Halestorm fans: this one’s going to wreck you in the best way.
By Renee Clark Quade
Album Release Date: August 8, 2025
Some albums don’t just play, they pull you in and never let go. Everest doesn’t tiptoe in quietly. It bursts through the silence, shakes your soul, and throws you into the fire. This album is the closest thing to Halestorm’s live sound I’ve ever heard on a studio record. It’s raw, powerful, and unfiltered, like you’re right there in the front row.
Everest is Halestorm’s sixth full-length record, and in my opinion, it’s one of their absolute best. I’ve loved everything they’ve done over the years, but Everest feels different. It’s deeper, heavier, more emotional, and more mature. You can hear just how far they’ve come, not only as musicians but as people. This isn’t just another hard rock record. It’s a full-blown journey, packed with some of the most powerful writing and performances they’ve ever delivered.
Produced by Dave Cobb (who you might know from his work with Brandi Carlile and Chris Stapleton), the album was written from scratch each day in his Savannah, Georgia studio. That process clearly pulled something new out of them. The result is a fearless collection of songs that hit hard and stay with you.
Coming off the high of Lzzy Hale being the only woman to perform at Back to the Beginning in tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, Halestorm came into this album swinging. And they didn’t miss.
If I had to sum it up, this album is emotional, explosive, messy, melodic, cathartic, and honest in a way that feels like they ripped it straight from the depths of their souls. Every track stands on its own, but together they form something even bigger. It’s a record about survival, pain, rage, love, reflection, and trying to make sense of it all. And if you’re like me, you’ll find pieces of yourself in every single song.
You can read my full track-by-track breakdown below if you want to dig deeper. But first, just know this: Everest is a high point in Halestorm’s career, and I’ll be screaming along with it for a long time.
Track-by-Track Breakdown
“Fallen Star” is a pure rock banger that explodes from the first note and doesn’t let up. As the opening track on Everest, it sets the tone and emotional direction for the entire album. Lyrically, it’s about loving someone so deeply you feel tied to them no matter how far you try to fall away, and the guilt that comes with knowing you’ve caused them pain. It’s messy, emotional, and real. Lzzy sings like she’s both drowning in regret and still madly in love, and that tug-of-war comes through in every line. The song builds with urgency, and just when you think it’s over, Lzzy shouts “Kick it!” and the band launches into a jam session that feels like the end of a live show. It’s raw, heavy, and one of those tracks that makes you want to scream it out in your car at full volume.
“Everest,” the title track and second release from the album, is a full-throttle declaration of survival. It picks up where “Fallen Star” leaves off, carrying the emotional intensity even higher. This song is about facing every storm head-on, even when it feels impossible. It captures what it means to live with pain, fear, and doubt but keep moving anyway. Lzzy’s vocals are fierce and relentless, matched by the band’s driving energy from start to finish. Lines like “my survival is suicidal” and “I’ll die with no regrets” show just how high the stakes are. It’s about living on the edge, knowing the climb might kill you, but doing it anyway. “Everest” isn’t just a metaphor for a personal battle. It’s the heart of the album and a powerful reminder for anyone who refuses to quit.
“Shiver” is the track I’ve had on repeat more than any other, and it hits me harder every time. It kicks off with Joe Hottinger’s signature guitar riffs before the full band crashes in, only to drop out and let Lzzy’s voice cut through on its own. The layering builds everything up just right and lands with full emotional impact. Lyrically, it’s about loving someone so intensely that you start to lose parts of yourself in the process. It’s not necessarily toxic, but it’s unbalanced. One person is holding everything together while the other doesn’t seem to notice the damage being done. Lines like “sometimes loving you feels like dying” capture that push and pull of being in too deep but not wanting out. The song is massive, heartbreaking, and honest. It’s easily one of the most emotionally devastating and beautifully crafted tracks on Everest.
“Like a Woman Can” is one of the most emotionally raw moments on Everest. It starts off sultry and stripped down, with just Lzzy’s voice and a soft, echoing piano before a jazzy drum groove slowly kicks in. The rest of the band layers in as the song builds, giving the chorus even more weight when it hits. The lyrics speak to that all-too-relatable frustration of wanting to be loved more deeply, more intuitively, more emotionally. The song draws from Lzzy’s own experience as someone who’s spoken openly about loving both women and men, but the emotions behind it are universal and will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt that kind of disconnect in a relationship. It’s not just about missing physical affection; it’s about not being seen, not being understood. Lzzy taps into that ache with both tenderness and power, making this one of the album’s most standout tracks.
“Rain Your Blood On Me” grabs you by the collar and never lets go. It’s loud, a little chaotic, and everything I love about Halestorm turned all the way up. Lzzy’s vocals are gritty and in-your-face, with zero polish and zero restraint. The guitar and drums hit with a crunchy, jagged edge that feels wild but totally locked in. It’s not clean, and it’s not supposed to be. This live-wire rock shakes you to your core. The song has a dark, seductive stomp with a chorus that explodes into pure cathartic release. It’s a primal scream wrapped in distortion and glitter. The lyrics tear into rage, shame, and all the impossible double standards women are told to live by, and Lzzy delivers every line like she’s setting fire to them. This isn’t just another hard rock song. It’s a storm, a purge, and a demand to be seen. Every woman will be screaming this song along with Lzzy for years to come. I feel this song every time my perimenopause rage activates. It’s instantly iconic, the kind of track that makes you want to throw your hands up, howl, and let the storm roll in.
