When I first heard of Lacuna Coil, it came in the wake of the Evanescence explosion. I feel this is part of the reason they have not found their success here in the States. Whenever I ask anyone if they listen to Lacuna Coil, they usually give me a puzzled look and say"No." After explaining the Evanescence comparison they get it. The problem is that in mainstream eyes they are seen as also rans, riding the coattails of the band that hit before them, which simply isn't true. So, it strikes me that over the course of the past couple of albums they have been modifying their sound, playing more towards the mainstream style and dropping the nu-metal trappings of their earlier releases in an effort to break through.
Lacuna Coil will go as far as Cristina Scabbia's voice can take them. It makes sense to play up the melodic elements of their sound, making them the focal point. This is easily their most melodic release, instead of worrying about their riffing, they focus more on the song structure, softening the edges, making it more accessible while still feeling distinctly like Lacuna Coil. Something else that is new with this album is a more widespread use of backing keyboards. They add atmosphere and other touches to the overall sound. I like the effect, it fills out the sound and gives the production a nice feel.
The album, taken on its own terms, is a pretty solid collection of tunes. They all fall within the same pacing counts, meaning there is not a wide variation between the fast and slow tunes. The interplay between Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro is still there. Scabbia carries the vocal duties, yet the slightly out of tune Ferro adds a nice flavor to the song. He clearly is a weak vocal link, but the band makes it work, whether through talent as performers or studio trickery, I cannot be certain. The guitars have a smooth presence, backed by a steady rhythm section. Nothing outstanding, but they come together well in the name of the song with no standout performances.
As for the songs? There are a few that stand out, including: "I Survive," "I Like It," "The Pain," and "Shallow Life."
Bottomline. Yes, this is a good album, not a great one. I am not sure that they have a "great" album in them. Still, you could do a lot worse. Scabbia has a wonderful voice and the band has a knack for crafting catchy songs. It is definitely worth checking out.
Recommended.
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