You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

Albums can have the strangest starting point. Take Halestorm’s second album, which blossomed into life after singer Lzzy Hale (yes, we have no idea where the missing ‘i’ went either) got tired and emotional one night and started singing into her mobile phone.

Admittedly, who hasn’t done that. But it’s rare you then get the chance to send said song to your A&R man and producer who are delighted with your enterprising misery and insist you write a few more like it.

Miss Hale (given the tone of this album, we must assume there’s no one special waiting at home) tears through the pages of her diary for stompers like the dumb Love Bites (So Do I) and the clunking Rock Show. While the soporific ballads Break In and In Your Room suggest that she might have a little trouble letting go when things do eventually end.

Philip Wilding is a novelist, journalist, scriptwriter, biographer and radio producer. As a young journalist he criss-crossed most of the United States with bands like Motley Crue, Kiss and Poison (think the Almost Famous movie but with more hairspray). More latterly, he’s sat down to chat with bands like the slightly more erudite Manic Street Preachers, Afghan Whigs, Rush and Marillion.