Album Review: Lacuna Coil - "Sleepless Empire"

Every time there’s a new Lacuna Coil album, I think back to the very first lyrical line of the very first track from 2014’s “Broken Crown Halo,” the anthemic and powerful single “Nothing Stands in Our Way”:

We’re still struggling / halfway through this journey.

Now, I don’t think that lyric was meant to be taken literally, but the second half of that line is worthy of some examination.  Dated back to their first EP, Lacuna Coil had been a going concern for sixteen years at the time of “Broken Crown Halo,” and it’s been eleven years since that remark was recorded.

That’s not to say that anyone believes Lacuna Coil has only five or so years left, far from it.  They can go as long as they feel compelled to do so.  It does, however, serve as a benchmark reminder of how far the band has come, and gives perspective to where they may see themselves now and in the future.

Which all serves as a backdrop to the following question that has plagued Lacuna Coil for years, and will not be abated by their new album “Sleepless Empire”: what band does Lacuna Coil want to be?  (In defense of the band, their sole answer to this question should rightfully be “whatever damn band we want.” I ask the question only as a means to frame how I believe the oft-conflicted and occasionally argumentative Lacuna Coil-imbibing public will react to this record.)

There have been multiple answers to this question over the decades, as the band transitioned through multiple phases of their identity.  The began as the revolutionary progenitors of what has since become known as ‘beauty-and-the-beast metal’ (a silly epithet, but one that seems entrenched now,) transitioned through to being something of a commercial pop metal band with a growling backup singer, and then into their third personality as an emotional and ragged metal storm, culminating in the masterpiece album  “Delirium.”  

Ultimately, the answer to that question that “Sleepless Empire” provides is that Lacuna Coil is all three of those bands in their turn, and the band is confident enough and experienced enough to be able to deftly balance all those elements into something that flows with purpose for the duration of an album.

Three of the first four cuts on this new record illustrate that very point - the opener, “The Siege” brings to mind the days of the persistent beat of “Shallow Life,” followed by the powerfully discordant “Oxygen,” a song with a hammering pulse but also a vaulted, accessible chorus, and then skip one down to “Scarecrow” and hear a song that lives somewhere in the valley between the other two.

Ah, but then the listener gets to “Gravity,” and hears for the first time a song that Lacuna Coil might not have been able to write eleven years ago.  It’s the first and most genuine synthesis of all their career phases that grace “Sleepless Empire.”  A mid-tempo, minor-keyed singalong rich with drama and heavy on power, the song is the amalgam of “Heaven’s a Lie,” “Cybersleep” and “Take Me Home.”  Spoiler, it is the album’s best triumph, the song that is most capable of tearing away the short attention span of the modern listener, that they may be consumed with the sound.

Don’t let it be sold short, though - “Sleepless Empire” brings more to the table than the single song.  Directly after “Gravity” is the wide open and almost bouncy “I Wish You Were Dead,” a song not presented with the dire tones that the title would suggest.  By contrast to what we’ve talked about to this point, “I Wish You Were Dead” is airy and light and breezy, brimming with the sort of retro-’80s goth rock beat that’s been made very fashionable by bands like Lord of the Lost.

Before we tarry too long, there’s one more song worth mentioning - “In Nomine Patris,” which rumbles with the kind of straight-ahead pummeling that so characterized “Broken Crown Halo,” which only merits mention since that’s how we started this whole conversation.

There is an inimitable truth to Lacuna Coil, which is that they’ve always been a singles band.  Each album has two or three outstanding songs, and whatever remains ranges from forgettably average to pleasantly good.  “Sleepless Empire” has some of those same hallmarks - not every song is going to hit.  However, by virtue of its versatility and reflection of the band’s entire career to this point, this may be the first Lacuna Coil album where different singles will hit for different people.  Time will tell.

Twenty-seven years into what the band loosely predicted would be a thirty-two year career, we see Lacuna Coil at a crossroads stylistically, but rather than be paralyzed by choice, they’ve chosen the most difficult but most rewarding road; the attempt to be all those choices at once.  A less experienced, less confident band could not have made “Sleepless Empire” into the success it is.

