ChaosA.D.

I must say that I respect your opinion as it stands; however, I believe that labels originate precisely from people (cultured or not, I don’t like to judge it since, in my view, musical culture is very subjective). Indeed, a way to define a musical movement, a fashion style, or a writing style, in my opinion, survives or even comes into being precisely because people use them; speaking of music, we can define Motley Crue as Glam, Hair Metal, Hard Rock, or, citing your idea of temporal and geographical definition (I genuinely liked that expression), as a band belonging to the musical movement that developed in Los Angeles during the 1980s (which also included W.A.S.P., Poison, Ratt, etc.). So, with what I’ve said so far, I just want to affirm that labels, no matter how much you want to consider them wrong (many of them are for me—think about Gothic Metal and the inappropriate use of that term today), are applied based on what people consider it to be. Therefore, I completely agree with you that Grunge indicates a way of making music typical of a specific American geographical area, but for me, the typical characteristics of that sound—those that stand out the most to the average listener (I’m referring to that sonic minimalism and the depressive lyrics you mentioned earlier)—belong entirely to Kurt Cobain's band. This is always my opinion, which of course is not law and doesn’t pretend to be so. With this, I say goodbye, ciao!

P.S. One last thing: labels are ultimately a way to generalize, to concisely define something when one is in the midst of a discussion, so they are subject to inaccuracies, exceptions, and points of view. In the end, however, their importance is limited to a purely dialectical discourse.

Even though I do not share your opinion, as for me I enjoy and find the series entertaining (I, on the few occasions I'm not studying, just try to relax a bit), your review is really well done; you have expressed your ideas intelligently, well done!

Well-written review; the comparison to Pearl Jam is only on a vocal level, and in my opinion, neither Vedder's group nor Stapp's can be fully classified as grunge or post-grunge (a label that I honestly have never quite understood; in fact, the various so-called post-grunge bands seem to me to be just hard rock with somewhat introspective lyrics). For me, this genre is characterized solely by the desire to shout one's discomfort at the world (whether constructed or not is not my concern). Therefore, I consider only Nirvana to be a truly grunge band, as groups like Alice In Chains and Soundgarden had a musical structure that, when compared to Cobain's band and the genre I'm examining, turns out to be more varied and less focused on self-destruction. In conclusion, I repeat, I enjoyed the review, but I won't rate the album because I've only listened to what Creed played on TV. Bye.

Well-written review, good job! Honestly, I agree with Gasta, I also predict a series of ones and comments like: "it's not black metal," "they're commercial," or "what idiots," etc. (not to mention the inevitable recipes!!!). I won't vote for the album because I've only listened to one song, namely "Twilight Damnation," and I find it really beautiful, with a slightly thrashy spirit that positively impressed me. With this review, I believe I will get closer to a band that I honestly had always snubbed for no apparent reason! Bye.

Greatly penalized by the track-by-track approach, you didn't do it explicitly (I mean, song title with the description beside it), but essentially you've described the entire work in a way that is too detailed and especially too emotionally involved. The album is a masterpiece, it has a beautiful story, and musically it is impeccable. As for the critiques (I don't like their recent works either), I believe they are part of the Italian culture: a band reaches commercial peak (whether they want to or not, they always play Heavy Metal, a genre that certainly doesn't allow for sales like the late Michael Jackson) and in our country they're labeled as sold out, commercial, and all the usual criticism (they did the same with Novembre back in the days of the Century Media contract, so...), however, I repeat, the album is excellent, and then the critiques, grounded on concrete musical bases, can exist since fortunately not all of us are the same.

I'm sorry, I might be a voice out of the chorus, but I can't stand when things transcend into politics. In Italy, there's a habit of muddying everything with politics. I study history, and I can confidently say that black and white doesn't exist. America and Russia, capitalism and communism have had their flaws and their merits; however, in my opinion, both have made the population they were supposed to govern and take care of pay a high price. Just think about healthcare in the USA, where people die because they can't access treatment (it's the same here in Italy; public healthcare is a mirage since, to get an analysis done, besides the ticket that crushes you, you must wait for years, and by the time it's your turn, they've already held your funeral). But, to be impartial, do you know the story of the athletes from the so-called "doped" Olympics of the mid-70s? Well, at that disastrous sporting event, the regime of East Germany literally distorted the genetic makeup of its athletes to the point where one of them, due to excessive steroids, practically became a man. Sorry for the outburst, but I believe that a critical eye is important in life. Our world is a mess, where those who govern (of whatever color they pretend to be) only think of themselves and how to fatten their wallets. Now, to conclude, besides apologizing again for my somewhat passionate commentary, I just want to add that the game, regardless of everything, is a masterpiece!

I liked the review because you didn't just sing the praises of a band that I think is among your favorites, if not your favorite, so well done. I haven't heard the live performance, but I justify my opinion based on two facts: first, I know the songs and they drive me crazy, and then I watched their live show from 1984 (censored unfortunately at the moment when there's the famous skit of "Tormentor") at the Asylum (I don't remember the name of the venue where they played well, but it's one of their most famous shows) and I found them truly amazing, Blackie was pounding on the bass like a madman and singing like a psycho with his butt in the wind! A band of genuinely brilliant madmen, have you heard their latest work?

I really like the review; it’s very clear, precise, and not “spoiler-y”. The film honestly doesn’t grab me that much; I think the horror genre has said everything it had to say. In fact, I’m now diving into the old mysteries of good old Sherlock Holmes, portrayed by the immortal (second only to the legendary Jeremy Brett) Basil Rathbone!

Well-written and very clear review. In my opinion, the problem with Lacuna Coil heavily lies in their classification. Let me explain: when a band like them (very melodic, with few accelerations and fundamentally light voices) is defined as "Gothic Metal," those who listen to bands like Paradise Lost (their album "Gothic" is a manifesto of the genre) or even our own Novembre (among their many facets, there’s also a distinct "gothicity") feel (rightly) offended, as they cannot find in Lacuna Coil's compositions the melancholy mixed with furious anger and resignation that characterizes a genre (the Gothic, precisely) that is, at least in my opinion, still a product of an extreme conception of Heavy Metal (just think of the Slayer-esque solo that the aforementioned Novembre gives us in "Triesteitaliana"). In conclusion, Lacuna Coil is for me a respectable Italian band (even if I'm not a huge fan), understandable only if one does not try to frame them within a musical movement that is completely alien to them. Goodbye.

In my opinion, you should have spent a bit more time on the album, highlighting its multiple facets and the great expressive and melancholic force it contains. Indeed, it is a truly emotional work that serves as a prelude to the dazzling career of a band that has never, and I repeat never, released an underwhelming or uninspired record! The first of a series of masterpieces from a band that is nothing short of brilliant!