New releases

Published 3:00 am Monday, May 9, 2022

Lzzy Hale, the lead singer and guitarist for the heavy metal band Halestorm, is that rare breed of wild child whose path you cross at your own peril, and her aggressiveness soaks through her music.

The band’s new album, “Back From the Dead,” is not for the faint of heart, or anyone with even a trace of a headache: It’s a full-on sonic assault of screams, wailing guitars, pounding drums and booming bass.

And yet Hale manages to pull it off with a deft songwriting touch and a surprising sense of melody that belies the bombast.

The title track is the band’s likely concert opener on this summer’s tour, and begins with a roar (as many of Hale’s songs do). She’s got a great scream, and she’s not afraid to use it, multiple times, on most songs.

Yet she actually has a beautiful singing voice that can tend to get overlooked amid the shrieks. The ballads “Terrible Things” and “Raise Your Horns” feature her tender, sultry vocals that are 180 degrees from many of her other vocals, particularly those on “Wicked Ways.”

— The Associated Press