“Broken things” is a continuation of the powerful sound. Guitar riffs collide with Andrea's voice, and he subtly goes from growling to screaming (screaming, wheezing scream, which is used in such styles of heavy music as death metal, nu metal, emocore - author's note).  Christina joins the party, diluting the gloomy atmosphere with beauty. They both sound together like the sun and the moon.  The single resembles the deafening thunderclaps before the apocalypse. The world, like fragile glass, is about to break into small fragments. 

"Delirium" - the mood changes, as if depression is giving way to new hope. The powerful gothic sound is softened: with a thin line across the track - esoteric notes, reminiscent of the album "Karmacode" (2006, many of his songs contain elements of Middle East music - author's note). The single is notable for its bright energy and strength, it is not for nothing that, translated from Latin, “Delirium” is madness. Christina repeats the word many times, and, probably, it is no coincidence: this is how she kindles a fire in you:  “I am sick with my obsession. It grows inside me faster. And now it is difficult for me without medicine. I am lost and confused in the silence. My wild cry echoes everywhere ... "
"Delirium" is emotionally saturated, it seems to cover you with its waves. 

Suddenly they get stronger in Blood, Tears, Dust . Its fast sounding with electronic “gadgets” resembles an SOS signal. It is as if all electrified. Growl Ferro, brutal, energizes the atmosphere, Scabbia's vocals, high, on the contrary, discharge. They collide like earth and sky. The part is joined by an unbridled guitar solo by Mark Wollelung as angels fall to the ground. There is only "blood, tears, dust" around. For a minute, everything seems to stop - in a loss, Christina's voice becomes soft, then it becomes stronger again and shakes the earth for the last time:  “This time is just for us. I want to be with you now. Look, high in the mountains. The river carries dark waters. And young winds are blowing. Lighting our fire again ... "  And then - and a new beginning or, perhaps, a gloomy end?
 
Downfall is an organic sequel to Blood, Tears, Dust. In it, the feeling of falling seems to reach its climax. The single captures the power of songs such as "Heaven's lie", "Swamped"  (album "Comalies" 2002 - author's note) and especially "Hostage to the light" ("Broken Crown Halo" 2014 - author's note). One of the most atmospheric compositions on the album. The "heavy" melodiousness of the guitar and symphonic instruments make it loud.  In vocals: calmness, poise and at the same time storm. He  slowly tells her dark story of the fall of the soul, and it seems that there is no more hope for her to be resurrected.
“When I fall down. It's so hard to go again. Nothing can be changed. And the sun does not heal the rains ... ”- Christina sings and her vocals remind of a storm in the ocean. Whether you can cope with it is unknown.

On the same wavelength as "Downfall" is the single "Claustrophobia" , just as large-scale and loud. It seems to fall from the sky in large hail. The voices of the vocalists are beautifully intertwined together, forming an unusual pattern of different emotions: here there is pain, madness, and maybe a faint ray of hope. The song seems to explore the boundaries between love and hate, light and darkness, rise and fall.  “I don't need your forgiveness. I do not hear your prayers. I fly to the sacred stars. But the earth pulls me down ... "  The guitar solo of Alessandro La Porta stands out especially: at first the strings scream, as if in a sexual impulse. Wild passion - until the whole body shivers. The mood suddenly changes: the light turns into darkness and you fall from the sky. What will save you? 

“Take me home” is a song that sounds like a children's reading room for adults. Imagine that gloomy children, like Samara Morgan, jump into skipping ropes at night on the playground (Samara is an image from the Japanese-American horror film series "The Call" of the late 90s-early 20s - author's note)  The single is a bit like "Survive" with its repetitive tunes (album "Shallow life", 2009 - author's note) Christina seems to be having fun, playing a game with you called "Awaken your fears" and they slowly wake up dancing to powerful guitar riffs. The melody has an explosive energy that captures in the refrains and cools a little in Andrea's verses.  It turns out an incendiary track in which both darkness and light light seem to mix. Bittersweet cocktail with sourness: it makes you want to move both body and soul.  Do you want to try it already? 

"You love me 'cause i hate you" is a song that sounds like a slow onset of depression. Viscous, viscous, like a swamp, stress pulls you into its abyss. You, like a lost traveler in a magical land, walk in a trance to the voice of a beautiful nymph, Christina.  She quietly but confidently steps in the verses and, together with Ferro, breaks the soul in the choruses.  And he, like an unbridled satyr, plays with your soul, frightens it and attracts. Together they are black sorcerers, repelling and attracting at the same time. Melody is tension and pain that flows slowly, but ignites emotions. The guitar is like a bundle of emotions, and it grows even more in "Ghost in the Mist" . She is like a stretched nerve that is about to break. You feel that the current runs through your veins, excites the body, makes the heart beat faster. What is this, wild adrenaline, madness? The melody is impetuous, energetic, reminiscent of the movement of a metropolis, which does not stop.  Furious guitar solo, one of the craziest on the album, combines with Ferro's growl and rushes into the unknown. Is there a way out of it?

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The strength of her voice is especially worth noting. It organically transitions from the surround sound of low "chest" notes to upper, thin ones. The vocals are rich and full. It seems immense, but at the same time you can embrace it with your soul, feel goosebumps. The sound is interesting: it seems to intertwine pain and the ghostly light that Christina gives with her voice. Again you feel the struggle between shadow and light. 

“This time around at Lacuna Coil, things feel different. This is what I can hear, this is what I can breathe. A new wave of confidence, a renewed essence and pure drops of energy that ooze from our pores. I can't wait to show this to all my friends and invite you all back to our family. Trust me, this is the Madness that you want to be a part of, ” writes Christina.

Delirium is like a heavy fall into the abyss, as in slow motion. All shades of emotion are on your face: fear, loss, pain. You cannot breathe them like you did the last time. You fly down to long gothic melodies with their chants and long guitar solos (the band uses them for the first time). The sound becomes more powerful - you are filled with energy and at the same time give it away. The lyrics are shrill and you worry.  Before you is the unconscious, in which both light and darkness are always fighting. Can you handle it? Who knows.  

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Text and photo: Natalia Pushchinskaya

June 25, 2016  

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