“Darkness Always Wins” has had a grip on me since the day it dropped. It’s slower and more haunting than Halestorm’s usual sound, but that shift makes it hit even harder. Lzzy’s vocals feel vulnerable, like she’s singing straight from the middle of a breakdown, and the lyrics capture that restless, spinning-in-your-own-head kind of chaos. The production builds this eerie, cinematic mood that holds you there, like watching yourself unravel in slow motion. It resonates because I’ve been in that space too—where the world feels paused but your brain won’t shut off, and numbness isn’t about not caring, it’s just how you survive. This track doesn’t just speak to that feeling, it understands it.
“Gather the Lambs” starts soft, almost delicate, with Lzzy pulling you in gently before things build. Just when you think it’s going to explode, it pulls back again, keeping you right on edge. It’s not a typical big Halestorm track… it’s more emotional, more reflective. To me, it feels like a song about holding on to your person when everything else is falling apart. Not literally the end of the world, but the kind of emotional crash that feels like it. The chorus gives you a bit of a lift, but there’s this heaviness that never really lets go. Lines like “stay with me underneath the fallen sun” and “say everything we need to say before everything is gone” say so much without overcomplicating it. And that repeated “why does everybody run?” hits in a really raw way basically asking why people tend to run away when things get too real. It’s a beautiful, emotional track.
“Watch Out!” bursts in with full force right from the start. After the heavier, slower vibe of “Gather the Lambs,” this track shakes things up with loud guitars, driving drums, and Lzzy screaming, “WATCH OUT THAT BITCH IS OUT FOR BLOOD!!!” It’s intense and immediately grabs your attention. The song is all about taking back your power when someone tries to knock you down. The verses pull back just enough to build tension before crashing back into that wild energy. It’s loud, fierce, and totally unstoppable. Coming right after a slower song, it feels like a release valve opening. Pure chaos in the best way.
“Broken Doll” carries the same vulnerable energy you hear in Doll Parts by Hole. It starts soft, with Lzzy almost whispering her pain like she’s letting you in on something deeply personal. The song is about feeling used and broken down by a relationship, left shattered while the other person moves on to their next shiny new obsession like nothing happened. The doll metaphor works here because it captures that mix of feeling delicate and discarded but also burning with anger and impossible to forget. The lyrics about never being good enough and misunderstood really stick with you. Compared to Doll Parts, Broken Doll feels more direct and immediate, like a personal confession layered with hurt and defiance. It’s a powerful, honest track that captures that messy, painful space after love goes wrong.
“K.I.L.L.I.N.G.” bursts out fast with Lzzy almost rapping before settling into a groovy, driving riff. The song captures that feeling of being stuck in a routine, desperate for someone to notice you. The way Lzzy clears her throat before the powerful lines like “I burn it down, I burn it up” feels like a moment where she’s saying, “Listen up, this is important.” The lyrics dig into loneliness and frustration, with the repeated “K-I-L-L-I-N-G” spelling out just how heavy that feeling is. It’s urgent and raw but still has a groove that pulls you in. This song is a perfect mix of anger and vulnerability.
“I Gave You Everything” is a powerful and intense outpouring of emotion. Lzzy screams every word like she’s pulling the pain straight from her chest. To me, this song feels like picking up the pieces after a brutal betrayal—whether from a lover, friend, or family. It’s about trusting someone deeply, being completely vulnerable, and then having all that ripped away. The chorus “I gave you everything but you fucked up and you fucked me again” is chilling and perfectly captures the anger behind the song. Even with the heartbreak, there’s a fierce strength in how she sings about rebuilding herself from the wreckage. This song is fuel for a broken soul.
“How Will You Remember Me” is the perfect closer for the album. It pulls back the noise and lets Lzzy shine with her melodic vocals over a soft, piano-led intro that gives off major November Rain and Here’s to Us energy. This one feels made for arenas, and I can picture hands in the air, with lighters up. The song is all about legacy, asking how we’ll be remembered and what kind of mark we’ll leave behind. As someone close to Lzzy’s age, it hits on that shared feeling of time moving too fast and wanting to make it count. Lyrics like “no one gets to see it, the way souls are leaving in the night” and “we don’t have time” really stop you in your tracks. It’s emotional, reflective, and honest, and it wraps up the album with a message that feels both personal and universal.
This perfectly sums up my feelings about this album. After my first listen, I said this will be my favorite Halestorm album ever. On my fourth listen, I have yet to skip a track. It checks all the boxes for me from what I want in a rock album. This will set the tone for the second-half of Halestorm’s career. I can’t wait to see where they go from here!