This album has rekindled my appreciation for Lacuna Coil. The speed is fairly consistent through the runtime of Sleepless Empire and it’s the tone that shifts from bright and energetic to dark, low and horrifying. Some of the guitarwork is crushing. Salomone’s flourishes and solos add a ton to bolster the tracks. As is standard, the presence of Cristina’s amazing high singing with Andrea’s bombastic growl and low range is excellent. Adding collaborations including a killer Randy Blythe performance makes everything feel big. I’m not going to say this is far outside of Lacuna Coil’s wheelhouse, but most all of it feels fresh for Lacuna Coil. Lyric writing is vicious and haunting, riffs and percussion are huge, there is a lot that works. No one is going to sleep while listening to Sleepless Empire and that’s a great thing. 8/10.
Sleepless Empire is the tenth studio album by Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil, released on 14 February 2025, through Century Media Records. It follows their 2019 album, Black Anima, and marks a return to a heavier, more experimental musical direction. The album was preceded by five singles: “Never Dawn,” “In the Mean Time,” “Hosting the Shadow,” “Oxygen,” and “I Wish You Were Dead”.
