Lacuna Coil - Comalies

I must admit I've never been a fan of the Gothic Metal movement. I don't bear it any ill will, I've just never gotten into it. LACUNA COIL's third LP, "Comalies", is an excellent example of exactly what I find distasteful about the genre. Which makes sense, because LACUNA COIL is one of the most popular Gothic Metal bands around, and along with a handful of others, set the stage for the dueling male/female vocals that the genre is so identified with today.

One of the big problems I have with the band is the voice of Andrea Ferro. I can appreciate a voice independent of the musical trappings it's surrounded by, but I can't consider him anything but a mediocre singer at best. His voice is very droning, and he stays in the same general range for much of the CD. His vocals honestly bother me far more than they should, and I can't explain it well myself. All I can say is that I find his voice to hold a very piercing quality, and it sets my teeth on edge after so long. Christina Scabbia, on the other hand, is a fine singer and carries much of the vocal weight (a wise decision).

The real issue I have with this CD is, honestly, I just don't like the music. I can recognize that it's well produced and well performed, but most songs are devoid of hooks or strong riffs, and while I know that Gothic Metal places a large emphasis on atmosphere, it's simply not enough, at least for me. Many tracks, particularly "Humane" and "Tight Rope", meander through their runtime until I begin to wonder how much longer the song can possibly be.

It's not all cloudy skies, though; a lot of the choruses are catchy and powerful. Particularly the first two songs, "Swamped" and "Heaven's A Lie", start the album off with a bang and had me looking forward to the rest of the album with guarded optimism. But the other songs just drag on too much, and I feel if they were each a minute to a minute-and-a-half shorter they might hold up better.

"Comalies" may be a great Gothic Metal album, I'm not sure; what I can tell you is that it's not a great Metal album. Fans of the band and/or the genre may have a field day with it, but to those on the fence about either, I would have to recommend caution.