It’s always refreshing to see a genuinely big band still having fun. At this point, Halestorm could easily put out an album every couple of years, tour and continue to reap the rewards, but judging by their ongoing series of covers EPs, they’re yet to reach that level of cynicism.
And while ‘ReAniMate 3.0’ is nothing close to essential, it’s still decently done, a collection of solid if not exactly exhilarating classic rock covers, as well as a rendition of Twenty One Pilots’ ‘Heathens’ to fully highlight the pop streak present in the band’s sound. It’s definitely the weakest link here (a song crippled by overexposure can’t be saved by beefed up guitars alone), but apart from that, this is a perfectly functional collection of covers.
Joan Jett’s ‘I Hate Myself For Loving You’ is the predictable highlight given that it’s built on the sort of power and sass that Lzzy Hale could dish out in her sleep, but elsewhere there’s an almost note-perfect rendition of Soundgarden’s ‘Fell On Black Days’, and despite the fairly obvious choice, Metallica’s ‘Ride The Lightning’ is handled well regardless.
That’s something that can be said of the whole EP really – Halestorm are hardly breaking the mold with their choices, but they’re played to a high enough standard that it’s difficult to hold it against them. ‘ReAniMate 3.0’ is clearly a stopgap until the band’s next full-length, but there’s an acknowledgment that that’s the case. As such, it’s only really one for Halestorm completionists, but there’s enjoyment to be found here nonetheless.
3/5
‘ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP’ by Halestorm is released on 6th January on Atlantic Records.
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Words by Luke Nuttall (@nuttall_luke)
