Review LACUNA COIL “Sleepless Empire”

It was in 2019 when the Italian metal outfit Lacuna Coil released a studio album titled “Black Anima,” and it took the band five years to finish work on the next longplayer. “Sleepless Empire” is the title of the new album, which features eleven new songs.

The 10th studio album shows the band in great shape. The opener “The Siege” immediately underlines why Lacuna Coil belong to the spearhead of dark metal. After a very short intro, the song fires on all cylinders with Andrea Ferro’s raspy vocals being the first sign of heaviness. Along the way Christina Scabbia joins in and the interaction of these two voices remains one of the most important trademarks of the band. Especially the opener works right away, because the melody sticks in your mind after listening to “The Siege” for the first time.

Talking about melodies also means talking about “I Wish You Were Dead”. The latter is a very catchy song that could also work as a single release. The song is infused with a dark pop vibe and is certainly the most commercial moment on the album. The counterpart to such a catchy moment is called “Oxygen” which is a furious metal song, bursting with energy.

With Andre and Christina, Lacuna Coil already have two singers in their line-up, but why not add a third voice? This is what the band does for two songs. “Hosting the Shadow” is the first song where the band welcomes a guest. None other than Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe makes a guest appearance. With his voice, Blythe adds a modern thrash vibe to the song. His raspy singing fits perfectly with Scabbia’s clean vocals, making the song a treat for fans of both bands.

The other song with a special guest is “In the Mean Time”. New Years Day‘s Ash Costello takes over some parts and although the song follows the main concept of the album, it still stands out because of the special dynamic due to the guest appearance.

Darkness and gloom is what “In Nomine Patris” brings to the table, while it is a touching melancholy that characterizes the title track, especially in the beginning. Lacuna Coil’s latest album finds the perfect mixture of metal, rock and gothic, all connected by a modern sound and excellent production. “Sleepless Empire” sounds strong and energetic, something we are used to from the band.

“Sleepless Empire” is the anticipated next amazing album from Lacuna Coil. It feels like the last five years have been used in a good way to recharge the batteries, which is reflected in the songwriting as well as the performance on the new album.