Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band formed in Milan, Lombardy, in 1994. They were formerly known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal. According to the band, this has been influenced by groups such as Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Tiamat, Anathema, Septic Flesh, Black Sabbath, Type O Negative, Sentenced, Depeche Mode, In Flames or Amorphis, among others.
Lacuna Coil have participated in the biggest metal festivals around the world, including Ozzfest, Bloodstock Open Air, Wacken Open Air, and the Loudpark Festival in Japan.
Today they are considered one of the most influential heavy metal bands in Italy, as well as one of the most successful Italian bands abroad and the most influential in gothic metal.
History
Beginnings and Ethereal
The genesis of Lacuna Coil dates back to 1994, when Marco Coti Zelati and his friend, Andrea Ferro, formed the band Sleep of Right. Coti played guitar, Ferro on bass, and Raffaele Zagaria joins on guitar and Michelangelo on drums. The band played their first live performance in Bologna, Italy in 1994. They recorded Bleeding Souls, which was released in 1995 on the compilation album Noise of Bolgia.
Coti starts playing bass, so Andrea concentrated as a vocalist. They were joined by Claudio Leo, as second guitar, and Leonardo Forti as drummer; after Michelangelo's departure. His next decision was to incorporate Cristina Scabbia, a friend of theirs, to sing some songs. Because Scabbia complemented the band so well, she was included as a permanent member.
After Scabbia joined as the band's vocalist, the band changed its name to Ethereal and in May 1996 they recorded and sent a demo of two songs, Shallow End and Frozen Feeling, to various European record labels. The band receives responses from Nuclear Blast and Century Media; they then decide to seal the deal with Century Media and discover that the Ethereal name had already been taken by a Greek gang. The band, at that time made up of Scabbia, Ferro, Coti Zelati, Leo, Zagaria and Forti, decided to name themselves Lacuna Coil, which means "empty spiral".
The first EP and the separation
In 1997, at the Woodhouse Studio in Germany, Lacuna Coil began recording their first songs with the Century Media firm. The musical differences between Zagaria, Forti and the rest of the band begin to emerge. Despite these problems, the band recorded six songs, produced by Grip Inc. guitarist Waldemar Sorychta. However, the band decided not to include the songs from the Ethereal demo as they did not fit with the new style. from the band.
With the EP, also called Lacuna Coil which would be released at the beginning of 1998, the band joined the gothic metal group Moonspell in December 1997, on a European promotional tour. Raffaele Zagaria, Claudio Leo and Leonardo Forti leave the band after only three out of twelve performances. Lacuna Coil continue to tour, with help from guitarist Anders Iwes of Tiamat and drummer Markus of Kreator.
In January 1998, they incorporated Cristiano Migliore from the band Thy Nature, and Cristiano "Criz" Mozzati from Time Machine. In March of the same year, the band began their second European tour with the Dutch band The Gathering and Siegmen. During the tour, Steve Minelli from the band Node plays guitar after new Lacuna Coil guitarist Cristiano Migliore was injured. In addition, Alice Chiarelli collaborated as a keyboardist.
In August, Lacuna Coil participates for the first time in a festival, Wacken Open-Air. The band begins to stand out, so they decide to incorporate a second guitarist into the band instead of a keyboardist. This only happens after finishing the recording of his first studio album.
In A Reverie and Halflife EP
In October 1998, Lacuna Coil returned to Woodhouse Studio in Germany and once again, with producer Waldemar Sorychta, recorded their first album titled In A Reverie. The sound is heavier than on their first EP and achieves greater recognition for the band throughout Europe, especially in Germany and Scandinavia. However, their music did not bring them fame in their home country of Italy.
In January 1999 the band finally completed its lineup after Marco "Maus" Biazzi is brought in to play second guitar, and in February of the same year, they play the first show to promote their album In A Reverie on "Rolling Stone" in Milan.
The rest of that year, Lacuna Coil toured all over Europe, starting with England in April, in May with the "Into de Darkness" alongside the band Samael, My Insanity and Grip Inc, and continue to make over 20 performances ending at the Dynamo Open Air Festival on May 21, in front of 20,000 people. On June 5th, the band returns to Italy to play at the "Gods of Metal" in front of 25 thousand people, led by Metallica.
After a few shows in Rotterdam in July, the band concludes their tour between September and October with a tour of Germany, headlined by Lacrimosa. The band cancels its last three shows because Marco Coti Zelati suffers an accident and breaks a rib helping a lighting technician.
At the beginning of 2000, Lacuna Coil and Waldemar Sorychta returned to the studio, this time in Ventimiglia, Italy, to record a new EP titled Halflife, which contained five songs and a cover, Stars, by the English pop band Dub Star. On this EP, the band uses digital recording techniques for the first time. Among the songs, there is a song entirely in Italian, called "Senzafine". On March 20 of the same year, Halflife is officially released, being a total success for the band.
