LACUNA COIL – “Sleepless empire” (2025)

Regardless of anyone’s opinion about this band, we cannot deny their sense of exploration that is rooted deep within their DNA. I view LACUNA COIL’s experimentation between each record with a very positive glance, even if it has made me switch between like/dislike for each new album since “Karmacode” till “Sleepless empire”. Despite, I always anticipate new music from them and I give each new endeavor of theirs a chance, as even those that fall into the “dislike” category contain songs that I love. Over the past years they seem to have found their footing in a very dark and agressive version of themselves, as “Sleepless empire” goes deeper in that direction and expresses the heaviest side of our favorite Italians. There are some things that I personally don’t like, but in all honesty the album is really good and really reimburses for the 6 year gap since “Black anima” (to be fair though the band was busy giving us “Comalies – XX” in the meantime).

First things first, as we said the album is very dark in its everything, from the lyrical themes to the music. This darkness is enhanced by Andrea’s full “brutal vocals” approach, while Christina keeps the melodic side of the band alive by singing one catchy tune after the other.  What stood out to me after many relistens is the production and especially how the bass is made present, which is very fitting considering the overall sound direction. It is very rare for me to start by praising the bass, but here we are. Going on, I have to point out how tight the entire tracklist is. We are not talking about two hits and you are done situation, but all tracks are on a great level. The choruses are all very good which is something very important for a band like LACUNA COIL, as let’s do not forget that strong melodies are a core part of what makes them unique.

For me not everything is gold, as between all that excitement there is a specific element that is majorly present and caps my enjoyment to a degree. I find that the use of brutal vocals is a bit on the excess. I loved when Andrea was singing with his clean voice and I atrribute a part of the band’s uniqueness to that. Him utilizing only brutal vocals now is not a surprise, it is how he sings for many years, yet I find that kind of singing a little on the generic side. As such, I found myself waiting for some of his parts to end until Christina’s turn arrives. There are parts that I like of course, it is not a black/white situation, but I cannot help but wonder how great would it be if he alternated between clean and harsh. This is me however, if you can get past that then I believe you will be blown away by the album.

As for some standout songs, I have to proclaim ‘I wish you were dead’ the winner since it is impossible to resist its good vocal lines. The title track is another great moment, especially with how the vocals alternate from second chorus to bridge, I really liked that part. Then, and that is the great part, I struggle to pick another moment not for a lack of one, but because all songs could be refferenced so I will stop here.

“Sleepless empire” sees LACUNA COIL at their best. It is really worked upon which is not a surpirse considering the gap between albums. A significant time gap does not equals quality, but this is something that this record can boast about proudly. It could have the opportunity of becoming my favorite album of theirs after “Comalies” as the ideas are there. In the end the strong use of harsh vocals really keeps it from skyrocketing for my tastes.

75/100

Pavlos Pavlakis

100: Godsent

90s: Excellent

80s: Very good

70s: Good

60s: Enjoyable

50s: Uninspired

40s: Bad

0s -30s: Unlistenable