Review – Halestorm: Into the Wild Life
. It’s aptly named, as they’ve strived to create something new, breaking down all rules and limitations they (or anyone else) had previously placed on them. It was recording uniquely, with the whole band playing every song from start to finish, rather than breaking each track apart, which really helps to capture the energy and authenticity that live shows have, and albums often lack.
In line with their previous releases, this album is raw and sensual and dirty, full of riotous, classic rock’n’roll. Tracks like ‘Mayhem’ and ‘Apocalyptic’ are big, bold and aggressive, with fast tempos, and pulsing with energy, sounded most like their older songs. However, they are interspersed with more experimental tracks like ‘New Modern Love’ and ‘Bad Girls World’, which take on a slower, sultry, seductive tone. Sometimes the continual shift of tempos between each track feels a tiny bit jarring, but this is a minor concern. These aren’t tentative experiments; the whole record is bold and entirely unapologetic, throwing all caution to the wind. This is proven in the lyrical content, with tracks such as ‘I Am the Fire’ and ‘Sick Individual’ asserting an unfailing confidence, ‘Apocalyptic’ is explicitly sexual, and ‘Amen’ is a rousing, choir-like ode to everything important in life. Even the love songs take on a different slant to the conventional, such as ‘What Sober Couldn’t Say’, expressing the drunken honesty that I’m sure many of us have experience before. ’Dear Daughter’ is a slight departure from the other tracks, a soft, emotional piano ballad, full of world wisdom that so many young girls will relish hearing. Personally, the aggressive, high-energy songs are my favourites, ahead of the slower tracks, as I love the passion and sheer enthusiasm thrown into them – ‘I Like It Heavy’ is a particular standout – but I can’t fault a band for experimenting a bit, and still producing some pretty great tracks when doing so.
