Halestorm Proves Its Mind-Blowing Mettle With "Apocalyptic"

I'd hate to be too close to Lzzy Hale when she gets pissed off. Fair of me to make that claim after having listened to her band Halestorm's "I Miss The Misery". She likes life on the ragged edge. Not much has changed upon close listen to "Apocalyptic". If you like your hard rock served to you with added crunch that's really great news. Elizabeth's vocal intensity could melt walls. Shame on you all for thinking only the guys could sing with that level of bite. Lizzy's had it up to her with the guy who hasn't proven himself worthy of her affections. Put up or shut up time is drawing close. "Love me apocalyptic!" she demands. Liz completely gets what in the moment living means. Now or never, babe. Lay your cards on the table or cash in the chips. Searing, heat stroke inducing off the bat, through the middle frames, and headed straight for home. Halestorm's mean driving machine stops at detours for no mere mortal. Not only that they've developed a keen sense for what makes a video a true ball breaker. Your heart goes through the Cuisinart slowly, cunningly, with scant little breathing room for the mercy you'd like to be gifted by. Halestorm embodies team effort here. Lizzy wouldn't come off as half the guns blazing vixen she is without brother Arejay's concise yet no less electrifying work behind the drums. Bassist Josh Smith lays down his virtuosity thick, sturdy concrete mixer style. Meanwhile Joe Hottinger strums newfound passion into every stroke. As backdrops to final verdict lovemaking go this relentless nape grabber seeks to make you smirk less unabashedly the farther into the track you go. Not much of a subtlety fan? Halestorm won't subject you to such niceties. I do recommend you don triple ply underwear as you listen. Some of those stiffer edges are bound to make you wince with delight down below your Mason Dixon line. Arejay uses restraint as he hammers away. So though Liz's message comes right out and declares itself, Arejay doesn't use sis's animal ferociousness as an excuse to pounce off the porch in his own right. He knows when to forge ahead and when to let sis take the lead. The lyrics confirm "Into The Wild Life" was a sage choice for a title for their new album. Liz wants Romeo to do unspeakable things to her such as bite her on the neck. True love a la vampire. A little eerie but whom am I to quibble with what apparently works for other people. She wears her nine inch heels to bed. That's for her mother to fret over. "Give me a red hand print across my ass." I'm imagining therapy wouldn't come anywhere close to helping this woman to be closer to all right in the head. That's marvelous fortune for us hard rock lovers. Mental sanity doesn't tend to run hand in hand with being a hard rock tradesman. Where do you think that certain extra edge comes from? Throw me against the wall? Death wish much? She's not complaining so why should any of us mind? "Apocalyptic" doesn't fly into beast mode like "I Miss The Misery" but don't mark that as a demerit. "Apocalyptic"'s slightly slower mentality allows Liz to let her intentions, wants, and desires to be known clear as the proverbial bell. Here we have an example of message music that had better not leave anyone asking questions of what's going on. Lizzy has emphatically cleared the air to the point where your sinuses will never be clearer. "Apocalyptica" fires on all cylinders which spells trouble for you would be Romeos out there who might find yourselves going from "loved" to "lost" before you even have time to know what hit you. Pain and passion merge into one with saliva surging results.