Unleashed Memories
After a party in August 2000, Lacuna Coil and Waldemar Sorychta return again to Woodhouse Studio in October of the same year, to record their second album, Unleashed Memories. The album contained nine songs and a different version of "Senzafine" which, according to the band, is the original version of the song. The album is completed at the end of November, and in December, the band heads to Mexico for two shows with Theater of Tragedy in Guadalajara and Mexico City on the 16th and 17th respectively.
Much like the release of Unleashed Memories on January 29, 2001, this would be a busy year of touring for the band, beginning with a 31-show European tour with Theater of Tragedy and Beseech. Also included on the "Metal Odyssey" with Dimmu Borgir, Nevermore, In Flames, and Susperia, playing 13 dates across Europe. In April, Lacuna Coil returns to Italy to play on various tours.
The band plays various shows and festivals throughout the summer, including Wacken and Neerpelt in August; however, Marco Coti Zelati was not with the band at certain festivals because he had knee ligament surgery. These festivals bring together the Lacuna Coil with In Flames, Dimmu Borgir, Nevermore, and Theater of Tragedy, and on September 1 at the Mera Luna festival, Cristina Scabbia sings "You Can Have All My Love Tonight" with Lucyfire.
At the end of the summer festivals, Lacuna Coil start working on their new material for the recording of a new album - only 10 months after the release of Unleashed Memories. The band still had time to support the new Italian music channel "Rock TV", with a show on "Rolling Stone" in Milan. Later, Marco Biazzi and Cristiano Mozzati also appear on the music channel "Database".
In 2001, Claudio Leo and Raffaele Zagaria, both former members and founders of the band, formed a gothic metal group called Cayne. They also release their first album Old Faded Pictures on Scarlet Records. Another former band member, Alice Chiarelli, who had played keyboard in the band's live performances, announces her new doom metal project, Alice in Darkland, with her new album, The Evil's Entrails being released in March 2002.
The band is also on their first US tour, playing 12 dates with the Portuguese band Moonspell during December. The band had difficulties with the transportation company for the tour, for which they had to cancel two shows in Canada.
Comalies
After their return from America and a break for Christmas, Lacuna Coil start working on their material for their third album. The band continues to support the Italian channel "Rock TV", finding time to interview other artists including Slipknot, Nickelback, POD, System of a Down, among others; but the next few months were devoted entirely to the composition of their album. In April 2002, pre-production begins in Milan, once again with producer Waldemar Sorychta. On April 17, they enter the Woodhouse Studio in Germany and start recording the album that would bring them global success.
During May 2002, after two intense months of production, the album is completed and the band names it Comalies, which is heavier and more dynamic than their previous production, Unleashed Memories . The song "Comalies" It is sung in English and Italian.
Comalies is released in September 2002 to very good reviews. The band begins a 28-date European tour in October of the same year with the band Sentenced. The new songs are heard live for the first time and the single 'Heaven's A Lie'; places the band in the post-gothic scene. A production video, filmed during the recording of Comalies, is broadcast on "Rock TV".
After touring with Sentenced, Lacuna Coil take a short break before embarking on a new tour, beginning an Italian tour in February 2003, continuing in the United States in April with a 30-date tour with Opeth. During this tour, the band worked with director Chade Seide for the production of their first video, 'Heaven's A Lie', which began airplay on American radio stations. As of October 2003, the song was broadcast on 65 different stations.
The tour continues through the summer, returning to Europe to play a few festivals, most notably the Heineken Jammin' Festive in Imola, in front of 40 thousand people. After this, the band returns to the United States to play with Type O Negative and Anthrax, doing a total of 75 different shows from July to December.
With the popularity of the single "Heaven's A Lie" growing up, the band decides to record a new video, directed by Patric Ullaeus. The song is shortened for this release, which is first shown on "Fuse TV" in the United States on December 9, 2003.
After the endless touring of 2003, Lacuna Coil joins Moonspell, Passenger and Posion Black to headline the Xmas Tour, kicking off on Christmas Day in Hamburg, and including a memorable show at Z7 in Pratteln as the new year began.
After the band renews their contract with Century Media in January 2004, they begin that year with the Piorno Festival in Spain. In April, the band tours Italy, while "Heaven's A Lie" continued to dominate Italian radio. On May 1, Lacuna Coil joins POD on a two-month US tour.
Sales of Comalies surpass 60 thousand copies, and the band returns to the studio to record some acoustic songs for a special performance of Comalies to commemorate one of the achievements Band's Biggest: Ozzfest. They also release a new single from the album, "Swamped" which is soon heard on more than 100 radio stations in the United States and the video for this single is released at the end of May 2004.
