Karmacode

Released 2006 Review: I've noticed many reviewers have a tendency to compare Lacuna Coil - and this album in particular - to bands that represent a particular genre. My advice to you is this: don't. Don't expect this album to sound just like Evanescence, or Paradise Lost, or Korn, or any other band. Lacuna Coil is an unusual blend of elements from metal, gothic rock, pop, and probably a few other things I'm not thinking of off the top of my head. The lead singer has a pretty voice, and a decent range, but don't expect her to show it most of the time - the song is more important here than how many trills the singer can do, how fast the bassist can play, or how complicated a riff the guitarist can play. This album is loaded with hooks (usually played by the bassist), and brimming with meaning. I've seen a lot of people say they are disappointed that there aren't a lot of solos, etc. to show off the various talents of the band members. If they had paid more attention to the lyrics, they would have known why. It seems to me that this is a concept album about dealing with disease and death, and the songs seem tailored to express the feelings that go along with that. Solos would have been out of place here, as the main emotions are despair and helplessness. That said, Lacuna Coil ends the album on a more positive note, with their cover of "Enjoy the Silence", which makes it seem like Lacuna Coil are saying, "Yes, there's death, but there's also life." I can't read the band members' minds, but that's what this album says to me. It is deeply emotional, touching, and should be judged as a work of art - not by how well it fits into expectations created by genre divisions. Track Listing: 1. Fragile 2. To The Edge 3. Our Truth 4. Within Me 5. Devoted 6. You Create 7. What I See 8. Fragments Of Faith 9. Closer 10. In Visible Light 11. The Game 12. Without Fear 13. Enjoy The Silence