Halestorm - Into The Wild Life

There aren’t many pure rock n’ roll bands out there any more. No more record-straight-to-analog or single take recordings. It’s all recorded, processed, and edited. Halestorm decided to take it oldschool with their newest record, creating a very organic album along the likes of AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. This album sounds like it could be taken straight from the 70s/80s rock scene.

Go into this album ready to jam. You might be sweating by the end. Each track is a punch in the face in one way or another. From the huge opening of Scream to the surfer-metal (?) vibes of What Sober Couldn’t Say, this album explores a lot of territory in the metal realm. Lzzy Hale delivers powerful vocals track after track (interesting to note, all of the vocals were done in one take - no cutting, auto-tune, etc. was done to them. Additional vocals were added in later). The guitars and drums are relentless - Halestorm builds off of the best of their past material here, especially in riff-heavy tracks like I Am The Fire and Mayhem. Not everything is a wall of guitars, though - there are some softer tracks, too, including the confessional story of Dear Daughter and the groovy New Modern Loves. Sonically, this album is incredibly simple, but packs quite a punch nonetheless.

There are few negatives with this album. It might get repetitively rock-y at some points, yet each song is original in its own way. Halestorm shows in each track that they are truly masters of their craft and, even at their third album, can continue to make some great Americana rock-and-roll.

Into The Wild Life is possibly the best follow-up to The Strange Case Of... Halestorm could have possibly created. It showcases their growth as a band and still stays true to who they are. It’s as if the band combined their intensity as a live act with their power as a studio artist. Since the beginning, Halestorm have been an unstoppable force that are the diamond in the rough of the modern hard rock scene. Who says rock is dead?

Favorite Tracks: I Am The Fire, Mayhem, The Reckoning

Least Favorite Tracks: None. If I had to pick one, I’d say What Sober Couldn’t Say

Rating: 8.5/10