I’ve chosen this week’s song for a few reasons. First, obviously it’s one that I simply enjoy full stop, Second, I can completely relate to these lyrics, this concept of the concert being a cathedral. Next, there’s the aspect of a solid band being fronted by a woman who writes, plays and performs at the highest level. She embodies the progress that women have made in my favorite type of music. Let’s face it, rock had been a complete sausage fest. It still is, but we’re doing better. Don’t let me digress though, let’s talk about the song.
Halestorm was formed in 1997 by siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale. They were at the time, respectively, ages 14 and 11 and their dad Roger played bass on stage with them. Lzzy plays guitar and sings while Arejay is on the drums. In the beginning they were billed as a (southern) Christian rock band and their songs centered on discouraging the teens of the faithful from drinking, doing drugs, and having sex. I guess that sort of makes them an anti-rock rock band. As often happens, the pair grew up, appear to have fallen away from the church, and their music changed to a more secular bend. Before you chastise me about making assumptions regarding their religious beliefs or their lack, let me direct you to these lines I found in an online article on the topic. These are lyrics from another Halestorm song, My Redemption:
Don’t need saving to save myself
Don’t need forgiveness to bless my guilt
Lost my faith and found belief
In my redemption, I’m my own redemption
My Redemption is from the same album as The Steeple, 2022’s Back From the Dead, so I think it’s fair to say that the two tracks reflect Lzzy’s (as a primary songwriter) state of mind and evolving belief system.
Live music is a shared experience between the artist and the audience, each finding energy and connection in the other. More than that, the crowd vibes off one another with a genuine sense of community, especially at a metal show. It’s always been interesting to me that this music which can often be loud, angry and aggressive has an audience primarily of sweethearts, even if a few look a bit scary. I think maybe we get such a catharsis in the songs that we are actually pretty well adjusted and happy in our own lives. (Well, that’s my theory anyway.) So when Lzzy Hale screams, “This is my church and these are my people,” I get it. Take me to church, girlfriend.
As everyone knows, rock and roll and especially heavy metal was a man’s world. I will always be grateful to have been a Gen X kid. There were women for me to look up to in rock. First there was Janice Joplin and Grace Slick, then came Patti Smith, Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Nicks, and as the 80’s came around I loved Pat Benatar, Joan Jett and started college just as Lita Ford broke through. Obviously this is a complete oversimplification and I am leaving a TON of female achievement out, but you get the idea. Back in the day women fought just to sing, maybe play the keyboards. In contrast today, Lzzy Hale became the first woman to be a spokesperson for Gibson Guitars, as well as having several custom guitar models bearing her name. That says a lot about her status as a musician and as a revenue generator.
I remember a couple of years back, just before the pandemic, I was having a conversation with a local friend who is a really solid lead vocalist in his own right. He was going on about women forcing their voices, getting gritty and screaming their way through a song. He didn’t like it, thought it unbecoming (that wasn’t his exact word, but that’s the sense that I got) and that it stripped them of their femininity. He was referring in particular to Doro Pesch. As an aside, if you don’t know Doro then you are missing out. She’s as authentic a heavy metal badass as you could ever name, been playing forever, deliberately chose not to get married or have kids so she could concentrate on her career. THAT alone shows how misogynistic the industry can be, men don’t have to pick between having a family or their profession. I can see what he meant, Doro does have a rough voice and occasionally shouts her way through a lyric. I think that’s perfectly okay. I mean, have you heard James Hetfield of Metallica? He screams all the time and it doesn’t seem to call his sexuality or attractiveness into question. Why can’t women be raw, be ugly, be angry? Men get to do it all the time. Not every woman can be Tarja Turunen or a Floor Jansen (both women have fronted Nightwish), just like not every guy can be a Geoff Tate (Queensryche) or a Timo Kotipelto (Strativarius). Lzzy Hale CAN sing, but she also sometimes just yells, or screams. I dig her. I think it works for her. Oh, and another aside, another woman that this hybrid sing/yell thing works for is Nora Louhimo of Battle Beast so be sure to check her out, too.
In keeping with the rock and roll scream, I have chosen a live version of Steeple for your pleasure. It’s a bit more raw and in your face than the standard album track. I think it’s fun and it certainly allows a woman to be strong, loud, and uniquely herself. You go, Lzzy!
