Lacuna Coil - Shallow Life

Century Media Records 2009.

It was evident from the word 'go' that making the progression from having producer Waldemar Sorychta (Tiamat, Sentenced, Therion) to Don Gilmore (who's previous clients include Pearl Jam, Avril Lavigne, Duran Duran and Linkin Park) would cause a stir in the scene, but this italian troup have the driving force and the determination to succeed and it's almost a sure bet that their fifth album is going to be the one putting them in the forefront of their peers. Suprisingly still on Century Media Records, the sexet have now been the labels biggest selling artists for quite some time now, and this band seem to keep heading further up the chain. From a supporting slot with Disturbed across the US, and with headline tours in the pipelines, I'm beginning to wonder whats next?

Their single 'Our Truth' from 2006's 'Karmacode' thrusted them into the UK top 50 singles chart (27 if online sales were included), with the right promotion and single release, this time round they could do even better. My instinct is that journalists and fans alike will have problems with how much this band has changed, forcing them into genres alongside other European female fronted bands won't work, bands such as Epica, Within Temptation and Nightwish are no longer playing the same game, so to speak. 'Shallow Life' sounds much more universal, with underlying heavy tones fused with a pop edge. This is a sure winning combination to hit the mainstream, take a look at bands such as Faith No More, Motley Crue, Foo Fighters and Guns N Roses - all have combined pop elements into their music yet remained faithful to their trusty rock scene.

First single 'Spellbound' is released April 20th and upon first listen, I'm relieved to say that it hasn't strayed too far from the classic 'Lacuna Coil' sound with dual vocal interplay between Andrea Ferro and Cristina Scabbia which brings it closer to 'Comalies' than their previous album 'Karmacode'. I was slightly sceptical hearing that they were making a concious effort to loose the 'poeticness' of past songs, and make their lyrics more clear cut. Chorus 'tell me who you are, I am spellbound, you cannot have this control of me' is catchy and well constructed, while the guitar solo from lead guitarist 'Maus' Biazzi allows the harder rock edge to shine through.

The album kicks in exactly where 'Karmacode' left us hanging, with childlike singing fused with heavy, groovy guitars as a perfectly hard rocking opener 'Survive'. Already it's evident that Andi's parts are much more equal and his voice has come on leaps and bounds. Andi owns songs such as 'The Maze' leading all the verses, with Cristina taking the chorus. 'Not Enough' is hard hitting, and I begin to wonder what the average metal fan will think of this. Because simply put, this is not a metal album but infact has been forced into a genre that it has grown too big for. The intro consists of Scabbia's vocals 'I don't want to be saved, I wanna go down with you'  over a few simple keys in the background, that is until drummer CriZ Mozzati's beat comes in with a drum segment that I have never heard from this band before, it's got groove and a rhythm that you can dance to and it's far removed from anything that they have done before - and it works. They have taken a big step with this album, and at the risk of loosing old fans, I'm sure that they will be gaining many more new ones.

'I'm Not Afraid' is again very different from their usual outlet, both vocals sound completely reworked, this is very single worthy, and dare I say commercial? The lyrics are more straight forward and Andi's segments sound very reminicent of Chester Bennington then half way through the track, my faith is completely restored and Cristina's voice soars over a breakdown with a middle eastern vibe and electronic beats. 'I Like It' goes hand in hand with 'I'm Not Afraid' as they are the poppier side of 'Shallow Life', towards the end of this track, it doesn't even sound like the Lacuna Coil that we've grown to love, 'I'm free to do what I like, I'm celebrating my life' is pure unashamedly pop rock at its best.

In past efforts, the bass has normally been reminicsent of Korn and the nu-metal US scene, which has now been retired to the background and less over powering. Perhaps a good thing for some, though this is an element that I enjoyed from 'Karmacode'. The ballads are sparce but title track 'Shallow Life' is a beautiful masterpiece of simple keys and powerful words, Cristina's vocals have come a long way since their first EP. 'The Pain' is a perfect example of a song that could have come straight from 'Unleashed Memories' while 'Wide Awake' sounds suspiciously like a song straight out of a Disney movie.

To conclude, personally I love this release, it has everything that I look for in an album; fusing different genres to create something entirely their own. Forget about comparisons to other bands, what Lacuna Coil used to sound like and the way they've changed. Shallow Life is a current rock album which allows for the band to really show how they've matured and grown. No longer apart of the European Gothic Metal scene, this band have branched out and taken a risk that actually suits them much better.