'Vicious' by US rockers Halestorm is not quite aggressive enough [Review]
Fourth album from these American hard-rockers is instrumentally impressive, but needs stronger lyrics
Vicious, the fourth album from American hard-rockers Halestorm, is a record packed full of emphatic, heavy riffs, and classic rock vocals from singer Lzzy Hale, creating one of the most dramatic arena-rock albums of the year.
The four-piece show hints of Queens Of The Stone Age-style guitar licks in theatrically meaty opener Vultures and the swing-metal anthem Painkiller. Skulls, Do Not Disturb and Ourselves To Live are even heavier.
Heart Of Novocaine and closer The Silence offer a refreshing acoustic refrain, allowing for a softer approach from the group, showing they have more to their canon, than just hard-hitting rock tracks.
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While instrumentally impressive, the main issue with the album is Hale’s lyrics. The love-addict theme becomes tiresome and repetitive, and then lyrics such as, “What doesn’t kill me only makes me vicious,” as we hear in the title track, are nothing short of cringe-worthy.
Vicious has a lot of bite, but lacks the overall punch that would make it a modern rock classic.