Search - Lacuna Coil :: Comalies

Awesome!

Clarissa | Ontario, California | 03/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know if I'd call Lacuna Coil goth metal but they're certainly not your average rock band. "Comalies" is their latest and is my first by them so I can't really compare this to their other albums but, whether it sounds different or not, this is definitely worth buying! For whatever reason samples are not available but once I got this in the mail as a gift and popped the disk into my CD player I was hooked for a very long time and just couldn't listen to anything else! Cristina Scabbia has a sheer, transcendent voice with incredible versatility. Even when she's rocking out with the boys, her singing remains ethereal and gorgeous. At first I didn't care for the male vocals of Andrea because he reminded me of the frontman to Metallica but his voice is really growing on me now and he doesn't annoy me at all. In fact, I think his voice compliments Cristina perfectly as they harmonize with the heavy guitar riffs and great percussion. I recently purchased "Aegis" by Theatre Of Tragedy (another fabulous group signed to Century Media Records) and I find their sound similar to Lacuna Coil (they are bound to get compared to) so if you like TOT but want a more aggressive female vocalist without the growling and screaming of the male singer than Lacuna Coil's "Comalies" is the best CD for melodic metal fans! This may be my only album by Lacuna Coil but I already consider myself a huge aficionado!"

Your jaw will drop

The Deac | Bristow, VA United States | 12/11/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this CD at the recommendation of a friend having never heard the band previously. And I have not regretted it since. This is a unique, inspiring and fresh approach to a relatively stale metal scene. The dual vocalists, in what is the one and only time I have EVER liked this situation, cause 2 dynamics that create such a hauntingly beautiful sound that it just boggles my mind. Never did I ever think that a band could sound like a mixture of say Tori Amos and Meshuggah, but Lacuna Coil accomplishes such a feat, and does it so well that it is a shame these guys aren't well known. Now, I tend to usually like more aggresive music, but this album just consumed me from the first listen. With its melodies combined with the awesome metal riffs, this sounds just amazing. HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!"

The Coil's Masterwork

abdiel169 | Weehawken, NJ USA | 01/03/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As of this writing, this cd has an Amazon sales rank of 2,703. I suppose that the reality is it will never get that much higher -- which is a crying shame because (assuming you are reading this review) you are contemplating buying one of 2002's best releases. If you like your music to be heavy and atmospheric, and don't mind electronic flourishes here and there, I can almost guaranty that this record will not disappoint you.
I've been a fan of the Coil for awhile, and have most of their recorded output. For those unfamiliar, they play a style of music that sort of melds metal, hard rock and goth with touches of electronica -- a style that I have heard referred to as "darkwave." They have two vocalists, one male and one female, who share vocal responsibilities. Their main strength has always been Christina Scabbia's voice, which is strong, clear, high but not too high, and emotive. She could mesmerize you even if she is singing a grocery list. Their main weakness, most noticeable in their last release, has been a tendency to write very similar-sounding songs. The band is more than competent, musically, but their songwriting was never terribly varied.
"Comalies," though is a huge step forward in the songwriting department. This is in part due to an increased electronica element, most noticeable on "Daylight Dancer" and "Tight Rope" -- which are also two of the record's highlights. The songs in general are more varied and interesting in their structure. Also, Andrea Ferro (the male vocalist) has much improved. He accounts for around 30% to 40% of the vocals on the album, and they are all clean -- though some border on a shouted/screamed approach.
Aside from the two aforementioned songs, "Swamped," "The Ghost Woman and the Hunter," "Angel's Punishment," and "Comalies" are all high points. All in all, this is a phenomenal record offering a varied and balanced selection of emotion-charged atmospheric music. Highly recommended.
Tracklist: 1) Swamped 2) Heaven's a Lie 3) Daylight Dancer 4) Humane 5) Self Deception 6) Aeon 7) Tight Rope 8) The Ghost Woman and the Hunter 9) Unspoken 10) Entwined 11) The Prophet Said 12) Angel's Punishment 13) Comalies. A limited edition version also contains a track, entitled "Lost Lulluby," that didn't "fit" on the last album."