New Lacuna Coil!

[Zantera]

I saw them back on the Shallow Life-tour. I don't know if I would see them again tbh. They were good when I saw them, but I haven't really enjoyed their two latest albums, and I think their first 3 albums (and bits of Karmacode) are among their best stuff, and with every album they'll play less and less songs from those. :/

[bosk1]

I saw them on the Shallow Life tour as well, and they were excellent.  Saw them play a club show, and that was the perfect venue.  Honestly, I wouldn't shell out big bucks to go see them in a large venue.  But I would absolutely see them at a reasonably-priced venue close by.

[bosk1]

Well, I have certainly lost track of this band in recent years.  I had no idea that they not only just put out a new album, but that both original guitar players and their drummer left the band and have been replaced.  That kinda bums we out.  But since Maki, Andrea, and Christina have always been the main writers anyway, the sound shouldn't change much.  Which actually brings me to the new album...

I am just finishing my first listen, and I am at work, so I can't really play it very loud or focus on it much.  But I am enjoying what I am hearing.  This is easily the heaviest album they have ever done.  But the thing is, it sounds so much like "generic Lacuna Coil" that you don't so much notice the added heaviness after a bit.  And I don't mean the phrase "generic Lacuna Coil" in a negative sense.  But with this band, you pretty much know what you are getting.  They have a sound that works, and they pretty much stick to it.  I hope to add more detail later. 

[Train of Naught]

Interesting. I have been enjoying the new album a lot but can't manage to get into anything else they've done. I like the added heaviness but I feel it's a bit more diverse musically aswell compared to other stuff I've heard by them. Makes me feel like I'm missing out since you say that this has a lot of that "generic LC" style to it, logically I should like more of their catalog.

Any suggestions for a logical 2nd album for me?

[bosk1]

Hard to say.  Their last two albums kinda blur together in "meh" land for me.  But not sure if that is a reflection on the albums themselves or just the fact that I never really made much effort to listen to them enough to let them form a musical identity in my mind.  I loved Shallow Life, but it took seeing a lot of it live for that to happen, and some fans pan it as being too "commercial" (which I can definitely understand).  Karmacode is pretty good, but starts to lose steam and sound a bit TOO samey in the second half.  Still, I think it is worthwhile for the first half alone.  The riffs and grooves are pretty infectious and pretty potent for inducing involuntary head banging.  Comalies is their true "classic" album.  It sounds a bit dated now, but is very good.  Easily my favorite after all this time.  I never really got into the couple of albums prior to that one.

Not sure if those descriptions help you, but hopefully they do.

[Train of Naught]

I don't even have a good grasp of Delirium yet but it's enough for me to give them a try with some other stuff, I'll write down Comalies and Karmacode for now based on your descriptions but I don't know if I'll get to them anytime soon, thanks!

[seasonsinthesky]

Delirium was quite disappointing - it's generic indeed, save the title track.

Comalies and Unleashed Memories are by far their peak moments. Their first album has some nice highlights as well.

[Adami]

Even though it violates my deepest religious convictions, I completely agree with Bosk.

Lacuna Coil is a band that would very much benefit from a well made compilation album.

[bosk1]

Even though it violates my deepest religious convictions...

For real, or are you just making a joke.  If the former, how so?

[Adami]

Even though it violates my deepest religious convictions...

For real, or are you just making a joke.  If the former, how so?

The 7th sacred scroll speaks of it, but I am forbidden from doing so.

Of course I'm kidding. Just messing with you

[bosk1]

I thought so.  But the way you worded it, I wasn't sure if there was something about their music that you found objectionable or something.

EDIT:  And you inadvertently threw me for another loop by mentioning the seventh scroll in your last post, since this album was part of a haul that also include the new Flotsam & Jetsam album, the first song on which is Seventh Seal.  I was momentarily questioning which album we were talking about. 

[Adami]

I thought so.  But the way you worded it, I wasn't sure if there was something about their music that you found objectionable or something.

Oh, I was joking that it was against my religion to agree with you. 

[bosk1]

I thought so.  But the way you worded it, I wasn't sure if there was something about their music that you found objectionable or something.

Oh, I was joking that it was against my religion to agree with you. 

  That's what I get for trying to function on 4 hours sleep at my age.

[Zantera]

Unleashed Memories and Comalies still remain 2 really good albums for me. Karmacode was a little bit of a step down, but still pretty great. Shallow Life was another step down and while I liked it, the magic was gone. I feel bad that I haven't listened to the last 2 or 3 (?) and maybe I should at least give them a chance. Their early stuff is so good.

[bosk1]

I remember liking the previous two albums.  But after a couple of listens, I just lost interest.  Again, I'm not saying that is necessarily an indication that the albums are subpar.  It could have been that I was just busy and had other music I liked more at the time, so they just fell off my radar.  Not sure.  But I can say I thought they were a step up from Karmacode.

[Anguyen92]

I think Delirium felt a tad too fatiguing for me to listen to.  It's a decent, not great, album.  Bonus points to them, though, for having Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge play a guitar solo on Downfall, but even then I can't say that solo was too mind-blowing compared to what he has done in AB.

To me, I enjoyed Dark Adrenaline the most from what I heard of them.

[Bolsters]

I'm only barely a casual fan of Lacuna Coil so I had no idea there was a new album coming out let alone released. I will check it out soon though.

[bosk1]

One thing I am finding this album has that the last two lacked somewhat:  Lots of infectious, ear-wormy hooks and melodies, especially in Christina's vocal parts. 

Initial knee-jerk reaction is that there seems to be more Andi than where the band had been trending on the last few albums.  But that may be a false impression caused by the fact that he is doing a lot more growls, screams, and harsh vocals, so he sounds more prominent and noticeable than albums where he is doing his normal singing.

I also find it interesting how much the new guitar player is able to emulate the band's signature sound.  I mean, stepping in and sounding close to the basic guitar rhythm sound isn't all that difficult.  But on his leads, I wouldn't have known it wasn't Maus just from listening.  He has the tone, phrasing, and style down.  As in other similar cases with other bands, it is open for debate whether this makes him really good by being able to play to exactly what the band's style calls for, or just really derivative and unoriginal.  I tend to go with the former in these situations.  I mean, the band obviously wanted someone that could provide continuity and not drastically change the sound the fans have grown to appreciate over the band's history, and they found a guy who could provide that.  But I can understand the argument on the other side.

EDIT:  I plan to spend some time with this album on the headphones (as well as the new Flotsam & Jetsam) on my 30 mile bike ride home later this afternoon.  I imagine I will have a much deeper appreciation of the album after doing that.  Will try to report back.

[Zantera]

I've been in a huge Lacuna Coil phase this week and been spinning all their albums a lot, even the last 3 which I never really checked out. Maybe it's time or maybe it's me changing, but I feel like I've appreciated some of the albums I was harsh on earlier.

Just some short thoughts:

Lacuna Coil EP - It's alright. I enjoy it, but need to give it a few more listens.
In a Reverie - Great debut, perhaps a bit unpolished but shows some of the greatness that will come later.
Half-Life - A strong EP with two tracks that stick out in particular, the title track which is just superb, and the fantastic cover of Stars - I think one of my favorite covers ever. The original is good, this version is great.
Unleashed Memories - Still holds up as maybe their best, I'd say a 2-way tie with Comalies. Some of their best songs like 1.19, Distant Sun, Heir of a Dying Day, To Live is to Hide, When a Dead Man Walks & A Current Obsession.
Comalies - Tied for 1st with Unleashed Memories for me. Some superb tracks like Swamped, Heaven's a Lie, Daylight Dancer, Humane & The Ghost Woman and the Hunter.
Karmacode - I like this more now than I used to. Within Me is one of my favorite softer songs the band has done, add to that some great cuts like Our Truth, Fragile, To the Edge, In Visible Light and The Game. Overall a pretty great album.
Shallow Life - Ended up liking this way more than I remember. It's actually pretty great. You have the obvious standouts like Survive, Spellbound and I Won't Tell you, but I also found a lot to appreciate in Wide Awake, Not Enough and I'm Not Afraid.
Dark Adrenaline - Overall I think a solid album that is good but lacks firepower in the hit songs department, but I will say that the closer, My Spirit has quickly become one of my favorite LC songs and it really lifts the album up a notch. They definitely saved the best for last.
Broken Crown Halo - I would say it starts off more underwhelming than previous albums. It isn't until the third track, Hostage to the Light where I get that classic LC-feel. Similar to Dark Adrenaline, I think the album is mostly solid except for the closer, in this case - One Cold Day, which similar to My Spirit on DA is the clear standout for me.
Delirium - Probably their best album since Shallow Life. I would give it a slight edge over the previous two, because it has some highlights sprinkled out over the album. House of Shame is a great opener, Delirium has a memorable chorus and Downfall is a great tune.

I appreciated DA and BCH more than I thought I would, and both are pretty good, but Delirium is a return to form.

[bosk1]

I love the title track on Delirium.  Broken Things and Take Me Home are the other tracks I like most.  This album has more hooks than the prior two.  It also amazes me how much the new guitar player captures the tone and a lot of the style of their prior players.  Not sure how much of that is him trying to emulate their sound and how much of it is Maki really being in control of the band's overall sound.  But either way, I wouldn't have known they had replaced both of their players if I hadn't read it, so cool that they have been able to maintain so much continuity in their sound despite losing both guitar players and their drummer.

[cramx3]

Bumping this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zntJOEvoM78

Nothing Stands in Our Way live from their new live dvd.  Looks awesome, I'm going to have to grab this.  I kind of forgot about this since I haven't been following them since I saw them a year ago.

[Samsara]

I have the Blu-ray/CD set on pre-order. Looking forward to it!

[bosk1]

A few observations from the video:

-Christina sounds great.

-They really need a second guitarist.  I know that a lot of times, the two guitars are doubling each other.  But there are PLENTY of moments where the second guitar is adding a lot of subtle texture in surprising ways.  That is missing with only one guitar (well, technically, it is probably present through the backing track and loops that they use, as is the keyboard.  But still).  They can just lay down another guitar track in studio.  But they need the second guitar in the live setting.

-I don't like having circus performers onstage for metal acts.  Maybe my experience was just tainted by Queensryche doing the Cabaret tour.  But it just seems so out of place that it feels offputting to me.

-I think they are taking the goth thing too far with the makeup.  But whatever.  That's just a personal taste thing.  Their image can be whatever they want it to be.  I respect their creativity.

-This reminded me that I am pretty bummed that I missed them when they toured with Epica.  REALLY wanted to see that tour, but the scheduling did not work out.

[cramx3]

I thought the circus act was interesting.  I don't know what Queensryche did so I can't compare.  I like having some extra flare to the show, it seemed cool in that one video.  I'll have to see the rest of the concert to better gauge if it adds or distracts from the music.  My only issue is there's so much going on and there's lots of smoke that you don't always have a clear picture.  LIke it's fuzzy in a lot of spots and also has the lights shining into the camera that hurts the visuals.  Its not that bad though, just something I noticed.

[Grappler]

Cristina can dress like that any time.   

I think my office has limited youtube to a low resolution, so it's hard for me to really get a good idea on the picture.  It does seem rather smoky though.  The circus thing isn't a distraction for me - it was one show and they had professionals (unlike Queensryche, who utilized the then-current members' wives and their stripper friends) performing. 

I need to look into the Blu-ray.  It looks really cheap for less than $15 for a Blu Ray, DVD and 2 cd's at Amazon.  The audio is decent from my sampling.

[Samsara]

Some dude on YouTube said nothing is better than Cristina in stockings. He's right. 

I have a couple of killer pictures of Cristina from when bosk1 and I attended a show together years ago. I think it was on the Shallow Life tour. In fact, I know it was.

I had them framed at home for awhile, but took them down. If I can find the original digital files (I have them, just gotta find them), I'll post them up. No zoom. I was up close and personal. 

[cramx3]

Please share  because I will +1000000... on the

Cristina can dress like that any time.   

[Samsara]

I'm not sure if these were the ones I have framed. But you get the idea. And not that anyone will care after seeing these, but I believe bosk1 is to my right or directly behind me, fending off fan girls. 

From July 2009:

[bosk1]

...but I believe bosk1 is to my right or directly behind me, fending off fan girls. 

Nah, I was to your left, which I remember vividly because I remember after leaping to catch Criz's drum stick at the end of the show, I looked to my right and remember seeing that you and a couple of the young kids thought it bounced and were looking for it on the ground while I was clutching it to my chest to make sure nobody tried to snatch it out of my hand.  And I have to say, the mostly kids that were in the audience were pretty respectful of others in the crowd from what I saw (other than that one idiot that jumped and tried to kiss Christina and knocked that monitor over.  She was...less than spellbound). 

I was going to say that if you couldn't find your pics, ask me, because you sent them to me and I have them saved in a folder along with mine.  But it looks like you found them.  I just didn't remember you being that close to Christina's, um...yeah.

[cramx3]

  awesome Samsara

[Samsara]

I just didn't remember you being that close to Christina's, um...yeah.

 

[Grappler]

That is fantastic.   

I caught one of Criz's drumsticks as well and did something similar.  I wasn't even looking and it hit me square in the chest.  I clutched it tight and the guy in front of me literally tried to rip it out of my hands after I had it - it wasn't like we were jostling for it while it was in the air.  He actually tried to take it from me.  It had a small busted section with a sliver of wood, which I was able to angle into his hand and force him to let go.  It's the only time that I've ever caught a drumstick.

[bosk1]

Yeah, that was the only time I have ever gotten one.  And the funny thing is, we were driving around the venue way early before the show and saw him talking on his cell phone by the door, and the first thing I said was, "Let's hurry up and park so I can talk to Criz and ask him for a pair of sticks!"  Unfortunately, by the time we parked, he was inside, and didn't come back out.  (but we did get to talk to a couple of other band members)

At the end of the show, he had actually tossed all of his sticks to people way too far to my left or behind us for me to have any shot at catching them.  He took his last one and started walking to the far opposite side of the stage, so I yelled his name at the top of my voice and motioned for him to throw it to me.  To my surprise, he actually stopped, looked me dead in the eye, and then lobbed it right to me.  The unfortunate part was that he lobbed it REALLY high, so it was kind of like a jump ball, and a large group of us all jumped for it.  Luckily, I out-jumped them all and was able to grab it with both hands and come down with it.  And like I said, for whatever reason, everyone else in the area thought it bounced and were looking over by my right while I was standing there holding it. 

Also got one of Maki's bass picks that show as well.  One of the benefits of being right up on the stage in a small venue.