Lacuna Coil
Italy is hardly regarded as a hotbed of Rock. The country is known for the Pope, wine, the mob (sorry, the olive oil business) and Fellini films (though probably not in that order). Folk, Classical and schlock pop dominate the music consciousness. So when Milian's Goth Metal group Lacuna Coil (meaning "empty spiral") emerged in '94 it caught people's attention, especially because it had co-vocalists Cristina Scabbia (contralto) and Andrea Ferro (tenor). The group also featured dual guitarists Cristiano Migliore with Marco Biazzi added following the group's second European tour and debut album, bassist/keyboardist Marco Coi Zelati and drummer Cristiano Mozzati.
Their "Comalies" album, with the single "Heaven's A Lie" hit in '02. A second single, "Swamped," earned Lacuna Coil further recognition and was used in the Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines video game. To top it off, both songs landed on MTV2's Headbanger's Ball. Still riding "Comalies" success, Lacuna Coil spent '04 touring both Europe and the U.S. and appearing on the Ozzfest Tour. "Karmacode" dropped in the spring of '06 and with it came the opportunity to tour with the like minded Rob Zombie. Lacuna Coil also performed at England 's 2006 Download Festival (with Metallica, Tool and Guns N' Roses).
If you listen to the guitar, bass and drums on Lacuna Coil songs there isn't much to differentiate it from what's been done (to death) by other Goth Metal groups. The addition of keyboards is a nice, if a somewhat superficial element. No, what gives Lacuna Coil it's often mesmerizing sound is their impeccable use of vocals. Having two lead singers is novel. In addition, Scabbia and Ferro bring a lot of imagination to the arrangements - not content to simply mimic each other. There is also the juxtaposition between ethereal vocals (usually Scabbia) and heavy/violent ranting (regularly Ferro) which gives the songs a sense of tension and drama.
Lacuna Coil travels from a dreamlike state in "Devoted" to hardcore for "Fragments Of Faith." Set opener, "Fragile" is powerful while "Our Truth" soars. The album closes with a cover of Depche Mode's classic "Enjoy The Silence." It's a slower and not as potent as the original but their rendition is certainly not a throw-away. It also illustrates an obvious group influence.
"Swamped" and "Heaven's A Lie" from "Comalies" are compelling mid-tempo tracks that earned their airplay. "Angel's Punishment" proves Lacuna Coil has the muscle, both vocally and instrumentally, to burn.