LACUNA COIL has always been one of those bands that’ve hovered under the radar. But with the release of Comalies, many folks will be kicking themselves in the ass for not unearthing the gem that is LACUNA COIL. The opener “Swamped” manages to get that esoteric blend of sludgy, heavy guitars while keeping the vocals lush and soaring. Sadly though, the male vocals are toned down a little on this album, save “Angel’s Punishment” and some of the aforementioned lead track. “Unspoken,” among the best operatic pieces on the record, is what you’d probably hear if MADONNA decided to go metal; while “Daylight Dancer” is one of the better tracks I’ve heard on any record all year. But, the mixture of sludge guitar and streamlined production comes to a pinnacle with the excellent “Ghost Woman and the Hunter,” an ambitious musical trip that embodies the maturity of a band that’s been around and learned their shit. Fans of the band, as well as possibly PARADISE LOST and THEATRE OF TRAGEDY, will totally eat up these tracks. The overall mood of COMALIES much in line with their past releases. LACUNA COIL transcend a genre of music that could be considered quite hard to transcend. While THE GATHERING should be credited with putting this blend of atmospherics and metal on the map, LACUNA COIL are helping to carry the torch. (Century Media)