Concept albums must seem like a pretty solid fallback strategy for many bands today. Sure, a great deal of effort is usually put into devising the concept, from the lyrics to the artwork to the song titles. That said, it often comes off as something done because the band saw it as a shortcut to respectability and a way to drum up extra interest- almost a sensibility of "hey, these songs kind of have similar themes, let's rework them so they fit together as part of a whole concept, that'll make us sound infinitely cleverer than we actually are. Plus the critics will love us for trying something like that". If you've read anything about Kiss' 'Music From The Elder' album you'd know that was pretty much the same logic that they applied to that (awful) album. It's a marketing exec's wet dream, allowing them to go into full hype mode upon the release of the record.
Which brings us to Lacuna Coil's fifth full-length effort, 'Shallow Life'. The album is loosely based around the concept of exploring superficiality, from those who worship the Paris Hilton celebrity culture to our own shallow behaviour in everyday life. On the scale of creativity and ingenuity when it comes to concept albums this one ranks in about the middle- it's no 'Dark Side Of The Moon' or 'Operation: Mindcrime' but it's certainly no 'The Elder' either. There are some interesting insights in the lyrics, but also some bland, nonsensical fare as well.
When the opening riff of 'Survive' kicks in, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Lacuna Coil had decided to stick with the dirgey, repetitive Nu Metal-style riffing that detracted from its inconsistent predecessor, 2006's 'Karmacode'. Thankfully that isn't the case, as the track soon clicks into gear when it hits the first of many infectious choruses. Overall, 'Shallow Life' is less heavy and more commercially-oriented than 'Karmacode', but is oddly enough a better album. This is primarily because the band are not masquerading as a Metal band- while they still have their heavier moments, they are a melodic Hard Rock band who build their songs around conventional song structures. Male vocalist Andrea Ferro is less intrusive than he was on previous albums and now seems comfortable playing second fiddle to the infinitely more talented and charismatic Cristina Scabbia.
This development in approach isn't such a bad thing though- the more accessible direction has still resulted in some songs with their share of great hooks- most notably 'Spellbound', 'I'm Not Afraid' and strong ballad 'Wide Awake'. Yes, the songs are extremely accessible, but if you can appreciate a good hook you'll enjoy them. There are misses though- a few tracks in the record's second half are rather forgettable and the confused Electro-Pop of 'I Like It' is a complete misfire.
The band stirred up some controversy when they announced they had chosen Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Avril Lavigne, Good Charlotte) to produce their new album. The fact that they also covered Depeche Mode's 'Enjoy The Silence' on their last album was another rather clear sign of the band's more Pop-oriented intentions. In an unsurprising move, the production on 'Shallow Life' is cleaner than a school dormitory on inspection day. While this will ensure it gets plenty of radio airplay, the too-slick-for its-own-good mix does rob Lacuna Coil of some of their natural charm and personality. Not to the extent that it ruins the record, but enough to be distracting.
If 'Shallow Life' catches on with mainstream radio and MTV it has all the right ingredients to appeal to a much wider Rock audience, even if some of the more commercial considerations do grate somewhat. One thing you can bank on is that this record will reaffirm Lacuna Coil's status amongst those who already know them. If you've enjoyed their move towards a more commercially-friendly sound since 'Comalies' then you'll get plenty out of this. On the other hand, if you yearn for the Gothic Metal of 'In a Reverie' or 'Unleashed Memories', you'll likely see this as just another step in their perceived fall from grace. It's your call.
- Spiritech
(See reviewer's scoring method)
