As the ear-crushing final notes of the sensuously driving opener "Do Not Disturb" dissipated in a fog-drenched sea of upraised fists and "horns," the whole of the Southwest Motors Events Center was awash in a cascade of multicolored, flashing lights.

Both on the floor, where fans of all ages huddled against the stage in a familial pack, and on stage, where walls of amplifiers and speakers promised a continued aural assault, the air was tangibly electric and invigorating

"Colorado," Lzzy Hale matter-of-factly offered, "You are officially at a Halestorm show."

Of that, there was no doubt.

On Friday, the melodic metal quartet founded by Hale 22 years ago rained down fire, decibels and riffs, without quarter or apology, for 75 minutes before 3,000 head-bangers, metal-heads and volume buffs converged for the fourth offering in the Colorado State Fair's 2019 big-name entertainment lineup.

Emerging from the shadows in a fringed black leather jacket, short leather skirt, fishnet stockings and, most impressively, 7-inch stilleto heals, Hale was a force to be reckoned with before a single note was played or a vocal line roared.

"That's Lady Gaga on steroids," remarked one enthralled male fan.

Once the aggressively elegant sonic blitz commenced, the full breadth of Hale's talent as a guitarist and vocalist/screamer, as well as Halestorm's celebrated musical catalogue, was revealed.

Each song was melodic, chock full of blistering riffs and solos and, most notably, airport runway loud.

Thematically, Hale's lyrics are an ode to individuality, perseverance and survival: against both the odds and the "Black Vultures" always at the ready to steal one's soul and spirit.

"What doesn't kill me makes me vicious," Hale sings in "Vicious," one of the band's many standout tracks.

More upbeat pop than pounding metal, "Here's to Us" was a high spot, as was, on the other, more aggressive end of the spectrum, the equally catchy "Amen."

With lyrics like "A fire's gotta burn, the world is gonna turn; rain has gotta fall, fate is gonna call; but I just keep on breathing, long as my heart is beating," "Amen" is the harder rocking cousin of Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down."

The lone downshift came midway through the set, when Hale, accompanied by Joe Hottinger on acoustic guitar, presented the intoxicating "Silence," up close and personal.

With a guitar line that wouldn't have been out of place on "Led Zeppelin III," "Silence" was a pleasant and well-received break from the driving force.

A true power ballad, with emphasis on "power."

To a rush of screams and yells, the Storm clouds quickly returned in the form of a scorching electric guitar battle between Hale and Hottinger, a growling bass solo and a battlefield-recreating drum solo that threatened to rearrange the interior organs of those near the gargantuan columns of speakers.

Through a blue-collar work ethic of relentless touring and sweat-inducing studio work, Halestorm has not only earned a Grammy Award but racked up millions in sales, courtesy of a fan base as uncompromising as the band's armored body of work.

All in all, one big happy, dark and slightly twisted metal family.

"Rock doesn't care if you're a girl or a boy," Hale told her devotees. "And rock doesn't care how long your hair is, what color your skin is, what you do for a living. Rock and roll doesn't care for any of that.

"So tonight, we are all part of the same family. We lift each other up. We lift up those 'horns' for each other."

In a field crowded with testosterone-fueled, scowling front men and lead vocalists, Hale is a rarity, but hardly an anomaly.

Like the groundbreaking Joan Jett, Hale is the leader of musical men, including her younger brother Arejay on drums.

Through two decades of painstaking labor, driven by a defiant, take-on-the-world attitude, she has staked her rightful claim to be front and center: a powerful, charismatic and self-made rock ’n’ roll star.

In every sense of the word, a front woman.


Twitter: @jpompia