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Rating: In Milan, the name Alcatraz is synonymous with the temple of live music. Alcatraz survived the severe economic crisis brought on by the pandemic—a crisis that almost made it disappear—only to emerge immortal instead. During those months of forced silence, the venue even hosted an important concert without an audience: “Live from The Apocalypse.” The stars of that unique event, Lacuna Coil, return here, this time with an audience present, exactly ten years later.
Opening the evening were Nonpoint, a nu metal band making their first appearance on European stages, after a quarter-century of activity and a last album dating back to 2018.
The show begins. The audience, filling most of the venue, appreciates the performance of the Fort Lauderdale band, led by the charismatic Elias Soriano. A handful of powerful hits in just over half an hour of music, and then they pass the baton.
After the necessary stage adjustments, the packed Alcatraz—just a few tickets shy of sold out—waits for the night’s stars. Between chatting, sipping a cold beer, and taking in the view of the venue enhanced by the large logo of the band’s latest work at center stage, the lights go out and screams erupt. The band members take the stage one by one. First up are drummer Richard Meiz and the newcomer Daniele Salomone, who replaced Diego Cavallotti on guitar a year ago. Following them are two of the three founders, Marco Coti Zelati and Andrea Ferro, whipping the crowd into a frenzy—before the queen of the lineup, Cristina Scabbia, finally takes her place, sending everyone into ecstasy.
The quintet’s aesthetic impact is, as always, stunning: white makeup with horror details on the faces of the instrumentalists, an alternative tailcoat featuring a fiery red logo on the male vocalist’s back, and a lilac tulle dress with combat boots for the frontwoman.
They kick things off with “Layers of Time” from the second-to-last album “Black Anima,” followed by “Reckless,” which is performed shortly thereafter.
Cristina greets the audience with visible emotion, because the European tour starts at home, and, in her own words: “la sensazione è quella provata durante un saggio di fine anno, al cospetto di amici e parenti e di tutti coloro che fanno parte della famiglia allargata dei Lacuna Coil". The audience returns the warmth and celebrates her words with their usual enthusiasm. Cristina continues, announcing the next song: “In The Mean Time.” She steps back toward the drum kit for a sip of water and notices that the backing track for “Delirium”—title track of the band’s eighth studio album—starts playing from the mixing desk. She shoots a questioning glance at Meiz, who stands firm with sticks in hand, and another conspiratorial look at Andrea Ferro. Both simply shrug and dive into the “unexpected” song. Their performance is flawless and proves, once again if proof were needed, just how well-oiled the band’s gears are—even with the new additions. Her explanation at the end reassures anyone who hadn’t noticed anything amiss and amuses everyone else, cutting through the general astonishment. After all, maybe it isn’t blatantly obvious, but not everyone could handle an unforeseen event with such confidence.
The hour leading to the end of the show is a crescendo of power and quality. The new album “Sleepless Empire” is performed almost in its entirety; among others are “Hosting The Shadow” (without Randy Blythe from Lamb of God, who had joined Cristina just days earlier at the Aftershock Festival), “Gravity,” and “Oxygen,” the explosive opener “The Siege,” as well as “In Nomine Patris,” performed (flawlessly) for the very first time live. The live debut was accompanied by an anecdote that brought more smiles. Among Scabbia’s family members at the side of the stage was her niece, who normally works at a Milanese funeral home. On stage, Cristina was supposed to hold a cross, but it stayed in the hearse, as it was needed to be attached to a coffin heading to the cemetery in the hours to follow. You couldn’t make this up—no better line could be drawn.
Having touched on the great beyond, the set continues with the melodic “I Wish You Were Dead,” a successful single tackling a topical issue and even getting airtime on radio stations not usually keen on metal tracks.
The set list dips deeply into the past, featuring “Spellbound” from the album “Shallow Life” and “Intoxicated” from 2012’s “Dark Adrenaline,” along with “Heaven’s a Lie” and “Swamped”—the latter two from the 20th-anniversary edition of “Comalies,” now heavier and more intense than their original versions.
Cristina’s vocal cords seem to have been chiseled by the devil, to paraphrase the title of the frontwoman’s literary work. Not a hint of weakness, just endless ups and downs in a frenzy of passion. Andrea Ferro’s voice keeps pace, delivering never-tiring screams—sometimes so virtuosic they make your eyes widen. None of this existed at the start of their journey; time has brought wisdom and quality.
Alcatraz is ecstatic, and does not miss a chance to show it. A single large family of fans, eager to celebrate both the origins and the transformation—and the promising future—of a band with enough hits to fill a dozen different setlists. Other tracks thunder in from “Delirium,” the eighth album that marked the shift toward the darkness and power defining their latest work. “The House of Shame” leads the charge, then “Blood, Tears, Dust.” Cristina speaks as the spokesperson for the band, reasserting her love for both her birth family and her extended band family. She remembers her mother, since October 10 is her birthday, and there’s no more fitting song than “Downfall”—performed with an almost dreamlike intensity.
“Nothing Stands in Our Way,” with the band’s anthem “We Fear Nothing!” screamed by the crowd at the top of their lungs, closes the regular set and sets up the grand finale.
Just before the ninety-minute mark, the quintet says their goodbyes and thanks, disappearing into the darkness backstage. We all know it’s just the usual play, and we join in the ritual with a persistent “We want more!”, thus betraying the word code of the evening, which up until then had reserved all comments and compliments to Italian only.
The show ends with “Never Dawn,” which drains the last remaining energy before the band’s final thanks and goodbyes. They linger on stage for a while, asking for a selfie with everyone present. “Horns up” and dozens of arms raised to the sky, celebrating a memorable performance.
Every show by the Milanese band delivers a unique spectacle, sacred and profane, horror and emotion alike, with powerful, flawless execution. A sonic wall built by tightly knit musicians who live the stage dynamically—swapping positions and interacting constantly with the audience.
We hope it’s just a "see you soon," whether at the historic Alcatraz or any other venue. Milan is home and looks forward to welcoming back with open arms the sons and daughters who have proudly carried its name around the world.
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