One of the most talented young bands to emerge from the American rock scene in recent years is the Pennsylvania quartet of Halestorm. They have made a name for themselves and have become fan favorites on numerous tours with their energetic live performances led by lead singer Lzzy Hale and her brother, the uber talented drummer Arejay Hale. Lzzy has matured into an outstanding songwriter as Halestorm turns out hit after hit even earning a Grammy earlier this year.
Their latest release, “Reanimate 2.0:The Covers EP,” is a follow up to their 2011 covers EP and features Halestorm’s take on six very different songs. The record starts out heavy with Judas Priest’s “Dissident Aggressor” and “Shoot To Thrill” by AC/DC. Lzzy is able to handle the vocals without any problems and Joe Hottinger lets it rip on the guitar. The band pays homage to the female vocalists of rock with a rousing version of Pat Benatar’s “Hell Is For Children” and “Gold Dust Woman” by Fleetwood Mac. Lzzy more than holds her own with the goddesses of rock and roll past but surprisingly enough those were not my favorite. The real standout performance for me was their version of Marilyn Manson’s “1996.” The band really took it to another level and if you weren’t familiar with the song you’d never know it was a cover.
I simply can’t find anything negative to say about Halestorm. Everything they touch seems to turn to gold and this one should be no different.
