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   December 11, 2002
 22 out of 26 found this review helpful

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!


What the hell is wrong with everybody?!   March 18, 2004
 17 out of 18 found this review helpful

This is one of those records that just leaves your jaw dropped in awe: awe that music could ever get this good again, and awe from realizing just how braindead the music world is to have overlooked them for so long.
Popular music has been so insubstantial and rehashed for the last several years that a recording of this caliber is bound to create quite a stir. There is not one single bad song here: they are catchy without taking that fateful plunge over the "commercial" cliff; unlike what's popular, they have something to say in words actually beyond the high school level; and they are sung by a voice that we puny humans do not deserve to be exposed to.
It doesn't hurt that Cristina Scabbia is the hottest piece of eye candy in music, but even if she wasn't her voice would still be the equivalent of an angelic choir.
This album was released almost a year before it was really noticed by anyone. That's just sad. I have had this cd now for over a month and I STILL listen to it everyday. In fact I can't remember the last time I have been so absorbed in a recording. Probably never. All I know is that I this is the first cd I have purchased in years because it stands head and shoulders above everything else out there as far as quality and substance.
It's scary to think that anything could be this good. How LC hasn't single-handedly run all of those cookie cutter corporate rock bands out of the business by now is mystifying. There is simply NO comparison. It appears that we have 2 choices these days: Lacuna Coil or fraudulent corporate music.


Mesmerizing Vocals Highlight This Gothic Metal Album   July 7, 2004
 12 out of 14 found this review helpful

The Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil has not been particularly well-known in the United States since the release of their first album in 1998, but more and more people on this side of the Atlantic are getting the opportunity to listen to Cristina Scabbia's hauntingly beautiful vocals along with her co-vocalist, Andrea Ferro. Their most recent album, "Comalies", which was released in 2002 and is their fourth album, contains 13 tracks. All of the songs contain English lyrics, but the last track (the title track) contains some Italian lyrics. Some people have compared Cristina Scabbia's voice with Amy Lee, who is the lead vocalist of the band Evanescence. Both singers are very good, but Cristina Scabbia's voice is slightly deeper and more voluptuous than that of Amy Lee. My ratings for each of the 13 tracks on "Comalies" are listed below.

1. "Swamped" (5 stars). Soft start that suddenly breaks open with Cristina and Andrea's vocals very melodic guitar, bass and keyboards. The choruses feature Cristina's vocals, but the verses feature Andrea's vocals with some background vocals by Christina.
2. "Heaven's A Lie" (5 stars). The beginning crescendos with guitar, bass, keyboards & percussion before Christina begins her vocals. She is joined in the choruses by Andrea.
3. "Daylight Dancer" (4.5 stars). Metallic notes slightly similar to a celesta begin this interesting song and continue throughout.
4. "Humane" (4.5 stars). Electronic beginning with Christina's vocals begins this slower, very melodic song before being joined by percussion, guitar and bass.
5. "Self Deception" (4 stars). A harder song featuring Andrea's vocals, guitar, bass and percussion. Christina sings during the choruses.
6. "Aeon" (4.5 stars). A lengthy instrumental introduction starts this brief song (just under 2 minutes) before sounding briefly like a broken record to give way to a melodic ballad featuring Christina's voice. It's essentially an introduction to the next track.
7. "Tight Rope" (5 stars). Strong guitar, bass and percussion are featured along with vocals by both Christina and Andrea using a good melodic chord progression.
8. "The Ghost Woman and the Hunter" (4 stars). A mixture of forward and reverse-sounding chords are played throughout this ballad that primarily features Christina's vocals.
9. "Unspoken" (3.5 stars). Probably the least interesting song on the album, "Unspoken" primarily features Christina's vocals occasionally interlaced with Andrea.
10. "Entwined" (4 stars). A good combination of vocals from Christina and Andrea in a slower ballad.
11. "The Prophet Said" (4.5 stars). A more intense song with lots of guitar, bass and percussion and featuring Andrea's vocals with Christina in the choruses.
12. "Angel's Punishment" (4.5 stars). An eclectic combination of spoken vocals by Christina and choruses that are a mixture of Andrea's screaming vocals and Christina's melodic vocals.
13. "Comalies" (4.5 stars). A strong final track to this ablum using a good mixture of keyboards, guitar, bass and percussion fused with Christina's melodic vocals.

Overall, I rate the album "Comalies" by Lacuna Coil with 4 out of 5 stars. In addition to Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro, the other band members include Cristiano Migliore (guitars), Marco Biazzi (guitars), Marco Coti Zelati (bass) and Cristiano Mozzati (drums). Not everyone who listens to the album will like it, but if you enjoy melodic metal, then chances are that you will.


The Coil's Masterwork   January 4, 2003
 10 out of 10 found this review helpful

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.