Lacuna Coil & Blind Channel, KK’s Steel Mill Wolverhampton, 22.10.24
Editor's Note: Massive thanks to Daniel for reviewing this show and helping me out of big pickle. He was attending the show and said that he would review it for me. I think he's done a brilliant job.
Tonight’s show is at the KK’s Steel Mill, a fantastic modular venue with great sound and a great atmosphere. Helping that atmosphere is a healthily large crowd, this tour hasn’t sold out any venues, but that’s ok as it makes a refreshing change to being crammed in like sardines. What is clear from the chattering of the queue, is the anticipation and excitement of seeing one of the most exciting bands in gothic metal, for some it’s a first time, but not for me who has followed this band since my early teens, and saw them back on the Karmacode tour in 2006.
First up though is the support act, whom I had not heard of before tonight, Blind Channel (7). A support act’s key role is to warm up the crowd, and they certainly understood the assignment. With influences ranging from nu-metal, to rap and hip-hop it was certainly a strange mix, but the energy was there, and they dragged the crowd with them getting us to crouch down, jump up and sing along. The solo rapping section was impressive and not unwelcome, as were the metal breakdowns that swiftly followed.
They misread the crowd a little, asking us to part for a wall of death with no one really moving bar a couple, but they went with it and quickly moved on. Peppered into their set was a decent cover of System Of A Down’s B.Y.O.B. (cue much singing along) and their penultimate song was a metal version of Everybody by the Backstreet Boys which was both amusing and entertaining in equal measure. Even if they were a world apart from Lacuna Coil, I along with the rest of the crowd couldn’t help but to bop along and thoroughly get lost in the vibe.
After a fairly brief changeover, it was time for what we were all here for, and we were not disappointed. Kicking off with Blood, Tears, Dust we were treated to the pounding base line and ferocity of Andrea’s growls intertwined with the hauntingly soaring highs of Christina’s voice. Lacuna Coil’s (9) stage presence can be best described as less is more, with very little equipment aside from instruments, combined with a modicum of makeup, showing us that what you see is what you get.
What we got was a great mix of old, new and renewed, featuring songs from Karmacode, dark adrenaline, up to black anima, new songs from next year’s yet to be released album and a smattering of songs from Comalies XX, a reimagining of songs from their 2002 album.
Christina asked if we remembered how to sing along with our truth, and with an enthusiastic response she got her answer and it felt like we were one with her singing through the opening vocalisations. Entwined XX into Heaven’s A Lie XX was a similar fantastic singalong with the band clearly thriving off the energy we were freely returning to them.
After quickly dealing with an interrupting heckler by informing him again of the new albums release date (Sleepless Empire is due for release February 2025), to raucous laughter from the audience, they launched into another new track which on the album will feature Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe, called Hosting The Shadow. The relentless drums and guitars notwithstanding, Andrea is no Blythe, but that doesn’t stop him from absolutely smashing it taking nothing away from the live performance.
A quick break before the encore, featuring 3 songs from Comalies XX, with Aeon XX into Tight Rope XX showing off Christina’s epic range, before another classic singalong to Swamped XX to much approval from myself and those around me. To finish? Nothing Stands In Our Way, with the band getting us to scream ”We fear nothing!” over and over as loud as we can, to prepare our part in what’s coming, and we gladly oblige. Ending the show with a photo and a group bow to constant whooping and applause, Lacuna Coil gave everyone a fantastic night out, and definitive proof they will be back again on our shores, bigger and better than ever.
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