Album Review: Lacuna Coil - "Black Anima"

Some of the reason it has taken us so long to pen an editorial review of Lacuna Coil’s “Black Anima” is because the album represents a large, moving target.  This is Lacuna Coil old and new and then new again, complete with the rare mid-career photographic image change.

Is it even accurate to call it mid-career?  That would assume a forty-year lifespan for the band, which certainly isn’t impossible given their current momentum and likely resulting inertia, but the point nevertheless remains – it’s abnormal for an established artist to suddenly and dramatically alter their look.  All the press photos for “Black Anima” feature an unrecognizable assembly of musicians in make up.  Time will tell whether this is a permanent change or just an album-cycle one, but either way, it causes a raising of the eyebrow.

Musically, the usual platitudes were heaped onto the fire of the record's promotion – this album is to be ‘heavier’ and ‘darker,’ than previous efforts, which evokes little but a yawn from listeners at this point, who have been so supersaturated with the terms that the words render no more meaning.

There are touchstones of the band that ring true throughout their fairly impressive legacy which remain intact here; a veritable backbone upon which the album’s experimentation rests (which we’ll dive into momentarily.)  The rubbery reverb of their guitar tone is a longtime friend who automatically feels familiar, as the band settles into their well-honed pace and cadence with tracks  like “Under the Surface.”

Additionally, Lacuna Coil still functions as an expression of the dynamic between binary vocalists Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro, both of whom are every bit as effective both singularly and in tandem as they’ve ever been.  Their vocal hand-offs are powerful and well-woven, neither outshining the other, but rather serving in harmonious compliment (even if the nature of the dichotomy is intentionally inharmonious.)

The band’s previous effort, “Delirium,” shades a lot of the proceedings here.  That album, a worthy achievement released in 2016, restored the band to balance in several ways, not the least of which was the elimination of a slicker, popular sound that some fans had come to resent.  Ferro had spent several years as a talented backup singer, and “Delirium,” from its opening call, brought him back to the fore.

And it is in that continued spirit of growth that “Black Anima” shines best.  Both Scabbia and Ferro, the former in particular, push themselves into new ranges and octaves.  This leads to one of the album’s more transcendentally brilliant moments, when Scabbia nearly loses control in the chorus of “Reckless.”  There is a passion here that is tangible, an earnest sense of desperation that gives the composition weight.

Later on we hear “The End is All I Can See,” a Lacuna Coil ballad in the style of “Cybersleep,” remarkable for its comparative placidity and also because it is the rare track where Ferro carries the entirety almost by himself.  Sonically, the song is a distant cousin to some of the lower-dose Fear Factory tunes of that band’s heyday, akin to the sweeping measure of “Resurrection.”

As with many Lacuna Coil albums of the past, one of the truths of “Black Anima” is that it is dotted with momentous singles but cannot carry that momentum through every track.  For every punishing but melodic romp like “Sword of Anger,” there’s a flat “Veneficium,” which shows promise but never completely blossoms.  There are many moments on the record of experimentation that never quite gain traction – even the title track, which bristles with a subtle piano melody played throughout, piques the interest but ultimately leaves with the impression that it could have, and perhaps should have, been more.

Part of the success of “Delirium” and “Karmacode” and “Comalies” and even “Dark Adrenaline” was that the albums showcased a deep emotional connection to either an idea or a theme.  “Black Anima” just doesn’t give off that same feeling, and so the album doesn’t carry as much import or momentum.

That doesn’t make it a bad album, and in fact it is not a bad album – merely a less inspiring one when measured against the back catalogue of a band that has showcased such prowess in the past.

“Black Anima” has some unique moments of growth and evolution, which is incredibly impressive from an artist two decades into the game, and should be celebrated.  The ultimate upshot though may be this: Lacuna Coil has always been a singles band, and listeners should go into “Black Anima” with the knowledge that the record does little to change that.