“Ozzfest”—2005
The band participates in the US tour «Ozzfest», founded by Sharon Osbourne and organized by her husband Ozzy Osbourne, which lasts from July to September 2004. The 2002 edition of Comalies for Ozzfest is released and includes acoustic versions of several of their songs, as well as the videos for the band's singles, "Heaven's A Lie" and "Swamped".
In July of that year, it was revealed to the public that Comalies surpassed 100,000 sales in the United States, placing Lacuna Coil as the biggest artist on the Century Media label. and, reaching 250 thousand copies, the band with the most sales in Italian music. Thus, the band occupies the 194th position on the Billboard charts of July 2004 for selling 5,818 copies in one week. Additionally, the single "Swamped" was included on the soundtrack of the horror film Resident Evil: Apocalypse.
At the end of the US tour the band returns to Italy. Cristina Scabbia immediately returns to the recording studio to work on the song "I'm That", a duet with the famous Italian singer Franco Battiato, for her album Dieci Stratagemmi which was released under Sony Records.
In November 2004, Lacuna Coil began working on new material in Milan with Waldemar Sorychta. The band take a break to play a special set on December 27 at the Carling Apollo, in Hammersmith, London alongside In Flames, Caliban and Chimaira.
Century Media ends the band's most successful year by announcing that not only was Comalies the best-selling album to date on the label, selling nearly 150,000 copies in the United States alone, but that also the album broke all previous Century Media records.
In early 2005, the band continues to work on the new album while Comalies continues to increase its sales, reaching 200,000 copies in May. The successor to Comalies was scheduled to be released at the end of the same year, but the band announced that they would take time in the recording process; thus, as time passed the album was less likely to be released in that year.
As summer arrives, the band prepares to perform at some of the biggest festivals in Europe. Starting on May 21 at the Rotonde Festival in France and surprising the audience by playing a new song, which was heavier, but without deviating from the band's musical style. On June 12 Lacuna Coil play the Download Festival in Donington Park, along with Slipknot, System of A Down, Mastodon and others.
Karmacode
In July 2005, Century Media re-releases all of Lacuna Coil's pre-Comalies albums and EPs, with new covers and extras, and on September 24 announces that the new album will be titled Karmacode.
The festivals continue through the summer months, the band continues to play the new song and on October 22nd at the Metal Female Voices Fest in Belgium, the band plays another new song. The following day, the international press is invited to a special session at Galaxy Studios in Mol, Belgium, where the band reveals six new songs: "What I See", "Fragile", "In Visible Light", "Fragments of Faith", "Within Me" and "Our Truth".
The band's popularity is growing in the UK, and the success of their Download Festival performance in June results in their first UK tour in October 2005, "Evening with Lacuna Coil" (Night with Lacuna Coil), which consisted of 5 dates, starting in London and ending on Halloween at the Wulfrum Hall in Wolverhampton.
At the end of 2005, and in the last stages of the recording process for Karmacode, the band is preparing for the release of this album and for the subsequent tour.
In early 2006, the band's first single in three years, "Our Truth" It is included in the soundtrack of the movie Underworld: Evolution. "Our Truth" it is later released in Europe as a single in March, being well received by critics, and entering number 19 in Spain and the Top 40 in the UK.
Lacuna Coil continues to prepare for the release of Karmacode with a show at EMI Records in Paris in February. At the event, the band plays more songs from the album, showing how the sound had evolved since Comalies. At the beginning of April, the band's fourth album, Karmacode, was released worldwide, being a total success and selling 34,000 copies in the United States in its first week, reaching number 28 on the Billboard charts and No. 1 on the independent charts. In Italy the album peaks at number 17 and the band is finally recognized in their home country. Karmacode appears in multiple magazines as 'Album of the Month' and the vocalist Cristina Scabbia also appears on the covers of various magazines.
With Karmacode released, Lacuna Coil is concentrating on touring, beginning with a two-month US tour with Rob Zombie, playing to larger crowds. Near the end of the tour, Lacuna Coil appears on American television for the first time, showing a mini-concert on the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show, on ABC.
The band returns to Europe for summer festivals, including Download Festival in the UK and Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium, which was streamed live on the internet. In June, at the Metal Hammer 'Golden Gods' Awards, Cristina Sccabia receives the "Metal Icon" award, being the first woman to do so.
In the same month, the band releases "Enjoy The Silence" as their second single from the album Karmacode, which is a cover of the song of the same name by the band Depeche Mode. By the end of June, the band had already done 46 live performances since February, but the tour doesn't stop and the band joins "Ozzfest," appearing with Avenged Sevenfold, Dragonforce, Disturbed, Hatebreed and System. of A Down.
