Lacuna Coil playing in NYC is more than just another awesome metal show. It seems to be a holiday that many metalheads celebrate and cherish. Lacuna Coil playing two sold out shows at Gramercy Theater is a testament to not only Lacuna Coil’s legacy of making music that connects with people, but also the dedication of their fans. July 22^nd and 23^rd at Gramercy Theater is a testament to that and with many fans already buying tickets to their show with All that Remains at Webster Hall, it seems that they will always leave a mark in New York City. The fact that many fans flew in for this show all the way from Puerto Rico, Israel and Chile, is a further testament to that.

On Monday, July 22^nd, with a line already around the block, and having to endure the poring rain, and not even stopping them from waiting to get a good view is already a sign that Lacuna Coil was in for a hell of a time. It seems that the sky seemed to adjust itself to go along with the darkness Lacuna Coil is able to project. The outside went along with the inside. Once inside, it took less than 10 minutes for people to fill the floor from the barrier to the back doors. Many fans also rushed to the downstairs merch section to see a blast from the past. Shirts from their older albums such as In a Reverie and Unleashed Memories as well as limited edition shirts for these two NYC 1:19 shows. In addition, the downstairs was transformed from a concert venue to an art gallery with pictures of previous Lacuna Coil shows to show on how much they have changed. You are able to hear this from listening to the entirety of their catalogue but you can see it as well in how Lacuna Coil is able to convey imagery and emotion with their visuals. They further demonstrated their visual strength when you enter the main venue and are greeted with the lights and curtains hanging above the drums. You were in the realm of Lacuna Coil as whether you were in the front or back.

An hour after doors opened the lights dimmed for a slight second, only for Cristina, Andrea, Maki, Diego and Ryan to immerse from the shadows and kick right into a blast from the past. Opening up with A Current Obsession and 1:19. Many fans who have been following them since the late 1990’s were already satisfied. They even dived down further back to the In a Reverie days with My Wings. They created an atmosphere of darkness and a time-warp instantly.

Things would then take a heavier turn when they kick in with a more recent song with Blood, Tears, Dust and Andrea instantly changed forms by unleashing his most intense growls that can shake the seats from the back. Diving back into their catalogue again with a song light Tight Rope, and then even further with a dark emotion with When a Dead Man Walks. After a darker and somber five minutes, things pick up again with a catchy tone such as Closer. Then we get a newer song followed by an older one, my Demons from Soul Into Hades. Instantly you see just how much Cristina and Andrea have multiple usages of their voice in range, melody and emotion. How they can have the catchiest tone and the most melancholy tone. They can make you dance and make you cry at the same time. Next track, we took the most somber tone we can get, paying respects to Lacuna Coil’s former member Claudio Leo who sadly passed away in 2013. When Cristina sang and the audience was engaged through it all, you were able to feel Claudio’s spirit in the room. It was as if he played on stage while they played Soul Into Hades and One Cold Day was the song to send it off. Things pick up once again with the heaviness with their classic song, Heaven’s a Lie, diving into an older classic such as Senzafine and then Comalies. After pure melody and emotion, we get the brutal growl of Andrea before kicking into the House of Shame.

Once again, we took a more somber turn and the lights dimmed and we are granted with a special guest, Melissa Van Fleet on piano. With just Melissa and Cristina, we get the most beautiful and most melodic tone. You also get to hear the saddest and most hopeful sides of Lacuna Coil, with their song Falling closing the darkness around the audience, to bringing back the light with Wide Awake. Once Andrea, Maki, Diego and Ryan took the stage again, we hear the legendary into to Our Truth. With Ryan delivering a kick ass rhythm to go along with it, the audience moved as much as the band was. We then get their classic cover of Depeche Mode’s, Enjoy the Silence and last but not least Nothing Stands in Our Way. Taking the heaviest and most optimistic tone. For many fans, they were traveling home satisfied, and for some others, they were ready for the next Lacuna Coil show that awaits them.

Night Two of Lacuna Coil comes. Many people who were there night one were wondering if it was going to be the same exact set list as night one. Once again we hears A Current Obsession and 1:19 and then Blood Tears Dust. Then we are shocked to see that they actually changed things up. We get Veins of Glass off of In a Reverie and then going from one extreme to the other with emotion, we get the catchy track off of Shallow Life, I Like It. Followed by bringing back the classic, When a Dead Man Walks, and then, unlike last night, we get a track off of Dark Adrenaline. Their classic track Trip the Darkness, spawning a nice little moshpit. Returning with My Demons and another tribute to Claudio with One Cold Day. We then get another blast from the past with Swamped, Heaven’s a Lie and Comalies. It really felt like it was 2002. After the heaviest portion of the night with The House of Shame, we return with Melissa Van Fleet for Falling and Wide Awake. Ending the same way as last night, Our Truth, Enjoy the Silence and then Nothing Stands in Our Way. People who were there the night before were equally as happy the second night, whether they played something different or not. In the end people were happy to see Lacuna Coil, whether for one or two nights.

As stated before, Lacuna Coil is not just a band that represents every type of emotion and melody with the armor of darkness. With their ability to connect with fans, have a great sense of humor on stage, and constantly be engaging with their songs, stage presence and production, no matter how many times you have seen Lacuna Coil, you will have a different experience every time. The only thing that is the same with every Lacuna Coil show is that they get better and better every time.

Lacuna Coil’s new album, Black Anima will come out 10/11 via Centura Media Records.

Catch them on the upcoming Disease of the Anima tour with All that Remains.