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Band Members
Cristina Scabbia: female vocals
Andrea Ferro: male vocals
Cristiano Migliore: guitars
Marco Biazzi: guitars
Marco Coti Zelati: bass guitar
Cristiano Mozzati: drums & percussion
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Throughout history, Italy has been known for blending the classic with the innovative. In the musical realm, Milan's prolific Lacuna Coil has best translated the dichotomy of this Italian consciousness, bringing miraculous eloquence to their collision of melody and metal. The group's recent triumphs - 100,000 copies sold (and counting), touring on Ozzfest 2004, airplay on nearly 100 commercial radio stations - makes them one of today's biggest breakthrough success stories in independent music, but it's a story that's only just beginning.
Signifying "empty spiral" in English, the band's moniker betrays the rich versatility of their music. With three full-length albums and two EPs to their credit, Lacuna Coil has ensured that each offering further enunciates the subtle, solemn beauty the sextet creates. Comalies, their latest offering, maturely exhibits the trademarked gothic overtones and poignant melancholy of their haunting musical landscape.
Originally formed in 1996, the band teamed up with producer Waldemar Sorychta (Sentenced, Moonspell, Tiamat) in 1998. Their songwriting talents were immediately evident, as Terrorizer magazine hailed Lacuna Coil's self-titled debut as "superb, and its strength soon weakens whatever resistance you may have had after repeated plays." 1999 proved to be another eventful year, with an impressive tour schedule in support of that year's release, In A Reverie, also produced by Sorychta. Sharing stages with many of metal's top acts, the group appeared at high-profile festivals across Europe, reaping the praise of fellow musicians, critics, and new-found fans. With the demand for Lacuna Coil's music suddenly escalating, the band released the Halflife EP as a gift to their European community of fans in the year 2000.
Welcoming Sorychta back into the producer's chair, the group recorded 2001's Unleashed Memories, an album (released in North America along with the Halflife EP) that earned the band much-deserved acclaim. Praised by Alternative Press for their "super-size chords that nearly burst into flame, gorgeous three-part harmonies and chill-inducing melodies that recycle in your head for days" and meriting a special mention in Billboard magazine's Hard Music Spotlight for their "compelling mixture of seductive melodies and aggressive riffs," the band embarked on their first North American tour with labelmates Moonspell in the winter of 2001. Metal Maniacs documented their live show to be "a sensory overload of the highest order. In one word: intoxicating."
It is indeed difficult to resist the dream-like quality of the world Lacuna Coil creates, which floods you with a myriad of heavy and hypnotic sounds. The epic feel of their latest melodic invention, Comalies, will quickly lead to you believe that an incredibly personal epiphany is about to occur. Each song contributes to the build-up, encouraging introspection while documenting the sadness this particular journey uncovers. Upholding the emotive yin/yang tradition of vocal interplay between the dulcet tones of Cristina Scabbia and the deliberate vocals of her male singing partner Andrea Ferro, Comalies is another dynamic exploration of Lacuna Coil's soulfully somber and stunningly enigmatic musical alchemy.
Produced once again by Sorychta, the album has been praised by the likes of Entertainment Weekly, Revolver and virtually every hard rock/metal publication of note. Intoxicate yourself with seething regret in "Swamped"; consider "Entwined" to be the accompaniment to falling from an emotional cliff in slow motion; soar into unknown depths of consciousness with "The Ghost Woman And The Hunter"; and remember a forgotten language with "Comalies."
Since the album's release, the group's profile has grown tenfold thanks to aggressive touring with the likes of Opeth, Anthrax, Type O Negative and Danzig. In addition, the success of first single "Heaven's A Lie" led Billboard to call the band "one of the larger success stories in metal this year," as MTV2 and Fuse put the track's video into heavy rotation, while the song itself graced commercial radio airwaves across the country. Prominent Boston station WAAF led the charge, inviting Lacuna Coil to appear at its annual Locobazooka festival alongside such major acts as Staind and Sevendust, and also to perform acoustically on the air.
In early 2004, Lacuna Coil's successes were validated with an invitation to participate in that year's Ozzfest, supporting such metal stalwarts as Judas Priest, Slayer and Ozzy himself. Additional summer touring with P.O.D. and Blindside, as well as Ozzfest off-date performances with Dimmu Borgir and Bleeding Through, gave the band its busiest season yet. Meanwhile, a video for "Swamped" earned the band additional accolades and exposure.
To commemorate the group's breakthrough achievements, a special edition of Comalies - featuring a bonus disc with the group's WAAF live performance, newly recorded acoustic renditions of four fan favorites, and videos and radio edits of the album's two singles - has been released. It celebrates a band that has pioneered an entire genre, a true career artist whose evolution has always been organic and natural. Be wary of imitators whose fame will undoubtedly prove evanescent; instead, answer the call of the siren and its invitation into the dangerous arms of self-introspection.
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