Rock Show
Halestorm – The Strange Case Of…
It blows my mind that The Strange Case Of… by Halestorm was released over ten years ago already. In 2012, Halestorm released what I believe to be their best album and then released a deluxe edition the following year with special appearances by other artists on bonus tracks.
Formed in 1997 by siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale, Halestorm released their first studio album in 2009. But they hit it big with the release of The Strange Case Of… in 2012. The first single off the album was Love Bites (So Do I) and it was an amalgamation of Lzzy Hale’s vocal skills. Love Bites peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Rock and Alternative Song list with an aggressive mix of sweet (“they say it’s blind, they say it waits…”) and salty (“I was down and out, got up, I said, ‘hey love I’ve had enough’…”) and when you see Lzzy sing the song live, it hits different because you realize her voice wasn’t over-produced on the album, that Lzzy hits that powerful range naturally.
Their second single release was I Miss The Misery which was a retrospective FU to an abusive relationship, a look back at the willfully blind misery that was endured in a bad situation even though hindsight is now 20/20. It’s an acceptance of what was and what will never be again. With strong lyrics and an underlying bass beat, the pain builds into the refrain where the lyrics are like a punch in the gut to the misery.
The band’s following release, Freak Like Me, is a call-to-arms for all the people who don’t fit into typical societal norms, the ones who won’t abide by society’s “social graces” and it celebrates the differences between all of us while uniting us, “it’s our time now to let it all hang out,” by raising our “freak flags” and being unapologetic about our weirdness.
The band’s fourth single off the album, Here’s To Us, is a congratulatory pat on the back for all of us who have gone through the rough parts of life and survived. It’s for those of us who have gone through the trials and tribulations in life and made it to the other side no matter how beaten and battered we may be. The song conveys the sigh of relief we all take after the stress and anxiety of riding some rough waves in life and finally being able to sit back and let it all go with a stiff drink and a breath of relief after life has “kicked my ass.” It’s a collective cheers to what was, what is, and what will be. And this is, without a doubt, my favourite song on the album because we all need to remember to celebrate our wins.
The final single release off the album was Mz. Hyde which was a tribute to the two sides of being human, the good/bad, joy/pain, love/hate of accepting who we are and understanding that we all have those two sides. It’s an unapologetic acceptance of who we are as humans.
This entire album is full of good songs with a lot of range by the band members and it didn’t get nearly enough credit in my opinion. From the soft and sweet ballads In Your Room and Break In to the celebratory Rock Show and strong feminist vibes of Daughters Of Darkness, Lzzy Hale and Halestorm hit every note with influential lyrics, defining bass beats, and a rare chemistry between band members that is based on tremendous talent.
I first heard Halestorm a few years ago when my son was playing music in the vehicle on our way to a double-header. When I asked him what we were listening to, he said, “Halestorm,” and I listened to the entire album The Strange Case Of… while I worked as the social media mom at the games that day. And then, in the summer of 2023, I got the pleasure of seeing Halestorm live when they were touring to promote their Back From The Dead album. As many bands tend to do, Halestorm played a lot of their songs from their The Strange Case Of… album and the entire arena went crazy with appreciation. Live and in person, Halestorm proved that they are gifted song writers and they’re not an over-produced gimmick. They may have even sounded better live than on the studio albums which is rare in 2023.
If you get the opportunity to see Halestorm live, take it, you won’t regret it. If you like their studio albums, you’ll love seeing them live. Lzzy is relatable and welcoming, like a friend you haven’t seen in a while, and Arejay is entertaining and shows his character on drums. They’re all talented musicians that make it look easy and they range from high to low effortlessly. This isn’t your typical rock show, Halestorm is an experience.
