Lacuna Coil is a band that continues to evolve their sound, even as they close in on thirty years into their storied careers. Though beginning with a more esoteric, gothic metal sound, the dual-fronted group has leaned more into the sounds of their contemporaries without giving up too much of what brought them to the dance in the first place. The Italian outfit are set to release their tenth album Sleepless Empire on February 14th, and thus far we've had four samples: the aggressive “Oxygen,” the machine gun-kick-laden “Hosting the Shadow” with Lamb of God's Randy Blythe, the melodic “In The Mean Time” with New Years Day's Ash Costello, and the djent-influenced “Never Dawn.”
“Gravity” comes as the fifth track so far, with a Latin chanting intro, staccato strings throughout, co-vocalists Andrea Ferro and Cristina Scabbia performing the “beauty and the beast” style they've showcased since Delirium, and a melodic chorus as only Lacuna Coil can do. There is a sense of grandeur and occasion with the song that helps it to stand out from what has been shown thus far, without sacrificing any of the low-end goodness or any other metal credibility.
These days, the band is a four-piece, with Ferro and Scabbia joined by drummer Richard Meiz, new guitarist Daniele Salomone, and co-founding member and multi-instrumentalist Marco Coti Zelati.
The tracklist for the album is as follows:
- The Siege
- Oxygen
- Scarecrow
- Gravity
- I Wish You Were Dead
- Hosting the Shadow (ft. Randy Blythe)
- In Nomine Patris
- Sleepless Empire
- Sleep Paralysis
- In The Mean Time (ft. Ash Costello)
- Never Dawn
Sleepless Empire drops on February 14th via Century Media Records. Pre-order the album and merchandise here.
Check out the music video for “Gravity” below:
