Jewelcase Treasures: Album Review of Lacuna Coil - Karmacode

I know I never said I was putting this on a rigorous schedule, but Tuesdays are always big for music; many albums are released on this pivotal day, and so I like to time my articles as such.

And yet today (tomorrow?) is Thursday.  Derp.

Ah well.  Let's get started with the usual format: time to review the Lacuna Coil album Karmacode, an "oldie" from 2006.

......... wait, who are they again?

On the Cover: Lacuna Coil

Lacuna Coil (meaning "empty spiral") is an interesting little band.  The group, if the name is any indication, is Italian, and they play a gothic metal style of music; oftentimes they mix in strings, Middle Eastern instruments, among other nice touches.  While almost all of their songs are in English, they do include Italian songs in the mix.  The vocalist, Cristina Scabbia, is flanked by Andrea Ferro, and together (live performances aside) create an interesting duo of sound, Cristina usually in the foreground.  The other four members - Cristiano Migliore and Marco Biazzi on guitars, Marco Coti Zelati on bass and keyboards, and Cristiano Mozzati on drums - represent the rest of the band and do a great job on making a defining sound.

But do they pull it off well here?  Well... only one way to find out.

Inside the Case: Tracklist

1) Fragile
Right away we start with a pumping bass, and the introduction of Cristina.  She's soon, however, replaced by Andrea, who does a good job of leading us into a rather awesome chorus that shows off the vocalist double-team.  What powers this song is the rhythm, especially when it comes up after the bridge, with the powerful bass-line (almost slap-bass in the guitar).  No frills here - quite an excellent song.

2) To The Edge
Believe me, this sounds SO much better on the album than live.  The keyboardist and the guitarists work exceptionally well here, and Andrea and Cristina do their jobs in grand fashion.  And GOD the rhythm... so kick-ass. This is, bar none, my favorite song by them.  Wish I had my bass guitar back; this is the one song I really wanted to play on it.  *sadface*

3) Our Truth
This song is one of Lacuna Coil's most famous pieces - it's the song featured in Guitar Hero World Tour, and it's how I got introduced to this band.  The Middle Eastern influences in the pre-chorus set it apart from the previous two songs, and Cristina does a wonderful job otherwise.  Andrea doesn't do too much here; this is Cristina's time to shine, but the two do sing together in the chorus.  Watch the music video version of this song if you get a chance.

4) Within Me
Three tremendously awesome songs, followed up by.... well....... this.  I hate to say it, but Andrea Ferro just sounds like he gave up here.  The beginning sounds so tired, so basic, that it's completely jarring - "Something about you / just makes me feel bad" sung rather slowly does not a good song make.  Cristina does well enough here, but the song just never really recovers enough.  Andrea's parts just don't do anything justice - in some parts it sounds like his Italian accent gets in the way, since he usually doesn't sing for longer than half a verse.  In here, he has whole stanzas.  I don't mind softer gothic metal, but... not as good of a song as I was hoping.  I will admit the chorus is pretty well-done though.

5) Devoted
Um, ... the beginning sounds like a slowed down version of Fragile, without Cristina singing.  The hell?  Andrea is in the foreground once more, and while his lyrics aren't as super-basic as they were, he's still sometimes hard to understand, as the guitars seem to drown him out a tad; on top of which, his accent still gets in the way a few times.  A bit too similar to Fragile; hell, even the ending sounds like it.  Not a bad song, just not very creative.

6) You Create
At only a minute and a half, it's hard to really judge this song.  It's basically Cristina chanting over guitars and bass, while Andrea shows up about a minute in with some weird, gruff stigma about "There are no limits".  ... wat

7) What I See
... aaaah, I get it now.  "You Create What I See".  Clever, Lacuna Coil.  Too bad You Create doesn't really sound like it leads into What I See, which sounds less gothic than the previous songs on this album... in fact, it sounds a lot like Korn if Cristina took over for Jonathan Davis.  An epic bass-line drives the song, and it's certainly good, but in the face of the first three songs... meh?

8) Fragments of Faith
The hell?  Are we copying Fragile's intro again?  What's going on here?  Trust me, it's not a complete copy, and the tempo is indeed slower, but my God, guys.  At least we get some strings down the road to differentate it a bit... though it just keeps sounding like Fragile.  Until the chorus, which has dissonant chords aplenty, Andrea actually dropping his voice an octave, and some incredibly strong bass.  It's a great song, and I'm glad they liked Fragile enough to make two songs that almost sounded like it, but goodness, could you make it any more obvious?

9) Closer
What in the...?  Jarring beginning, to be sure, and it almost sounds more like a cover of a totally different song than something a gothic metal band would make.  Apparently this song was on another Guitar Hero game as well, and it sounds like it (not necessarily a bad thing though).  It's a good song, don't get me wrong; just prepare yourself a bit for it beforehand.

10) In Visible Light
Geddit?

Great little pitter-patter of drums during the chorus helps make this a standout amongst the slower songs on this track, and it doesn't sound like a copy of any other song on here.  Cristina also seems to reach even higher octaves than before, and she sounds quite beautiful here.  Andrea sounds stronger as well - the two sound, like the first three songs, like a strong vocalizing duo again.  There's even a string fanfare in the bridge.  Great little song, definitely amongst the strongest.

11) The Game
We're back up to speed, and we pull a tad off the bass to give the higher registers a bit more oomph.  Looks like we're finding our strength again, as Andrea and Cristina do their jobs as they're best done, with Cristina leading the way and Andrea giving a good foundation for her to stand on.  And is that... a guitar solo!?  Yes!  The poor lead guitarist finally gets his chance to shine here, and while it's not exactly a head-shredder of a solo, it's at least nice to know that he's gotten some love too.  To be fair, very rarely does gothic metal focus on guitar solos, so my reaction may not exactly be justified or even necessary.

12) Without Fear
Italian band, remember?  Here's your Italian song, served with a side of Cristina's beautiful singing as she sings in her native language the best she can.  Andrea also joins her, for a smooth rendition.  Speaking of Andrea... wow, does he sound much better.  A little more confidence with the native language, less bombast, and you get a surprisingly nice stretch of vocals from the male lead.  Quite a nice song.  ... and the guitarists show up again!  Schweet.  ... and is that an accordion?  Nice job by the keyboardist as well.

13) Enjoy the Silence
Hi, Depeche Mode fans!  Lacuna Coil would like to tell you that they love the band too, and to be quite honest, this is a great cover.  Andrea and Cristina work together to put a gothic spin on this classic electronica song.  Quite ashamedly, this version is the one I listened to before the Depeche Mode version, and while I slightly prefer this one, both songs are quite well-done.  A great closer to the album.

After Ejection: Conclusions

Cristina Scabbia pulls in some of the best vocalwork I've seen from female-led metal bands, and I enjoyed listening to her throughout the whole album.  Her counter-part Andrea sometimes slips up, but he does well enough.  The first three songs are excellent pieces of work, and the last songs are quite well-done too, but there is a noticeable slump in the middle that will discourage some listeners.  Press on though, and you'll find a favorite amongst this list.

Just don't listen to them live.   Yeesh.

[ RATING: 6.5 / 10 ]