The time has come to rise! After five long years, the Italian legends Lacuna Coil are opening the gates to their new pocket world, 'Sleepless Empire'. The concept for the release emerged during the sessions for 'Comalies XX' (2022), recorded in northern Italy between Milano, the members’ hometown, and Como, at SPVN Studios. Production was once again handled by Marco 'Maki' Coti Zelati, and the artwork was thoughtfully created by Italian artist Roberto Toderico, as with their previous albums and ensuring a sense of continuity. A descendant of 2019’s 'Black Anima', this new opus marks their 10th studio album and, according to the band, it “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”.
We embark on this 11 track journey with 'The Siege'. There is no time to lose, we are dropped in the midst of the action with a mix of siren song and battle cry from Cristina Scabbia. This distant call to arms is but the prelude to a heavy breakdown straight off the bat, with black metal-worthy vocals from Andrea Ferro. The power of the song also lies in the mix and relay of the singers' voices. Scabbia taking over again and defying the odds, whilst Ferro’s lyrics mention him having his back against the wall. They empower each other both each other and the listener to fight, and not only that but they are setting the scene of their new universe. The high attack and projection of the drums only increases with time, making it feel like an attack itself. From the get-go, there is an impressive Dave Lombardo style to Richard Meiz’s drums that implores to either start a fight - or end it.
No rest for the wicked, we jump straight into the first single off the album: 'Oxygen'. It confirms that we should always expect the unexpected with Lacuna Coil, starting with a punk like scream that would be much more expected from a band like Yonaka. The fascinating mixing of old and new elements comes through with pure power, mixing steamrolling riffs, melodic singing in the chorus, and punk aspects throughout all of it. The individual notes feel dragged and stretched, like fighting underwater to find the surface again, which all comes to life in the music video. Cristina Scabbia commented that “'Oxygen' is a powerful exploration of emotional struggle and inner conflict. The lyrics convey a sense of drowning in a toxic environment, both literally (in the video) and metaphorically, where attempts at salvation, represented by “oxygen” are somehow futile. This song encapsulates the feeling of struggling to break free from what holds us down, when the journey is filled with difficulty. It’s a raw anthem of vulnerability, resilience, and the courage to face what seems insurmountable. Having to stay in the water for so many hours during the video shoot was cathartic for me, the realisation that the pleasant sensation of floating could in an instant become dangerous and deadly if I wasn’t careful was very fitting with the song’s theme.”
The band also shares that “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.” This is especially notable in the next song, entitled 'Scarecrow'. Its goth opening still brings a twist with a very rave and new wave feel before the gut punch start. They transport us to the 90s, to a fight against cultural norms and expectations. It is noticeably darker and hypnotic, with the vocal fry towards the end brings an industrial feel, with a sense of familiarity replete.
This gothic style which we know Lacuna Coil for continues in 'Gravity', through its ominous orchestration and Latin chanting. We seem to have stepped into a monastery and interrupted a ceremony, a ritual. The electronic dissonance in the piece also brings a new wave feel to the intro and the pre-chorus breakdown, connecting with the previous song and reappearing at different points throughout. Feeling like a twist on their first work, the chorus is bound to summon crowds. We reach a strained end with a strings outro that leads us calmly into the next song.
The symphonic flourishes lead into 'I Wish You Were Dead'. Its lyrical singing is brought forward, putting all instruments on the back burner with an incredible mix that lets the two singers voices echo out. This track is a reminder of the band’s powerful performances, it is extremely catchy and tells you how perfectly it would translate live. It may be the the record’s shortest track, but its anthemic quality will make you want to play it again and again the moment it stops.
We reach the first of the two features on the album. 'Hosting The Shadow' brings none other than Lamb of God’s frontman Randy Blythe. Forming an alliance with Scabbia’s power stance, they've created a dark but intense statement piece in the pairing between the two vocal heavyweights. The band goes to talk of it as “a trip through light and dark, where silence reveals its hidden secrets. Obscure moments can become occasions to evolve, to learn to master one’s own shadow – which is crucial in order to prevail.”
The ceremonial aspect comes back swinging in 'In Nomine Patris' (In The Name Of The Father). It feels mystical, with the singing coming through as a solemn lament. Its riffs and long guitar solo building up towards the end make you believe that we are witnessing a continuation of 'Gravity'. It fades out into folkish singing, bringing us deeper into their world like we're crossing the barriers of a dream.
The title track keeps us going deeper with its distorted electronic synth - it has an intensely experimental feel where instruments are not what they seem, constantly making you wonder what is really being played. It carries a Middle-Eastern chord progression but is dystopian, distant, and strong in its feel. It extends time and transcends it, making us walk through quicksand and fly at the exact same time. Marco's guitar seems to follow Ferro’s screams, as if walking in his footsteps to find safe ground. It is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the longest song on the record.
'In The Mean Time' provides us with the second feature on the record, this time coming from Ash Costello of New Years Day. The whispers at the start of the track make the screaming to come even more impactful. The combined strength of the singers, with banshee-like vocals from Costello, make it something you can only surrender to. It is a call to stop outside pressure and let individuality rise.
As we reach the end, the dreamlike feel still hasn't let up and only once finale 'Never Dawn' finally lets up can we truly wake up from the experience. This final track feels like walking through the desert and seeing an oasis in the distance. The reverberation stuns us into place, like we can hear double and cannot trust what we see or hear to be real.
'Sleepless Empire' is a spiritual album, which flirts with familiarity and newness in equal measures. It balances vulnerability and ultraviolence in a way that makes this album both ethereal and entirely tangible. The production must be highlighted for its high value that manages to keep the band’s sound authentic throughout, with its pristine mix. Every element has its place and role, and everything gets time to shine. This is a collaborative opus that is clearly the result of a common effort and years of transformation and refinement. All fans of Lacuna Coil are bound to be thrilled with the release, finding what they love most about the band in this album whilst still having room for surprises.
It truly is friendship season for Lacuna Coil: following their features with Ash Costello and Randy Blythe, the band will be heading out to the UK and Ireland later this year with special guests and friends Blind Channel from Finland. Find them on tour:
15.10 - Limelight, Belfast
16.10 - Academy, Dublin
18.10 - O2 Academy, Bournemouth
20.10 - Academy, Manchester
21.10 - SWG3, Glasgow
22.10 - KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
24.10 - Rock City, Nottingham
25.10 - Roundhouse, London
26.10 - O2 Academy, Bristol
'Sleepless Empire' will be released on February 14th 2025 via Century Media Records.
Words: Lysandre Pons
Photo: CUNENE
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