Here It Is - The Best Albums of 2016

Okay, so this is the culmination of the musical year, the part everyone wants to read because it satiates our two great needs – subjective, arbitrary rankings of art and numbered lists.  If this were the internet (hey, wait…) I might be so inclined to toss in a “Number 7 will shock you!” but because I respect the intelligence of those reading this, I won’t stoop to such a facile attempt to patronize your greater sensibilities.

Not much in the way of introductions needed here, because first of all, the headline pretty much covers what you need to know going in and if you wanted a more in-depth, analytical look at the year at large, well, you’ve likely already read the extended exchange of intellectual diatribes between myself and my esteemed cohort, Chris.

So real quick, let’s blast through the rules.  Pretty easy, there’s basically only one.  To be eligible, an album must be composed of original studio material.  Which means no live albums, no re-releases, no compilations.  You follow?  Good.  On we go.

One quick preamble before we sojourn further (and I know I promised no lengthy introductions.) As the year progressed, I kept a running tally of albums that I thought might prove their mettle enough to be included on this list.  In the end, there were thirty contestants, all of which I enjoyed, so just because an album does not appear here does not diminish its value.  So, with a tip of the cap to Black Wizard, Surgical Meth Machine, Jinjer, Dark Forest, Red Tide Rising, Prong, Deadlock and a fistful of others, let’s get to the awards:

Honorable Mention – Gypsy Chief Goliath – Citizens of Nowhere
As if anybody had any doubt about the future of baseline, sludgy blues metal, here comes Gypsy Chief Goliath to put all those fear to bed.  A stunningly powerful and at times abrasive album, the band also weaves some classic rock style songwriting into their mix, creating a much fuller and more robust experience.



11 – The Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell – Keep It Greasy
As eclectic and bizarre as ever, The Shovell returns to the halls of this list having once previously submitted the album of the year.  There was an effort in between that one and this one that didn’t make the grade, but the gents return to form on this record, combining their…unique…themes and visions with their penchant for writing catchy, old-school riffs that undulate with that glorious distortive factor that so characterized the most memorable experiences of rock in the ‘70s.



10 – Devil to Pay – A Bend Through Space and Time 
This is as much a vote for the entire Devil to Pay catalogue as it is for this specific album.  Every DtP album is different from its predecessor, which is an accomplishment in and of itself, this one being no exception to that remarkable pattern.  As I look back over the list, it’s probably a reflection of personal preference that the first three albums we’ve talked about today are all muddy reproductions of rock-as-we-remember-it, plucked from the tree of Black Sabbath and given to take root in the furnace of modern metal.  Anyway, “A Bend Through Space and Time” keeps the gears churning with that Midwest flair that Devil to Pay trades so well in, crafting a rolling, roiling listen that never rests.



9 – Red Eleven – Collect Your Scars
C’mon people, let’s help this band out.  They deserve to be on a world tour immediately.  Sometimes you hear new music and you just know that a band has ‘it.’  Red Eleven is one of those bands.  This is one part European metal precision and one part pure American grunge design.  There are few bands operating now who seem to want to admit they took their inspiration from the ‘90s, but Red Eleven is in that company, and leading the charge.  “Collect Your Scars” showcases the band’s smooth songwriting and easy composition while juxtaposing that against their aural power.

8 – Blood Ceremony – Lord of Misrule
And of course, right after we make one trip to a band influenced by the ‘90s, we crash right back into bands that have a public love affair with the ‘70s.  Or in some cases on this album, the ’60s.  Even more than their previous efforts, Blood Ceremony goes to great efforts to craft an experience that synthesizes their intimate knowledge of flower rock with the dread and occult of traditional heavy metal.  Top all this off with the siren song of Alia O’Brien and it makes for a can’t miss experience.



