by singer/guitarist Lzzy Hale's experiences of self-discovery as a musician disconnected from fans and bandmates during the pandemic. It’s so enjoyable that I question if I need the vinyl counterpart, but that is a null thought as the artwork is worthy of ownership alone.I’m all for Atmos mixes when done with intent, but I certainly don’t believe it should be done for the sake of ticking a box. In the words of Chad Bowar of Metal Injection, "This album does a better job of getting closer to the energy and passion of the band's live shows than the last one [ Vicious] did. One thought sustained us – the certainty that adversity breeds creativity, and that from this darkness would come some of the best rock music ever made. The emotive, piano-led Raise Your Horns is a decent closer, but if your skin doesn’t prickle when Lzzy sings the opening lines of The Steeple – a song made for crowds, the stage, the very things we’ve missed – then you should probably check a few of your other vital signs.

Nevertheless, it’s wonderful to hear modern hard rock music recorded, mixed, and mastered so well, for it is the exception rather than the norm. Due to inventory and accounting purposes, we do not exchange items received for different items than originally purchased.It’s as if the album was recorded for stereo and then mixed to the surround format as an afterthought. Hale’s incredible vocal is the magical element that ensures Wicked Ways is a highlight of the album. It’s up against 2012’s breakthrough sophomore release The Strange Case Of… for that accolade, but if context is taken into consideration, it’s a contender. Psycho Crazy" and "Raise Your Horns" are two more ragers, with fist-pumping choruses and an uber-heavy guitar attack.

When you find the musical elements that speak most to you, Bombshell quickly becomes a wonderful addition to the album and Halestorm’s expanded catalogue of music. Wayne Parry of ABC News noted that "Hale manages to pull it off with a deft songwriting touch and a surprising sense of melody that belies the bombast.According to Ed Ford of Rock N' Load, "If people wanted to know what the perfect rock album sounds like, give this a blast, you won’t hear much better. It’s Halestorm 101 and while it may not break new ground, you know exactly what to expect and Halestorm delivers. While Back From The Dead demonstrates Halestorm's musical growth and experimentation, it’s an album that provides further validation to their unwavering dedication to the hard rock industry, their fans, and to the music itself, for Back From The Dead is full of electrifying performances. Back From The Dead is a killer blues-based hard rock opener that sets the tone for the entire album.

All tracks are written by Lzzy Hale and Scott Stevens, except track 6 by Lzzy Hale, Zac Malloy, and Scott Stevens; and track 8 by Lzzy Hale, Joe Hottinger, Josh Smith, and Arejay Hale No. Their response could have been a flailing mess, but it isn’t – it’s Halestorm in totality, an already great act building new rails to replace the ones we all ran off. Hale has also shared that the song "Strange Girl" was intended to be an anthem for a teenage girl who had come out to her parents immediately before COVID. Remember lockdown, that shapeless mass of wasted life in which time seemed to distort and bands had to swap real for virtual?That's apparent on "Terrible Things", a haunting ballad with Lzzy begging, "And there's a hole in my life / There's a blackness inside that's eating me alive / Leaving me to decide / Do I live with this pain? The set is available digitally, as well as on CD and cassette tape, making this the first time the album has been offered in these formats. The original album and deluxe edition both move from track to track well, with a good mix of hard-charging rock songs sprinkled with choice ballads.