Century Media Records
Release: 14 February 2025
Genre: Metal
Links: https://www.facebook.com/lacunacoil
Line Up:
Cristina Scabbia – Vocals
Andrea Ferro – Vocals
Diego Cavallotti – Guitar
Marco Coti Zelati – Bass
Richard Meiz – Drums
Tracklist:
1. The Siege
2. Oxygen
3. Scarecrow
4. Gravity
5. I Wish You Were Dead
6. Hosting The Shadow (feat. Randy Blythe)
7. In Nomine Patris
8. Sleepless Empire
9. Sleep Paralysis
10. In The Mean Time (feat. Ash Costello)
11. Never Dawn
Italian metallers Lacuna Coil first came to my attention after their 2002 album “Comalies,” but became a staple on my playlist following the release of the single “Closer” from their 2006 album “Karmacode.” The band’s distinctive sound, a rarity in today’s music scene, is largely driven by the contrasting vocal styles of Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro. Scabbia’s ethereal melodies, combined with Ferro’s guttural vocals, create a unique sound for the band.
This latest chapter in the band’s history continues to deliver the sound that their fans love, with heavy guitars and percussion combined with the polarized vocalizations. The album opens with “The Siege,” featuring a haunting intro before being joined by the heavier elements of the group. The song intertwines the otherworldly and the dark, delivering a powerful opener for the album. What sets this apart from other tracks in this genre is that the two singers overlap in their contrasting styles in parts, and this works really well.
The second track is the pre-released “Oxygen.” This single’s catchy rhythm will inevitably make you headbang. I am a big fan of the use of double pedal, and Richard Meiz uses them to great effect in this track. The use of distinct sections adds to the overall effect, and this, along with the final track “Never Dawn,” is probably my favorite on the album.
Lyrically, the album depicts darkness. When asked about the message behind the record, the band stated: “Sleepless Empire captures, through our eyes, the chaos of a generation trapped in a digital world that never stops, where social media consumes identity and every day pushes us one step closer to becoming soulless zombies. 1 We find ourselves in between, having witnessed a full analogic world and the modern one, confronting the evolution and searching for a true meaning of it all. Throughout every song, the journey is an undercurrent of rebellion, a desperate cry to reclaim oneself in an era that seems to have lost its sense of time and reality.”
In addition to the use of traditional instruments, the band expands in tracks such as “Gravity,” where Marco Coti Zelati demonstrates his versatility by adding synth to his guitar work. Not overly known for their collaborations, this album is enriched by guest vocals from Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe on the song ‘Hosting the Shadow’ and New Year’s Day’s Ash Costello on ‘In The Mean Time,’ both of which have associated videos available on platforms such as YouTube.
Throughout the album, the band expands on its gothic origins, incorporating a variety of melodic sections and heavy guitar riffs with the general effect being extremely atmospheric. The group stays true to their roots, and overall, the album is a great listen. For those of you who love metal with a male and female vocal juxtaposition, then “Sleepless Empire” is for you.
If this album is something that you have enjoyed, the band will be touring in South America and will be following that with several dates in the US in the Spring. They will also be returning to the UK for Bloodstock Festival in August.
Written by: Dave Martin
Ratings: 7/10