Shallow Life

Lacuna Coil

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 21, 2009)
• Original Release Date: April 21, 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Century Media
• ASIN: B001UGGVBU
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,199 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

with acclaimed producer Don Gilmore (Avril Lavigne, Linkin Park, Pearl Jam) at the famed NRG Studios in Los Angeles. This new effort is another huge step forward in the band's continuous evolution and marks their first full-length since 2006's Karmacode.

Cristina Scabbia (vocals) states: "Shallow Life is a natural metamorphosis from within the band; we explored different musical territories while maintaining our own style. A mix of old and new, fast and slow and light and dark. The album production is incredibly powerful and has a beautiful purity to it. Shallow Life has forced us to challenge ourselves. It represents the way we see ourselves in the days we live in through truth, love and lies."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but with some faults, April 29, 2009

By	Don (Utah) - See all my reviews

I'm a new Lacuna Coil fan within the past two years. I picked up their back catalog and really enjoyed "Comalies" and "Karamacode." It took a bit longer, but I think "Karmacode" is a better (musically) designed album. A lot of my favorites come from "Comalies."

I can understand why 'old school' Lacuna Coil fans would dislike "Shallow Life" -- it definately continues the trend from "Karmacode." But with that said, I Like It. (See what I did there?) :)

My complaints are that the songs are far too brief -- 4 minutes is a long song on this album -- and there are several duds (The Pain, Underdog) that do nothing for me and all sound alike. But there's plenty to like, including I Won't Tell You, Not Enough, I Like It, and Spellbound.

I've no idea why the male vocalist gets so much air time; Christina is the reason you listen to Lacuna Coil. I don't hate the male vocals -- they provide a nice contrast -- but come on, with her voice I shouldn't have to wade 30+ seconds into a song before she comes on board and essentially "saves" the track.

If you're a new fan and liked "Karmacode" you'll probably like "Shallow Life." Everyone else needs to come to grip with the fact that the band -- and their sound -- is evolving.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Shallow life, shallow album, May 25, 2009

By	George Robert Synan - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The good points... Andrea has never sounded better (Christina is her usual hypnotic self) and the production is crystal clear.

However, the songs lack substance. Many albums require multiple spins to reveal the underlying nuances. Shallow life doesn't have any. What you hear is what you get.

There are some interesting ideas and vocals in typical Lacuna Coil style, but as they move headlong to a more radio-friendly style, the short durations do not allow the songs to breath nor develop. One can hear the goth style trying to emerge, but there is no time for twists nor reflection.

The songwriting is simply not there. This is not one of Lacuna coil's finer hours.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ahh man., June 7, 2009

By	MN Dude (West, MN USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shallow Life (MP3 Download)

Love Karmacode and Comalies, but I just can't get into Shallow Life. There are a couple ok songs, but most of them are lacking heart or complexity and come off as forgettable filler. Seems to happen to the best of them after awhile. Still hope to see them live someday because they are still one of my favorite metal bands with a chick singer. Most fan's will find a little something to like and it's recommended that new fans check out their previous albums which are much better.