Pre-'Dark Adrenaline' Impressions

Released Jan. 24, 2012
Century Media.

I missed out on a lot of activities and releases from bands I follow. And when I did focus on music, I spent my energy on what I could call trash. So why not I talk about something I DO like instead? Well... let's try.

Lacuna Coil. One of the many bands that get compared to Evanescence. Sure, I am guilty of it. However, these guys sound far less artificial and are closer to gothic metal. And Cristina doesn't try throw her voice box out of her throat and overshadow her bandmates. I'm sticking to that. Although they did start off as what some consider gothic metal, over time they progressed to an alternative metal. (Many call this "selling out to the Linkin Park crowd.") Probably the best example of this was with their previous album Shallow Life, where the music is energized with self-confidence as opposed to their staple melancholic, atmospheric works of before.

With that in mind, "Trip the Darkness" and "Kill the Light" bring back the familiar formula... while still "selling out."

Less aggressive and in your face? Yep. Though still Karmacode-ized, the melancholic atmosphere and melodies feels like it returns with a softer punch. Shallow Life's positive lyrics were nice, but it's great to hear their old dark stuff again. The song structures sound less like what some predictable pop rock band processes daily. Best of all Andrea's vocals sound cleaner and Cristina's more polished. It took several albums, but they sound much better.

The downside? These tracks sound... bland. "Trip the Darkness" is far more exciting than "What You Want," but it is just as repetitive. What's worse is the music video, in which Cristina tries so very hard to cash in on the Lady GaGa aesthetic with huge white eyelashes and The Fame-esque white hair. Really? I can buy the cat, the black drops in water, the antique clock, and the black and white contrast. But the get-up? *sigh*

"Kill the Light" may not be a single - yet - but it holds more promise. The lyrics sound less simplistic and more like Lacuna Coil. Maybe it's because singles try to make as much noise as possible to bring in more cash. As my art teacher said, "Singles are never an artist's greatest work."

I definitely will pre-order Dark Adrenaline since I trust Lacuna Coil more than some bands I bash here frequently. It sounds like a return to what the band does well while still hanging on to the current trend of teaming up with producer Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Bullet For My Valentine... see what I mean by "selling out?") But if it's a small re-atempt at evolving or a shot to the foot, I won't know until I buy it.

At least it's not Evanescence.