Hear Halestorm return with rousing single Darkness Always Wins

(Image credit: Jimmy Fontaine)

Halestorm are back with a stirring new song called Darkness Always Wins.

The Pennsylvania hard rockers released the ballad today (April 22), offering the first taste of their as-yet-unannounced sixth studio album. The song was produced by Dave Cobb, best known for his collaborations with such country stars as Chris Stapleton and Brandi Carlile, but contains one of the band’s most metal riffs to date.

According to singer/guitarist Lzzy Hale, Darkness Always Wins isn’t as pessimistic as its title makes it sound. “Darkness Always Wins is not a song of hope, nor is it a song of despair,” she says. “It is reality. History repeating. Evil prevails and the good depart first. But we are not doomed as long as we persist and keep our fires burning.

“The war may not be won in this lifetime. But our mission is to pass the torch so that those who follow have a light to fight with.”

Listen to the track below.

Halestorm’s sixth album, the follow-up to 2022’s Back From The Dead, is expected to come out later this year. Talking to Metal Hammer in January, Hale described recording with Cobb as “weird and chaotic”.

“One time, I was jamming on my baritone guitar, just walking around the house, and Dave swoops in and goes, ‘We need something like that! Run to the studio, right now!’,” she remembered. “And the track has made it onto the record – it sounds very Motörhead.”

The frontwoman also revealed that the new album contains one song that’s “very crazy, very fast”.

Halestorm have a packed touring schedule for the summer. They’ll be playing select dates with Iron Maiden in Europe from May to June, as well as headline shows and festival slots. They’ll appear at Black Sabbath’s Back To The Beginning event in July, then start a North American tour with Volbeat later that month. See all dates and get tickets via the band’s website.

Halestorm - Darkness Always Wins (Official Visualizer) - YouTube

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Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Metal Hammer and Prog, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, NME and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.