Artists: Lacuna Coil
Venue: Manchester, Academy
Date: 20th October 2024
"Another triumphant return to the UK for Lacuna Coil, and the move up to a larger venue was completely justified."
Milan’s Lacuna Coil have been a permanent fixture on my live calendar for over twenty years, ever since I saw them for the first time in the UK when they were out promoting 2002’s ‘Comalies’ album. During those years I can’t remember one disappointing show, and the recorded output has also been uniformly excellent. Various personnel have come and gone, but the band’s core of Andrea Ferro (vocals), Marco “Maki” Coti-Zelati (bass/programming) and Cristina Scabbia (vocals) has remained unchanged. The current line-up is completed by drummer Richard Meiz and guitarist Daniele Salomone (who recently replaced Diego Cavallotti). The band’s musical style has developed over the years and is now almost completely Metal, but still with a highly melodic heart.
The last time I saw them in Manchester was five years ago. I’m not sure if the band’s profile has soared in the intervening years, as the Academy venue they are playing this time round is twice as large as the previous one. I was fearful that the room might be half empty, so was pleasantly surprised to see a really healthy turnout for a Sunday night gig. A new album (‘Sleepless Empire’) is due in early 2025, so the set was a great mix of older established songs, with one or two new tasters also included. Up close and personal for the first three songs provided the perfect opportunity to feel the intense energy levels, and it was obvious from the off that the crowd was really up for it. ‘Blood, Tears, Dust’, ‘Reckless’ and ‘Trip The Darkness’ sounded way heavier than their studio counterparts, and both Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro were in constant motion, conducting proceedings and acknowledging the crowd’s added participation. Coti-Zelati, Meiz and Salomone were decked out in ghoulish make-up, along with the rear screens adding to the spectacle and making everything slightly more theatrical.
The ‘Comalies’ album celebrated it’s twentieth anniversary in 2022, and the band marked this occasion by re-recording all the songs and tweaking the arrangements. To these ears some worked, and some did not. ‘Entwined’ was one that worked and the emotional delivery totally suited the live environment, with Scabbia raising arm-hairs with her impassioned vocals. ‘Heaven’s A Lie’ has always been a crowd favourite, and though it went down really well, I still prefer the way the song was originally constructed. The set contained some songs that have not been played for some time, and the newer songs, such as ‘Oxygen’, ‘In The Mean Time’ and ‘Hosting The Shadow’ whet the appetite nicely for the forthcoming album. The cover of Depeche Mode’s ‘Enjoy The Silence’ included two thousand extra vocalists, and when the set came to a close with rousing versions of ‘Swamped’ and ‘Nothing Stands In Our Way’ it was time for everyone to take a breather.
Another triumphant return to the UK for Lacuna Coil, and the move up to a larger venue was completely justified. Hopefully it won’t be another five years before we see them back again.
Review & Photos: Dave Bott
Gallery. All photos © Dave Bott (used with kind permission)
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