BABYMETAL et Halestorm

From the tender ages of 10 and 13, siblings Arejay and Elizabeth “Lzzy” Hale, respectively, have been writing songs and composing music. The duo performed their first gig in 1998 at the Blue Mountain Coffee House, in Hershey, PA, inviting their father, Roger, to play bass to fill-out the sound. Drummer Arejay and singer and keyboardist Lzzy then invited a number of guitar players to record their debut album “(Don’t Mess with The) Time Man” in 2000.

Following a tumultuous period of line-up changes the band later cemented with members Lzzy, Arejay, Josh Smith on bass, and Joe Hottinger on guitar. In 2005 Halestorm signed with major-label Atlantic Records and released the live EP “One and Done” the following year. The band’s self-titled debut arrived in 2009 led by the single “I Get Off”, which earned Halestorm significant radio airplay as did the second single “It’s Not You”. In 2010 the CD/DVD “Live in Philly 2010” was released along with the year after an EP of cover entitled “ReAnimate”, featuring covers of Guns N’ Roses and Lady Gaga.

By this time, the band had accrued a devoted following; enamoured by the group’s relentless touring, which often surpassing 250 shows a year. Testing the water for the group’s sophomore album, Halestorm released the EP “Hello, It’s Mz. Hyde” in January 2012 featuring four songs to be on the new album. Their second full-length “The Strange Case Of…” produced by Howard Benson, was released in April 2012, and earned positive critical and commercial responses. The album’s lead single “Love Bites… (So Do I)” later won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance – the first female-fronted band to do so – and subsequently the single "Freak Like Me" topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart.