The Pretty Reckless

The Pretty Reckless new album Death By Rock And Roll is their most ambitious release yet. It was written through the heartbreaking losses of Chris Cornell, who was one of frontwoman Taylor Momsen’s musical muses, and longtime collaborator Kato Khandwala. The titular single became their fifth #1 at Active Rock Radio, a first for a female-fronted group. Features “25”, “And So It Went” w/ Tom Morello, & “Only Love Can Save Me Now” w/ Matt Cameron & Kim Thayil.

The Pretty Reckless gave rock ‘n’ roll the jumpstart it needed for a new generation, but they did so entirely on their own terms. Since 2008, they have emerged as the rare force of nature who can appear in INTERVIEW Magazine, Nylon, ELLE, Good Morning America and Entertainment Tonight — and share a stage with Guns N’ Roses and Soundgarden. Joined by late producer Kato Khandwala, they fanned this flame on Light Me Up [2010] and Going To Hell [2014]. The latter housed three #1 smashes—the platinum-certified “Heaven Knows” (the biggest rock song of 2014), “Fucked Up World,” and “Follow Me Down.

The third studio long-player from the Grammy Award-winning hard rockers led by powerhouse vocalist Lzzy Hale, Into the Wild Life doubles down on the more radio-friendly elements that were introduced on 2012's Strange Case Of…, but it also plays fast and loose with the formula, pouring as many different stylistic elements as it can into each of its 12 (15 if you pick up the deluxe version) cuts. As per usual, Hale's tornadic vocals lead the charge, and she lays down some of her best work to date on stand-out cuts like "I Am the Fire," "Gonna Get Mine," the heartfelt ballad "Dear Daughter," and the blistering, aptly named "Mayhem," the latter of which eschews some of the more traditional hard rock Halestorm tropes (of which there are many) in favor of a nervy blast of pure punk-metal malevolence.

Ten years after their last album of original material, alternative metal outfit Evanescence continued their late-era comeback with their fifth full-length, The Bitter Truth. In the decade following their enjoyable (but by-the-numbers) self-titled third set, Amy Lee and company – guitarist Troy McLawhorn, bassist Tim McCord, drummer Will Hunt, and guitarist Jen Majura – kept the brand alive with tours and album reissues, but the project wasn't fully reignited until the grand orchestral reimaginings of Synthesis arrived in 2017. Riding that creative wave, they got to work on what would become The Bitter Truth, barreling through the COVID-19 lockdown and completing the album with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Korn, Halestorm).