Reimagined＜Orange Crush Vinyl＞

A bit of chum tossed into the wake of 2018s Vicious, Reimagined sees Halestorm looking back at past successes with an eye toward deconstruction. Unlike previous EPs that focused largely on cover songs, Reimagined delivers stripped-down versions of the bands own material. Commencing with a lightly funked-up version of I Get Off, which eschews the gritty post-grunge/modern rock vibe of the original for something that has a little more in common with Kelly Clarksons Miss Independent, the six-track set is essentially a showcase for Lzzy Hale. Removing some of the decibels from fan favorites like I Miss Misery and I Am the Fire, both of which adopt a dark Americana tone, has done little to temper Hales powerhouse voice, which still manages to rip the roofs off of houses. Evanescences Amy Lee drops by for a version of 2012s Break In, but despite reaching a stirring crescendo about midway through, the ballad offers little in the way of deviation from the original. The collections lone cover, a sparse, piano-led rendering of I Will Always Love You follows suit, though it leans harder on the Dolly Parton version than it does Whitney Houstons towering 1992 iteration. Stopgap EPs are always a little hit or miss, and Reimagined is no exception -- the vamped-up electro-rock closer Mz. Hyde feels perfunctory at best -- but Hale sells the hell out it, just like she always does. ~ James Christopher Monger