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"Welcome to hell! Lacuna Coil's tenth album continues in a dark vein as exhilarating as it is terrifying, despite a lack of risk-taking."
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3/5
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In the mid-2010s, Lacuna Coil could have metamorphosed into a mainstream metal band like fellow band Evanescence. Boosted by their hard-won popularity, the Italian combo was only too happy to copy an even more sanitized formula under the aegis of Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Pearl Jam, Korn). But that would be to misunderstand Lacuna Coil, who, when told white, answers black. And “Delirium” and “Black Anima”, the two previous opuses, had rediscovered the devastating black force of their origins.
Since 2019, the Italians have kept a low profile, and fans have only had a “Comalies XX” rerelease and a live “Live From The Apocalypse” to listen to. This long-awaited tenth album continues where it left off. This journey takes us straight to Hell: the ambiences are heavy, the maw of darkness is gaping and threatens to engulf us. You who enter here, abandon all hope. Fierce metal with a hint of gothic reigns supreme, the guitars are hideously distorted (sometimes indulging in some wild solos, as on 'Sleep Paralysis'), the rhythm section is on fire. As for the keyboards, they bring a spirit akin to a macabre carnival. Gravity' and especially 'I Wish You Were Dead' are the tracks you need to listen to first, to convince yourself that Lacuna Coil have not lost their superb style.
Andrea Ferro's devastatingly evil grunts are no longer human. This evolution also rubs off on Cristina Scabbia, whose voice sometimes becomes more vindictive ('Oxygen'). Fans can rest assured, however, that her sensual (notably celestial on 'In Nomine Patris' and 'Gravity') and schizoid accents are still to be found. Ash Costello (New Year's Day) on 'In The Mean Time' and Randy Blythe (Lamb Of Gods) on 'Hosting The Shadows' successfully short-circuit the vocal duo. The fury is there, but there's a lack of madness, giving the impression that the band has turned on the autopilot control and prematurely hibernated its audacity. Some tracks go round in circles, and 'Scarecrow' could have been shortened, while the eponymous title track is somewhat redundant.
Six years after their last studio effort, Lacuna Coil delivers “Sleepless Empire”, an album in which the main ingredients that have made the band so successful are to be found. However, despite their qualities, the Italians prove a little too predictable, offering a result that's a little too smooth. Perhaps what the Italians really need is a rock opera to express their fertile megalomania. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. The Siege
02. Oxygen
03. Scarecrow
04. Gravity
 05. I Wish You Were Dead
06. Hosting The Shadow
07. In Nomine Patris
08. Sleepless Empire
09. Sleep Paralysis
10. In The Mean Time
11. Never Dawn
LINEUP:
Andrea Ferro: Chant
Cristina Scabbia: Chant
Daniele Salomone: Guitares
Marco Coti Zelati: Basse / Claviers
Richard Meiz: Batterie
Ash Costello: Chant / Invité
Randy Blythe: Chant / Invité
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(0) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
2/5 (1 view(s))
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STAFF:
3/5 (3 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH LACUNA COIL
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LAST INTERVIEW
LACUNA COIL (SEPTEMBER 2019)
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Three years after a very well received "Delirium", Lacuna Coil released "Black Anima", their best album to date according to them. Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro played the interview game
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT LACUNA COIL
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