Dark Adrenaline (Deluxe)

Really Century Media?! As with my review for Roadrunner Record's very flawed physical "deluxe edition" of The Unforgiving (Special Edition CD+DVD) by Within Temptation, this latest release by Lacuna Coil continues the insanely disgusting practice where the record labels do anything and everything to get us to buy their music, EXCEPT give us the bonus tracks! There are no less than eight different physical versions of this album being released today, all featuring ridiculous bells and whistles; everything from dvds to posters, medical kits, etc., and yet not a single one of these different physical versions features 'Soul Inmate' as a bonus track (nor any of the other b-sides). Do you want to know who gets it? The Itunes MP3 customers because they must be rewarded for making the record label's job easier by being so willing to settle for far less than a physical product, while us physical release fans are being punished for still holding onto "the old ways". No amount of added posters, dvds, syringes, medical kits, photos, etc. will EVER be better than getting a complete release of the album where there are NO missing songs.

I am a huge fan of Lacuna Coil, as they were my first exposure into the world of female fronted rock, so it greatly pains me to not buy this album. But I must stand by my belief to not buy something that I know I am getting screwed over on. Century Media re-released Shallow Life (Bonus CD) (Dlx) a year after the album's initial release with all three b-sides (and it was well worth buying then), so I am going to hold out hope that they will come to their senses again and re-release this album with all the cut bonus b-side tracks. However, as I am still waiting on a physical release of Karmacode with both 'Without A Reason' and 'Virtual Environment' included on it to be released, I also know to not hold my breath.

Record labels need to wake up and realize that the game has completely changed with the introduction of the internet. People can now download albums rather easily, and while I prefer just to go without entirely (as I do not wish to hurt the bands who made the music by stealing their material, just because their idiot record labels can not get it through their thick skulls that we want ALL the songs), a lot of other fans do not. Record labels need to adjust their outdated marketing ploys and start giving fans COMPLETE products that we are proud to pluck our money down for. Stop with the shiny boxsets, posters, dvds, etc. and just give us ALL the songs! If a record label can afford to produce this many versions of one album, then SURELY they can afford to produce a TRUE "deluxe" edition for us completists to where we get all the songs. Until they learn this, my purchasing of cds will halt. Even though the latest release from Evanescence Evanescence (Deluxe CD/DVD) was not their strongest effort, I give mad props to Wind-Up Records for giving us the type of cd release I desire from every band (where we are given a choice between purchasing the standard 12 track album or the complete "deluxe edition" with all the b-sides included) and that I am more than happy to pay money for.

And what makes it even worse is the fact that this new album sounds like it would be very good. Perhaps a bit too much of Andrea's vocals (and I do miss the gothic/doom atmosphere of Unleashed Memories), but the few songs I have heard are quite solid and I would be more than happy to add this release to my cd collection after it is given a worthy physical release with 'Soul Inmate' and all the other songs the band recorded for this album included in the package, like it deserves.

Lacuna Coil return with album number 6 "Dark Adrenaline" which see's the band return to their heavier root's after their last album the mellower "Shallow Life" which was met with luke warm reviews from both fans and critics. Many long time fans missed the heavier sound the band had developed especially on albums such as "Comalies" and "Unleashed Memories". There is no lack of heavy riffs on "Dark Adrenaline".

The signs were good when the first single "Trip The Darkness" was released as it contains some heavy guitars and great vocal interplay between vocalists Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro. On the track "Kill The Light" which starts out slow before giving away to a heavy riff, it's a song full of hooks. Elesewhere there is "Give Me Something More" which is a song full of melody. Any doubt that Lacuna Coil weren't going to break out heavy riffs are put to bed by the time you reach the 7th song the brilliant "I Don't believe In Tomorrow" which has Lacuna Coil almost sounding like Korn with downtuned guitars it's both dark and a heavy song, it also features a great breakdown at the 2.40 mark that has Scabbia singing "I'll Avenge You" over and over.

The songs "Against You", "Upside Down" and "The Army Inside" are all songs that will have Lacuna Coil fan's rejoicing that the band have embraced their heavier side once again, there's even few guitar solos thrown in for good measure. There is also the epic album closer "My Spirit" which at nearly six minutes long closes out the album in style. Not everything works such as the cover version of REM's "Losing My Religion" which just sounds out of place on the album and is a far cry from the cover version of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy The Silence" from "Karmacode".

With "Dark Adrenaline" lacuna Coil have embraced their dark side again with an album full of dark melodies and heavy sounding riffs, the linkup between Scabbia and Ferro hasn't sounded this good in a while, with both vocalists playing to their strengths. Lacuna Coil has hit their stride again with "Dark Adrenaline".

While the band has wisely chosen to return, in part, to the dark, more gothic-leaning composition found on their earlier albums (Comalies and Unleashed Memories), their continued reliance on the latest nu-metal producer-du-jour Don Gilmore makes them sound like a hundred other bands. Pummeling the listener with detuned, Korn-like bass rumblings and double-bass drumming is unnecessary when the composition of the music itself is generally heavy enough. Still, a welcome change for the better. And their continued ability to make a cover song their own (as they did quite admirably with Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" and Dubstar's "Stars") continues here with their interesting take on another huge hit, REM's "Losing my religion". Whodathunk you could make a heavy, gothic statement with that one?! Additionally, album closer "My spirit", written as a tribute to former tourmate Peter Steele of Type O Negative, further shows that the band hasn't forgotten it's gothic roots. (And they sure did on the last album Shallow Life, so this is step in the right direction!) Think of this as 35% Comalies and 65% Karmacode.

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