One thing Lacuna Coil are good at is being consistent. On Broken Crown Halo, the melodic Italian metallers deliver more of the razor-tongued, scornful tunes they’re known for, while also delving into a darker, more cinematic soundscape than on 2012’s Dark Adrenaline and the slickly polished Shallow Life.
Straight away the synth sound the band favours can be heard, along with Cristiano Migliore and Marco Biazzi’s gritty guitar tone. It’s not a bad thing – it’s just unmistakably Lacuna Coil.
And, as ever, the jewel in the crown is the haunting, resonant voice of Cristina Scabbia. She delivers a stunning performance, especially in the powerful and emotional ascent of Hostage To The Light, but there are also frustrating moments on Broken Crown Halo where she seems to take the back seat to the frankly less gifted Andrea Ferro.
The stomping, resolute album opener Nothing Stands In Our Way has gorgeous verses framing a rather monotonous chorus, while standout track I Forgive should really be a Cristina solo. While Andrea is the co-founder of the band, he serves their sound far better when he sticks to harsh growls. Nevertheless, the songwriting is as classy and cool as ever, and won’t disappoint fans.