7 – The Browning – Isolation
Finally, I break my own pattern by including a record that shares nearly nothing in common with any of the others records on this list.  A unique mix of hardcore and edm, this is the logical extension of industrial metal as we’ve long thought of it, a pure give into the depth of electronic music.  At the time of review I said that this album possessed distinct flaws, and nothing about that has changed, but this is one of those glorious moments where the insight and uniqueness of the product overshadows the shortcomings.  Whenever I wanted something different in my speakers this year, this is where I turned.



6 – Death Angel – The Evil Divide
Thrash, when done right, is still a genre of malice and power.  Many of the hallmark bands of the once proud genre have strayed from that message or forgotten it entirely, but Death Angel is still carrying the banner, standing on the precipice and shouting to all those who would hear that thrash is alive and well.  Yet for all the shredding riffs and glass-chewing tones, it’s the emotional affectation of “Lost” that helps separate the album from the rest of thrash’s contenders this year.

5 – Red Fang – Only Ghosts
Only Red Fang can simultaneously sound like six different bands and yet still sound exclusively like Red Fang.  That’s an incredibly hard balance to strike, but Red Fang continues to exist at the unlikely crossroads of Clutch, Black Sabbath and Queens of the Stone Age.  One of the tricks of this album that makes it work so well is that no matter how far afield the songs get, there’s always a big chorus around the corner to bring everyone back into the fold.  It’s a critical talent, once that we’ll see again later on this list.



4 – Lacuna Coil – Delirium
Another record that works as a product of its emotional mix, “Delirium” sees Lacuna Coil tune down their radio-friendly metal chops and focus it into a sharp metal point that showcases fear, hope and anger in equal mix.  For the first time in a long time, the star of this album isn’t just Cristina Scabbia, but the play of her sanguine vocals laid against the harsh grunt of Andrea Ferro.  The return of that dynamic to the fore speaks louder than any other elements on this record, marking a new phase in Lacuna Coil’s already storied career.



3 – Texas Hippie Coalition – Dark Side of Black
As I talked about briefly in my discussion with Chris, some of what makes this album stand out is that I think THC fans were pretty sure we knew everything there was to know about the band’s musical acumen.  Then this album drops, taking their game to the next level both in ferocity and craftsmanship.  Big Dad Ritch confessed that the album was written and recorded quickly, an intentional effort by the band to release a record that shows some seams, while still showcasing the brilliance of Cord Pool, their guitarist who was finally involved in the writing of new material for the first time.  The band’s swagger is still ever-present, but there’s not genuine malice woven into the brew.



2 – PAIN – Coming Home
Heavy-handed proof that side projects need not be discarded.  All of PAIN’s records have been competitive against the established track record of Hypocrisy, but this one takes that game to a whole new level and challenges Peter Tägtgren’s main act to live up to this record.  “Coming Home” is a multi-faceted beast, one that showcases the power of rock, metal, weird samples, bizarre lyrics and straight-up tight songwriting.  The riffs, as ever for PAIN, remain the star.



1 – Destrage – A Means to No End
…and what else could it be?  The Italians top the list this year (after falling just short to Red Eleven a couple years back,) by bringing their full arsenal of musical mastery to the fore and combining all of the ingredients seamlessly before our eyes.  Destrage succeeds because they locate the sound they want, then acquire it, regardless of how far outside the bounds of what’s ‘metal’ they need to go.  Almost like a prog band, this group of artists can find and blend the best parts of rock, metal, hardcore, prog, grunge and maybe even some lounge material in such a skillful fashion that the listener never feels lost.  Much in the same vein as Red Fang, this is a band that knows how to craft a catchy chorus and always keeps one in the back pocket to bring everyone back together once the song has meandered too far.  Their talent is both undeniable and irresistible.  If you want to step outside the box a little, and really see what metal can do at the same time, there’s no better opportunity in 2016 than to hang out with Destrage’s new record.

Concert Review: Lacuna Coil

Anticipation was running high as the crowd filtered in, everyone well aware of the impending midnight release of Lacuna Coil’s new album “Delirium.”  In the meantime, everyone would have to make due with a full evening’s performance punctuated by new moments couched within old favorites.  Lacuna Coil gleefully took the stage, combining their confidence in their performance with their own personal excitement over their new album.  With that, the fans focused in and the lights went low and the show was on.