The band takes a short break before starting their own European tour, with 38 dates in 15 countries, supported by Poisonblack and other bands, which is a complete success. In October 2006, Lacuna Coil released their third single, "Closer", which has a different sound from the band's characteristic style. One week after the end of the European tour, the band returns to the United States to join Danzig's 'Blackest of the Black Tour', which runs for two weeks until the end of November 2006.
The band immediately makes 2 shows in Mexico, this being the first time they have played in this country since their "Halflife on Tour" in 2000. The 2006 tour ending with a 13-date tour with In Flames, which ends a week before Christmas.
Visual Karma (Body, Mind and Soul)
Lacuna Coil's first live DVD was released in November 2008, titled Visual Karma (Body, mind and soul). The CD/DVD is a retrospective of all things 'Karmacode' cycle. The setlist contains concerts filmed in Germany's Wacken Festival and in Japan's Loudpark Festival in 2007.
Shallow Life (2009)
Shallow Life is the band's fifth studio album, produced by Don Gilmore. Recorded at NRG Studios in Hollywood, it was released on April 20 and 21, 2009 in Europe and North America respectively.
About it, before its publication Cristina Scabbia announced to Rock Sound:
It's different, but it's our style. We have done nothing quite different from our style, since it would not be natural, it would be strange - what would not be with us. The songs are definitely more powerful, more complete, more intense, more directly to the points.Cristina Scabbia for Rock Sound
Andrea Ferro told Rock Sound:
We have put more attention in the true meaning of the songs, so the voices are a little more prominent. We have worked a lot with Don Gilmore on the pronunciation of the English words so that people could really understand the meaning of the letters. There are stronger choirs, where the audience can relate and really understand what we mean.Andrea Ferro for Rock Sound
On December 13, they revealed the title of the album and through their MySpace page they announced that it would be out in spring 2009.
On those dates, February and March 2009, Lacuna Coil participated in the Australian Soundwave festival along with other bands such as DevilDriver, In Flames, Lamb of God and Nine Inch Nails. The festival included the five capitals of the continent and was the stage where Lacuna Coil performed and premiered the first single, Spellbound, from Shallow Life.
Dark Adrenaline (2012 - 2013)
It is the sixth album by Lacuna Coil released on January 23, 2012 and produced by Don Gilmore who had previously collaborated on Shallow Life. Without a doubt, it is a revealing album, where you can see how the band returns to its origin of musical rhythm, with incomparable melodies, and with a video in hand of the single "Trip the Darkness"
Broken Crown Halo (2014 - 2015)
In September 2013, the band announced the start of recording for their new album with producer Jay Baumgardner, titled Broken Crown Halo, which was released on April 1, 2014..
The first song from their album, called "Nothing Stands In Our Way," has been posted online. On February 14, 2014, the band announced via their Facebook account that guitarist Cristiano 'Pizza' Migliore and drummer Cristiano 'Criz' Mozzati had decided to withdraw from the band after 16 years citing personal reasons. Ryan Folden (The Agony Scene; Burn Halo; After Midnight Project) is the group's current drummer.
Delirium (2016)
The band's album was released worldwide on May 27, 2016, via Century Media Records, it is the first album not to feature Cristiano "Criz" Mozzati and guitarists Cristiano "Pizza" and Marco "Maus" Biazzi, is also the only album recorded and released entirely in Italy.
Black Anima (2019-present)
Black Anima is the first album by Lacuna Coil in three years. Italian gothic metal quintet Lacuna Coil is finally back with Black Anima, out October 11 via Century Media Records.
Members
Current
- Cristina Scabbia - Voice (1996–present)
- Andrea Ferro - Voice (1994-present)
- Diego Cavallotti - Guitar (2016-present)
- Marco Coti Zelati - Electric bass (1994-present), guitar (2016)
- Richard Meiz - Battery (2019–present)
Former Members
- Michaelangelo Algardi - Battery (1994)
- Raffaele Zagaria — Guitar (1994–1998)
- Claudio Leo — Guitar (1994–1998; deceased 2013)
- Leonardo Forti — Battery (1994-1998)
- Christian "Pizza" Migliore - Guitar (1998–2014)
- Christian "Criz" Mozzati - Battery, percussion (1998–2014)
- Frame "Maus" Biazzi — Guitar (1999–2016)
- Ryan Folden - Battery (2014–2019, on tours 2012–2013)
Timeline
Discography
- Lacuna Coil (EP) (1998)
- In a Reverie (1999)
- Halflife (EP) (2000)
- Unleashed Memories (2001)
- Comalies (2002)
- Karmacode (2006)
- Visual Karma (Body, Mind and Soul) (2008)
- Shallow Life (2009)
- Dark Adrenaline (2012)
- Broken Crown Halo (2014)
- Delirium (2016)
- Black Anima (2019)
- Comalies XX (2022)