Lacuna Coil
Never Dawn

LA RECENSIONE

The latest studio work from Milan’s Lacuna Coil, “Black Anima”, dates back to a couple of months before the outbreak of the pandemic that we left behind after three long years. The album's songs were reimagined in a live version (much to the fans’ delight) with the release of “Live From The Apocalypse”, a closed-door concert recorded in 2021. Exactly one year later, in the summer of 2022, “Comalies XX” arrived, a dark remake celebrating the twentieth anniversary of their multi-award-winning second full-length album released at the start of the millennium.

Meanwhile, the band regained stability with the arrival of new drummer Richard Meiz (replacing American Ryan Blake Folden), once again making the lineup entirely Italian.

The greatest merit of the last two works, “Delirium” and the aforementioned “Black Anima”, is that they opened new horizons for Lacuna Coil’s sound, moving away from the gothic metal they never completely wanted to embrace, reaching a darker and more introspective identity.

Guitar and bass have become “heavier,” and Andrea Ferro’s vocal cords have amazed with screams and growls that the male voice of the group had only partially accustomed us to. Cristina Scabbia remains the usual great certainty, and she again brings to mind the well-known saying about fine wine.

A few days ago, the single “Never Dawn” was released, emerging after three and a half years of silence, heralding an album yet to be named, coming out in autumn.

The structure of the piece recalls their more recent works and encapsulates the band’s classic sound, although, on this occasion, it proves to be a bit less virtuosic. The vocals remain impeccable, with the usual harmonious collaboration between Cristina and Andrea, carried by the obsessive melody that scratches with powerful riffs starting from Diego Cavallotti’s strings and accompanied by Marco Coti Zelati’s unmistakable bass. Richard Meiz’s drumming once again sounds formidable, giving the sensation of finally filling the void left by Cristiano Mozzati.

We delve deep into the spirit, discussing our most vivid inner conflicts, faced with resilience and strength, like an eternal clash between light and darkness. As has often happened, the song takes us to a parallel dimension, allowing us the freedom to decide how to return to the starting point.

“Never Dawn” was born from the band’s collaboration with CMON, a well-known tabletop game publisher. The instrumental version of the single served as the soundtrack for the trailer of the “Zombicide” launch campaign, a board game that will feature, in its limited edition “White Death,” five miniatures resembling each band member.

This reminds us that the passion for the five Milanese transcends metal, embracing the nerd world. Recently, they collaborated on Iron Maiden’s mobile game “Legacy of The Beast” and the omnibus, produced by DC Comics, for Batman’s 80th anniversary.

When duty meets pleasure, the result is never ordinary.