Located literally in the middle of the Casino of the Earth at Mohegan Sun, the Wolf’s Den is a uniquely presented venue, part club and part open-air stage, slot machines in easy view as patrons who did not arrive early enough to get inside the gate instead hung out leaning on it.  The sound is good and the sight lines very good, but it does present an odd stage for a metal show – as Cristina Scabbia herself joked, being in the middle of the casino made it feel like she should be singing Celine Dion covers.

The attention of the casino patrons was snapped to the stage as the band began the evening with the head-banging rhythm of “Nothing Stands In Our Way” as the assembled devotees cheering loudly and in full throat.  It was impossible to be anywhere in the immediate vicinity of the Casino of the Wind and not be overwhelmed with the power of the band’s sound; it permeated all through the area, attracting many to the rail and pushing the woefully uninitiated away from their slots.

Decked-out entirely in a straitjacket motif, the band continued the hits of “Broken Crown Halo” by rolling into “Die & Rise,” thus assuring all present that this would be more a night to celebrate new classics than past histories.

The album “Dark Adrenaline,” which some critics panned as ‘too pop’ at the time of its release, was vindicated through the band’s recitation of multiple excellent selections over the course of the evening.  “Fire,” a song built to tap toes and possess crowds to sing along, may have been the evening’s best selection, Scabbia smiling through the uplifting chorus, further exhorting the crowd to participate.  Those gathered in the inner circle of the casino club gladly took part in the show, repeatedly showing their love for the band in an infectious, friendly atmosphere.

“Cybersleep,” a beautiful tune that sounds more like a James Bond theme song than anything else, thrilled the crowd, even if meant Andrea Ferro had to momentarily take a back seat.  What astonishes the most is the way Scabbia can sing this piece album-perfect, making the life performance live and breathe every bit as much as the one listeners are used to.

Naturally, there were a few teasers of “Delirium” sprinkled throughout, in the form of the title track for starters.  The first single, “House of Shame” changed the mood of the show into a deeper hue, much the way this new record stands as a darker exhibition of the songwriting prowess of Lacuna Coil.  The band, new members injecting a sense of fresh enthusiasm into the proceedings, was all business for this cut, pounding out the sinister bass rhythm while Ferro and Scabbia erected the harmonies, bringing the song to life.

Of course, even as much as this was a celebration of Lacuna Coil in the new decade, there were some throwbacks to the heady days more than a decade ago when the band was first becoming known on these shores.  It’s hard to envision a Lacuna Coil show where the band doesn’t indulge the crowd with “Heaven’s a Lie,” but an energetic run-through of “Swamped” came as a pleasant surprise.

Close to the end, after playing one crowd favorite after another, the band kicked off the show’s closing act with their cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence,” demanding that the audience help them through the chorus.  A two-song joyous and lionized performance of “Zombies” and “Our Truth” encouraged the crowd to embrace their individualism, and then with fans chanting and cheering, the band soaking in their adulation and reciprocating graciousness, the show was over, the bright lights of the slot machines weirdly accentuating the ongoing reverie of the fans.

Album Review: Lacuna Coil - "Delirium"

Now wait just a minute, where did this come from?  It’s a pretty fair bet that every music journalist in the land, including those at this esteemed site (if we dare call ourselves such,) had the skeleton of this review written weeks ago, waiting only for the meat in the middle of the essay to fill in the details.  For three or four albums now, the overriding theme of every Lacuna Coil editorial orbited around the idea that the band was slowly but surely turning themselves into the spearhead of mainstream metal, filling their plate and the public’s with accessible, clean melodies and a veneer of overdriven attitude that cynics believed was only an attempted appeasement to the hardcore.  Whether or not that move was a good idea was the subject of great debate in the metalosphere (in the interest of full disclosure, both of us here though it was a good decision, or at least not a bad one,) but regardless of individual position, that was the only germane question when it came to the career of Lacuna Coil.

