LACUNA COIL : SHALLOW LIFE
Century Media
You know what? I was ready to write this album off without even hearing it; I almost wanted Lacuna Coil to fail – an awful admission to make. Now I’m forced to eat very large amounts of ‘humble pie’, as the Italian sextet have YET AGAIN upped the ante, and created a sixth genuinely wonderful release, and I salute them unreservedly for making me look idiotic! Why would I want them to fail? Truth be told, I used to be a major proponent of female fronted bands, but now we’re flooded with the bloody things, and a majority are simply dire – and LC were very much at the forefront of this movement… therefore they are at least in part to blame!
So this is a full on “Full Metal Racket” right? Wrong! Though it still carries all the band’s trademark gothic flourishes, it is also indelibly stamped with some amazing pop music touches that makes it utterly accessible, whether you are a hardened rocker or just an intrigued pop fan. It also (to me anyway) appears to be a deeply introspective album, lyrically exploring obviously the themes of the emptiness and superficiality of modern existence… so therefore, it also falls into the category of the dreaded ‘concept album’, but it’s an entirely worthy one.
Vocalists Andrea Ferro and Christina Scabbia sound just stunning, their voices fusing and merging (as we have come to expect) in glorious harmony. The musical ‘core’ of the band – Marco Biazzi (guitars), Marco Coti Zelati (bass guitars/keyboards), Christiano Migliore (guitars), and Cristiano Mozzati (drums/percussion) as usual provide a sublime muscular yet dynamic and mellifluous setting for the band’s magic to flow. On offer for your aural perusal and appreciation are a dozen brand new LC numbers, nearly all of which are very pleasing to the ear. That being said, in my opinion the album suffers from ‘front loading’, so the second half fairs less well than “side one” (for you ‘oldie vinyl freaks out there).
“Shallow Life” shows Lacuna Coil have lost none of their sheen or sparkle, and should allow them to show why their lesser competitors will only ever be pale imitations. Welcome back guys… you’re still as good as it gets!
75/100
SATANIC MUTTLEY
