Dark Adrenaline could be seen as a new and fresh introduction to these Italians. I heard some songs of Shallow Life (their previous album), but they didn’t really grab me, so it passed me by as one of the many releases that’s been poured over us consumers.

 

The musical style has shifted from middle-of-the-road gothic metal to more trendy modern rock with female vocals and a bit of a nu-metal vibe. Very American, so it doesn’t surprise me a bit that they have quite some success in the US of A. The vocals are very prominent in the mix with the excellent voice of Cristina as a high note and the mediocre voice of Andrea as a complete letdown. The guitars and drums are being put in service of the vocals and there is a lot of nu-metalish distortion on the guitars, which is too bad. Good guitarwork or drumming could have lifted the level of this album immensely.

 

The numbers are well-composed with just enough variety to keep it interesting. The interesting part comes mainly from the vocals of Cristina, who surprises me by sometimes singing in a lower register (‘End Of Time’). Also the melodies are crafted in a way that they are easy to sing along, which is good for the audience that they’re aiming at.

 

And how did my re-acquaintance with Lacuna Coil went? Well, in a nutshell it has been a mixed bag. The vocals of Cristina are still outstanding, but the music sounds a bit too safe to really get me interested (of course songs like ‘I Don’t Believe In Tomorrow’ not withstanding) and I miss some good instrumental parts. The album is definitely not bad and I presume that Lacuna Coil fans will find their ways to the (digital) stores, because it has it merits. Myself though, I don’t think I’ll put this album in my cd player on a regular basis.