Now though, “Delirium.”  This is very much a different experience that any album dating all the way back to 2009’s “Shallow Life,” and while it strays from the mainstream path, also stands different that the band’s critically acclaimed early works.  “Delirium” is a new Lacuna Coil, forged in experience and tested with new membership, taking the learned lessons of the old and applying them wholesale into a new, darker dynamic.

Using the word ‘darker’ causes an automatic cringe, as it is the single most underused word in all of pop culture, but it’s necessary here as that is the only word that seems appropriate when addressing this new album.  Simply hearing the album’s opener “The House of Shame” is to recognize, though the dim lighting of fire and smoke that this is Lacuna Coil as we haven’t seen them before.  The undercurrent of this and nearly every song on the record is one of well-cultivated foreboding, befitting the album’s title and stark cover art.  The bass lines are deep, the chug lacking in bright harmonies, the vocals of Andrea Ferro raw and primal.

Speaking of Andrea, he makes a distinct return to prominence here, much to the delight of fans who has shirked at the perception of his backup role.  Yes, there’s plenty of Cristina Scabbia still to be had on this album, but she uses her angelic tones to accent the desperation of the songs like “Broken Things,” leaving Ferro to fill in the crevasses with his earthy howling.  It’s a new dynamic for the vocal duo, no longer trading parts or allowing Scabbia’s pristine tones to dominate the color of the music, but rather the two working in separate lines, almost as if they’re singing two different songs.

One of the underlying truths of every Lacuna Coil album is that they had always been a singles band – yes, “Karmacode” was a great complete album, as were some others, but the reason you tuned in was always the big, richly produced singles, “Heaven’s a Lie,” “Survive,” “Victims.”  In the wake of these magnetic moments, much of the rest of the album would be lost over the side.  “Delirium,” by contrast, trades in the radio-ready for the gritty and macabre, and there are no especially poignant single moments that overshadow the rest.  “Take Me Home” (not a cover of the Phil Collins song,) is probably the closest thing on this album to the old formula, but even this comparatively up-tempo treat heading up the album’s back half is laced with just a touch of either longing or sarcasm or both.  This plays into the big hook chorus of “You Love Me ‘Cause I Hate You,” which again, contains many familiar elements of Lacuna Coil singles (and a little Halestorm too, if we’re being honest,) but arrays them in such a fashion that the sharp edge of the knife is decidedly pointed at the listener.

Lest we give the idea that nothing here will be familiar to longtime Coil fans, there are some hallmarks that remain untouched.  Scabbia and Ferro, as mentioned, remain the focal point of the album, although their dynamic is different but not necessarily better or worse.  Even with that, there’s still a great deal of musicianship to be heard here, and while Lacuna Coil will rarely thrill with individual instrumental virtuosity, the rhythm section, including several prominent guests, make their mark by picking the right notes at the right time, rather than simply blasting them out full bore.  Their artistry is paired with the same rubbery bass tone that the band fell in love with a few albums ago which sounded borrowed at its debut but now is firmly couched as part of the anticipated Coil idiom and identity.

If “Delirium” needs a tweak here or there, it would only be in the new dynamic between Scabbia and Ferro.  Allowing Andrea to take on a greater role is a welcome new twist, but the two vocalists’ new power-sharing dynamic may take some time to grow into.  As we talked about above, the weaving of Scabbia and Ferro, working apart and attacking from different angles is effective when it works, but if they had crossed each other path’s a little more often some of the feeling of distance between them might have been diminished in favor of more real harmony.

Whether or not “Delirium” is the product of new membership in the band or a reaction to the undue criticism of those who think being accessible is a bad thing or any other number of contributing factors is unknowable but ultimately moot.  What “Delirium” is, is the beginning of the third act of Lacuna Coil’s successful career, a commanding statement that speaks to the band’s resolve and confidence as they carry forward.  It is, for lack of more precise adjectives, excellent.