Lacuna Coil - Fall short on UK tour!

Lacuna Coil **1/2 show tonight is a co/headline one with Motionless in White and Dani Filth (Cradle of Filth) new band Devilment opening up the show, so this is a great triple biller. The thing I do start to wonder is why Motionless in White have not come on last at any of the UK date, even though they seem to have more fans at a lot of the shows... which I actually intended and saw. I do think they should have swapped around a little leaving Motionless in White to take the end of night position, especially on Halloween a day that is totally made for Motionless in White and their fans.

You do start to wonder why the Italian Goth / Metallers Lacuna Coil are still wearing their Halloween costumes, their not the kind of band that this really works for. I really liked when Lacuna Coil where really elegant in the early days... for me they worked so much better as a Goth band. Even though saying this the band seem to have a massive loyal following and they treat this fanbase with a lot of respect letting the first one hundred people to buy something from their merch to meet them after they have finished their performance. Also these lucky one hundred people where given posters and other goodies.

Lacuna Coil start of everything with a 'Trip the Darkness' off their album 'Dark Adrenaline', a record that also included the single 'End of Time' which saw the band go a little more mainstream and try something new. I think this new direction was because of producer Don Gilmore who has worked with both Linkin Park and Bullet for my Valentine. This album also sold quickly selling 20,000 really quickly, so was a great song the begin their set with. They also have added 'Intoxicated' from this release to the bands show tonight, which for me was a massive mistake and it really sounds out of tune and is the real low point... to be honest it's quite painfull to listen to.

This is a real shame because the track that came both it 'Spellbound' is actually quite fun even though it has very simple riffs!!! I think it's the connection between both singers Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro that blend together to make the song really work as a good Pop Metal tune, also some of my favourite Metal songs are actually very simple and that is the glory of them... because you can really sing-a-long and that is something that works in a live atmosphere.

I don't think line-up changes and key members being absent has helped the band in the live arena and when they come to play 'Heaven's a Lie' which is one of the highlights of the set you are even more disappointed. You can't go wrong with the great keyboards sounds that come of the backing... but I think it would be nice to hear these parts done live and I think the addition of a keyboard player to the mix would really help the band. So it's a bit of a let down that they don't do this.

Newer tracks like 'Zombies' and 'Fire' off the last album show that they can take things into a new direction and do hit you as well as some of the old favourite's in the set but when the best bit in a bands set is a cover version you know they must be in trouble and their version of 'Enjoy the Silence' by Depeche Mode is the best moment of their set and ends the main segment and you realise that their set has gone by really quickly without really making an impact on you.

They come back on to 'Nothing stands in our Way' off their last album 'Broken crown Halo' is a great stand out track in the bands set, which you can see a video of a the bottom of this page. This shows the new era of Lacuna Coil off in the best way and what other way to end the set of with than a classic track from 2006 'Our Truth' which was taken from one of the bands best albums 'Karmacode' which is a song that shows the band has had better days, just this is not one of them.

I don't think this was a great set by Lacuna Coil and I am not sure that them touring with Motionless in White and Devilment really worked for them, I think maybe with a different build up for them, they would have done better. I just feel they didn't really want to be their and the Lacuna Coil are just a little stale at the moment. I think what they need to do is take some time out and re-evalulate things and maybe their next album will be one that really hits us hard, but I would not run out to see them again myself.