Album Review: Lacuna Coil - Sleepless Empire
Its been 6 years since Italian gothic metal titans, Lacuna Coil, have released a new album. A re-recorded version of 2002 album ‘Comalies’ was released in 2022 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album, now the band are back with new music in the form of ‘Sleepless Empire.’ I can confirm this is a truly fantastic return from the band.
Forming in Milan back in 1994, the band have continually evolved their sound, mixing a blend of heavy metal, gothic rock, symphonic elements, and topped off with dual vocal harmonies from co-lead vocalists, Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro. The band gained international recognition with their third, and previously mentioned album, ‘Comalies.' From there on the band have built a dedicated fan base and released a further 6 albums, each gaining critical acclaim and expanding their fan base further. The band are also known for their dynamic live performances and strong stage presence. They have also toured extensively, sharing stages with some of the biggest names in the metal scene and playing multiple slots at festivals across the globe. Today, the band consists of Cristina Scabbia (vocals), Andrea Ferro (vocals), Marco Coti Zelati (Bass, Guitar, Synths), and Richard Meiz (Drums).
The band was inspired to write ‘Sleepless Empire’ during their recording sessions for ‘Comalies XX’ back in 2022 which is something that stands out on the album. It has a very similar sound to the re-recorded hit album but its themes are vastly different. The band describes the new album as capturing the chaos of a generation trapped in a digital age that never stops, continually effected by the echo chamber that is social media and losing a sense of identity through this. A main theme on the album, which can be heard through out multiple songs, is a sense of rebellion and a call to reclaim yourself and your identity in an age which is constantly trying to take that away from you.
From the moment ‘The Siege’ starts, Lacuna Coil's unmistakeable sound shines through. Its a song written describing a siege, not that of a castle, but a siege on yourself from the outside world. Lyrically, it's powerful and feels like an anthem to remind yourself not to give in. It also feels somewhat cinematic, particularly when the chorus hits with powerful vocals, delivered with clear intent over soaring back in vocals and crunching guitars. And this continues throughout the album with each song feeling like its own story brought together through consistency in themes and lyrical content. Despite Lacuna Coil's journey as band starting over 30 years ago, the album still sounds fresh and may even have some of the best production and mixing on any of their work to date.
Having listened to Lacuna Coil after discovering them during my high school years back in 2007, there's always the worry that new music may be disappointing or feel forced. There are so many bands I feel I have outgrown or have changed the direction of the music but Lacuna Coil continue to evolve their sound whilst staying true to their original sound. The new album highlights this perfectly; it sounds refreshing and exciting but you can immediately tell that it is Lacuna Coil. All the elements fans have come to know and love about Lacuna Coil are still there but everything sounds bigger, the riffs are a little more diverse, and Cristina’s dual vocals with Andrea sound better than ever mixing deep and raw growls and melodic cleans for an exciting yet refined sound.
‘Sleepless Empire’ has a cinematic sound to it, with songs like ‘Never Dawn’ easily fitting into a fantasy film. This may be their love of gaming creeping into their music but it sounds huge. Whilst the album as a whole may have a lot of darker tones to it there are moments which feel somewhat victorious and anthemic. There are also two huge guests providing vocal talents on the album. Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe features on the song 'Hosting the Shadow' and New Year’s Day’s Ash Costello on 'In The Mean Time’. Randy’s guttural vocals pair nicely with Andrea’s vocal style enhancing the song further and the addition of Ash’s vocals during ‘In The Mean Time’ make for a nice addition also.
All in all, ‘Sleepless Empire’ is a brilliant return to form from Lacuna Coil. With a host of exciting, well written, and diverse songs across the album it will easily appeal to the older fans but is equally a great introduction to the band for new fans. The new songs from the album which have already had their live debuts sound great so it’ll be really interesting to see which other songs from the album make it into live sets in the future.
‘Sleepless Empire’ releases on Friday 14th February via Century Media Records.
The band are also set to play Bloodstock Festival in August.
