LACUNA COIL

I'm sure this band needs no introduction. Fans of doom/gothic metal and beyond are well acquainted with these Italian musicians. And now CIS fans have the opportunity to get their hands on the CD that started it all. Six songs spread across 28 minutes. The final one is a gothic rock instrumental. As for the stylistic direction of the bulk of the work, one could say the opening greets us with a stream of doom metal; the further in you go, the more gothic metal elements appear, and toward the end gothic rock becomes audible. The vocal duo of Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro performed beautifully. Don't assume Andrea plays the role of the growler, fitting LACUNA COIL into the familiar "beauty and the beast" formula. There's nothing of the sort here. Ferro sings in a clean, slightly rough and husky voice. Undoubtedly, the stronger half of the duo is Cristina. A very fine piece of work -- which, of course, you already know without me telling you.