ALBUM REVIEW
14/02/2025 - Lacuna Coil, Sleepless eMPIRE
Source: CUNENE.
Words By Emily Jade Ricalton
Founded in Milan, Italy, Lacuna Coil are famously known for their goth, metal sound. Consisting of vocalists, Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro, and their band, Marco Coti Zelati and Richard Meiz, Lacuna Coil are certainly entering 2025 with full-force.
Translating to ‘Empty Spiral’ in Italian, Lacuna Coil have paved the way for heavy music. Starting in 1994, this band are known for their blend of heavy metal and symphonic elements. With Scabbia’s and Ferro’s harmonies making this album one to listen to, Sleepless Empire is classic Lacuna Coil album.
Starting off strong, Sleepless Empire begins with The Siege. This track sets up the tone of the album perfectly. With Sleepless Empire being about a toxic relationship that us humans share with the modern world, The Seige is a great track to put this theme into context. With lyrics, such as ‘Time is deceiving but it’s up to me now’ and ‘I must be the better version of me to resist’, we, as listeners, understand that there is a great strength, and power to this track. With self-confidence and a sense of rejection to societal norms, Sleepless Empire can almost be seen as a rebellion.
Unsurprisingly, with lyrics, such as ‘We are like kings locked in a cage’, the title track of this album also projects this message. With a heavy drum and hard vocals, this track shouldn’t be an easy listen, but it is. Ferro dominates the verses of this track with his raw screamo sounds, making this song typical of its genre. However, this Sleepless Empire is then broken up by Scabbia’s singing. Melodic and beautifully crafted, Sleepless Empire is a great addition to this 11-track album.
Similar to this, songs, Scarecrow and Sleep Paralysis, also play on the strengths of Lacuna Coil as a band. In both tracks, we hear the vocal reach of Scabbia and Ferro. Stereotypical of Lacuna Coil’s sound, it is nice to see a band appreciate who they are. Additionally, Sleep Paralysis features an insane breakdown before the end of the track. With Ferro’s strong vocals and a powerful guitar, this bridge is highly reminiscent of 90s heavy rock. Similar to the sound of artists like Korn, this will definitely be a fan-favourite on Sleepless Empire.
On Oxygen we get to see a more broken and raw version of Cristina. The song builds up and disintegrates into Scabbia’s screaming. Unlike other tracks Sleepless Empire, we are used to a male vocal for the screamo elements to songs. However, Oxygen plays on both male and female vocals to create a more interesting sound. With the song being about an emotional struggle and inner conflict, these vocals match its meaning. Oxygen is definitely a standout song from the rest of the album.
Talking about standout tracks, a personal favourite of mine is definitely In Nomine Patris. Translating to ‘In The Name of The Father’, this track is simply beautiful. With passionate vocals that pair with a heavy-metal guitar, the contrast of sounds featured within this song make it captivating. It is a true representation of the talent that is involved within Lacuna Coil.
Sleepless Empire is a solid album by Lacuna Coil. Even though the album can be a little repetitive in some areas, it does however highlight the band’s sound and identity. With this, Lacuna Coil are established within their genre of music, and I definitely think that something we should all praise as music fans.
Having said this, there are some really interesting pieces on this album. As a band, Lacuna Coil show diversity within their vocals. Their range as a duo adds depth to their music. With heavy music gaining more attraction within popular media, I believe that Sleepless Empire will be a hit for Lacuna Coil.
Listen to Sleepless Empire by Lacuna Coil here.
Tracks to Listen To - Oxygen, Sleepless Empire, Sleep Paralysis, In Nomine Patris
Rating - 4/5
