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CD reviews

Unleashed Memories

Lacuna Coil - Unleashed Memories Audio CD

A fair review of the Lacuna Coil "Unleashed Memories" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Lacuna Coil reviews here, or go back to the Lacuna Coil tabs.

Band: Lacuna Coil
Title: Unleashed Memories
Rating:

Release Date: 2001-04-05
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Heir of a Dying Day 2: To Live Is to Hide 3: Purify 4: Senzafine 5: When a Dead Man Walks 6: 1:19 7: Cold Heritage 8: Distant Sun 9: Current Obsession 10: Wave of Anguish

Lacuna Coil, what Evanescence only dreamed of being
The level of musicianship is understandably high and mature, I hear no overplaying on this album yet when you hear a guitar solo it rips and shreds but fits with the ideal or emotion of the song, and fit so nicely it does! I have to say though, I picked Unleashed Memories up in December of 2005 in a Hot Topic store, this one claims to be an import that contains those songs as if they don't appear anywhere else and ask for a higher price. Lacuna Coil have a vibe about them that define musicians giving their all to make contact with their listeners. I know mine isn't an Japanese import but does have those songs!.

One of these days
then a day or two later you'll hear it again and you'll say to yourself, Wow I really like that song, I wonder who made it. Yes, one of these days you're going to hear a song on the radio and you're going to wonder who made that song. Well their's a good chance it's Heaven's a Lie by Lacuna Coil, from their current album Comalies.

So why am I reviewing Unleashed Memories? Why not, if you buy any Lacuna Coil album, you can't lose. They're all five star but if you're interested I've already reviewed Comalies and In a Reverie. Lacuna Coil is one of the few bands around that don't / can't improve on each new album. All their albums are superlative.

Lacuna Coil's strongpoint is the lovely sultry singer named Cristina Scabbia. She is joined in the singing duties by the clean male vocals of Andrea Ferro. Their music, which has been classified as Gothic Metal, actually has a slight progressive edge to it. If their is any negative to Lacuna Coil's music, it might be a lack of diversification. They rarely do ballads and they never (that I can recall) play faster than a medium slow to medium tempo. Although each song can stand on it's own, it is a homogenous sound that may sound a little redundant to some listeners.

Unleashed Memories is Lacuna Coil's second full-length album. It successfully combines the backbone of metal with the ethereal trappings of goth. This special-edition release includes the band's Halflife EP as an added bonus and is quite a value with fifteen top notch songs clocking in at in excess of seventy minutes. Here is a description of my favorite songs:

"Purify" one of Lacuna Coil's few ballads is one of my favorite of all Lacuna Coil songs. This an inspiring song both musically and lyrically about one who has overcame dejection and depression and become reborn. The music is a rock ballad with a very catchy melody and Cristina singing double on the glorious choruses.

"When a Dead Man Walks" is a medium slow number that has a slight variation in tempo. The verses are sung by Christina but the speeded up choruses belong to Andrea. As the title implies the song is about someone sentenced or about to be sentenced to die.

"Cold Heritage" is another medium paced song of dual intensities, as with most songs, highlighting Cristina's remarkable talent. Cold Heritage is apparently about a woman who is unable to have normal feelings and reciprocate her lover's love and is sung entirely by Christina.

Conclusion

This band, which hails from Milan Italy, is in a class by itself and and would most likely appeal to fans of Evanescence, Garbage or even Poe. With eleven four and a half to five stars songs, it is easily one of the best Femme Metal values available.

pleasant surprise
I liked comalies and thought it would be pretty much the same. I didnt expect the album to be this good. but I was blown away by cristinas vocals. she makes the band so much bigger than it could be without her, I hope they dont breakup, because their future is very bright. all the band members complement each other. I thought some melodies were repetitious, but they will refine their sound and make it big. I am upset that 'halflife' wasnt released in america. we missed out in something beautiful. my favorite cd. the tunes run through your head for days after, and a couple are works of art I am not worthy of.

Maturity
The modes used to express the lyrics work amazingly with Cristina Scabbia's voice, the rough edged Andrea Ferro's voice backs her up with the ferocity the guitars imply, and the two guitar solos on tracks 5 and 6 will make you wish you were playing along. Lacuna Coil does some amazing work in this album. In a response to a previous reviewer, it does seem to be a trend that Nightwish fans like the Coil, but they are two very different bands. Lacuna Coil has far less of a symphonic side, and the voices are completely different. Ferro is a baritone, and Scabbia is an alto, as opposed to a "metal tenor" and an operatic soprano. Fans of Evanescence might find Coil a bit less accessible, but if they take the time to listen to Senzafine, and especially the Half Life version with Trance Awake leading into it, I think they'll find a wonderful surprise in Lacuna Coil. I gave this CD four stars for the specific reason that by the end of the Unleashed Memories section of the CD, it begins to sound like they're reaching for melodic ideas a bit. I notice if I listen from start to track 9, I feel like I'm hearing recycled material. Tracks 11-15 are a fresh start, so keep that in mind, and go buy this thing. You won't regret it.

Lacuna Coil Rocks
I often see, "If you like the Coil, you will like Nightwish". . Lacuna Coil Rocks! They are a much more polished band than Nightwish. I just read Rolling Stone this month in Sept 04 indicating that Lacuna Coil is in the top 10 new bands to watch - put them at the top! Thanks for turning me onto these guys Aaron!!! I cannot get enough - highly recommend! Distant Sun, Wave of Anguish and Heir of a Dying Die are worth the price of this disk alone - their albums really flow as a related work and do not come across disconnected from one song to the next - you will enjoy all of it. If you were to try one Coil album to see if you like them you can't go wrong with this one.

You can see a complete list of all Lacuna Coil discography, or go back to the Lacuna Coil tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.