Shallow Life (CD - 2009)

Recording information: NRG, North Hollywood, CA.

On Lacuna Coil's highly anticipated 2009 album, SHALLOW LIFE, the Italian metal band presents one of its most accessible outings without toning down its signature heavy, dramatic sound. Enlisting renowned producer Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Avril Lavigne), the ensemble seems intent on broadening its appeal with more straightforward songs that are less rooted in European classicism, as evinced on the surging single "Spellbound," which showcases the emotive male/female vocals of Andrea Ferro and Cristina Scabbia, respectively. While many tracks play up Lacuna Coil's ferocity (see the punchy "Underdog"), "Wide Awake" channels the goth-leaning group's melancholy side, evoking Metallica's "The Unforgiven" with its forlorn tone. Though some fans may lament the streamlining of Lacuna Coil's aesthetic, LIFE's immediacy makes it more engaging than past outings, and may win over an even larger audience for the renowned band. minimize