Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil have a certain something that sets them aside from their peers. It could be an avoidance of easy categorisation, their love of the grandiose, a penchant for humongous riffs or an unabashed melodic sensibility. In truth, it’s a combination of all of these and they tie them all together with previously unheard confidence on their latest long player Sleepless Empire. Featuring eleven eyebrow-raising tracks, this is an album that could rival fan favourites like Comalies and Unleashed Memories, and pivots the band towards a bright future.
Considering that Lacuna Coil are now in their thirtieth year, you could be forgiven for thinking that they’d be preparing for the heritage circuit, yet the buzzsaw riff and caustic vocals that herald the arrival of opening shot ‘The Siege’ places them firmly in the here and now. It bristles with an energy that’d put many younger bands to shame and stomps with a belief that only comes from a band who know they’re onto a good thing. Of course, the band’s (not so) secret weapon is their dual vocal attack; the clean, surgical singing from Cristina Scabbia contrasts with the demonic, gruff growls of Andrea Ferro and the two make an impressive tag team. When used together it creates an interesting tension of opposites, yet it is when they are used separately that they have their greatest impact. The shift from male to female voice is so startling that, like light reflected from a mirrorball, shows a different facet of the band each turn. It means that their sound is constantly revolving and that no two songs inhabit the same sonic space. This could result in an eclectic sound, yet no matter how heavy (‘Gravity’) or lithe (‘I Wish You Were Dead’) they get, the songs are stitched together by their signature swing.
Sleepless Empire is an album with a concept running throughout and explores the disconnect between the individual and the unending torrent of social media. Sometimes concept albums can feel unsatisfying, especially when a group is more concerned with moving the story forwards, rather than writing actual songs, yet this record works because its conceptual nature is loose enough for the listener to infer their own meaning, and this creates a more collaborative, engaging experience. While it is perfectly feasible to listen to songs such as ‘Sleep Paralysis’ individually, the whole thing is best experienced in one sitting to fully appreciate its recurring motifs and story arc, and doing so makes the arrival of dystopian closer ‘Never Dawn’ all the more arresting.
With Sleepless Empire, Lacuna Coil have found a way to move forwards whilst retaining their core sound, and it sets up an intriguing future. Here’s to the next 30 years!
- Sleepless Empire is released via Century Media Records on 14th February 2025.
- Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube | TikTok
Track List:
1. The Siege
2. Oxygen
3. Scarecrow
4. Gravity
5. I Wish You Were Dead
6. Hosting The Shadow (feat. Randy Blythe)
7. In Nomine Patris
8. Sleepless Empire
9. Sleep Paralysis
10. In The Mean Time (feat. Ash Costello)
11. Never Dawn
