This ‘sleepless empire’ that gives its title to Lacuna Coil's new album refers to our world where everything is constantly connected, where we must always ‘produce’ in order to ‘exist’, for fear of disappearing from the omnipresent social networks. It's an observation that applies just as much to the Italian band, who have also been around ‘before’, with singer Cristina Scabbia readily confessing her need to always be active, always creating, and her inability to take a break. However, a global pandemic seems to have delayed their plans: Black Anima, their last ‘real’ album of new songs, dates from 2019. In the meantime, Lacuna Coil have released a live album and celebrated the 20th anniversary of their landmark album Comalies by re-recording it.
Is it in this frenzy, this reluctance to lift their feet, that Lacuna Coil find the way to keep moving forward? There's no stagnation in the past, even if for many the band will always be associated with fond nostalgic memories (as Comalies XX reminded us), they're moving forward, keeping up with the times... without questioning themselves too much. It doesn't take long for Sleepless Empire to establish itself as a worthy heir to its predecessor: heavy, aggressive, with Andrea Ferro's vociferations giving it its rough edge. Lacuna Coil hit the ground running with The Siege, setting up the vindictive hit machine.
Sleepless Empire was teased with a number of singles, and more than half the album is already known before its release, so we're going into it with several tracks already implanted in our minds. Their knack for catchy hooks and powerful anthems hasn't aged a day. Cristina Scabbia's vocals inject both emotion and theatricality, providing welcome breaths of fresh air into a snarling set whose energy never really flags. The chorus on Oxygen, the mystical backing vocals on the ponderous Gravity, the intro to In Nomine Patris, the mystical, exotic touches of Never Dawn, the more crushing melancholy of Sleep Paralysis.... - on several occasions, Lacuna Coil seem to recall their more gothic roots (or even their taste for pop on I Wish You Were Dead, causing a delightful discrepancy between their music and the violence of their vengeful lyrics about toxic relationships). In any case, it's more obvious than in the last ten years. It's more atmospheric and more emotional without losing any of its intensity.
While the album follows in the footsteps of the band's last few releases, the curious ear will quickly turn to the tracks with guests, a rare phenomenon for Lacuna Coil. Hosting the Shadows is one of the highlights of the album, a stunning assault of dizzying contrasts, once again supported by Scabbia's performance, which seems to have become ever more varied and irreproachable over the years... and yet it's hard not to think that Randy Blythe from Lamb of God, by remaining in a register close to Ferro's, doesn't bring any flagrant renewal either. The same goes for Ash Costello on In the Mean Time: it's a nice nod, but it's more of an anecdote, given the solidity of the Lacuna Coil formula. Here again, know-how and rigour take precedence over surprise: it works very well, but without taking big risks or deviating from the usual paths.
Lacuna Coil once again come out on top in this precarious balance between contemporary relevance and nostalgia. Continuing down the darker, more violent path of their last few releases, Sleepless Empire nonetheless pay careful attention to their atmospherics, making this ‘sleepless empire’ palpable and giving it a mystical dimension. At this rate, the band can go on for a long time yet: no revolution in sight, but no nasty surprises either, and a batch of new tracks to add to our playlists and bring a pleasant breath of fresh air to future concerts.
