Lacuna Coil – Live from the Apocalypse (Century Media)
Monday, 28th June 2021
With the COVID halt to all things live music, it forced an alternative on bands who still wanted to connect with their fans in these trying times. That way, of course, was live streaming. A number of bands braved it, playing live tracks to an empty crowd [in the physical sense]. Fans could tune in and stream the event, some even sold merch through it, in an effort to weather the storm. Lacuna Coil was one of these acts, and Live from the Apocalypse is a capturing of from their streaming concert last September in Milan’s Alcatraz Club.
Unlike the band’s other live releases, this one focuses solely on their last album, Black Anima, along with fellow recent track “Bad Things.” So much of it, from the audio perspective [we only had access to review the audio for this release], relying on the strength of that material. Being a great album in itself, Black Anima is a solid choice for a front-to-back playthrough, but don’t expect much in terms of diversity. Because there’s no crowd, there’s no people shouting or any of the usual ‘live album’ feel to this. The band is playing, and it is captured fantastically, but there’s little reason for the average metal fan to seek this live version out instead of just the deluxe version of Black Anima (all of the bonus tracks are played live here). The sound is tight, for what it’s worth, something anyone who has ventured to see the band in the live setting can attest to. The band is playing at their usual pristine level, which means that fans will inevitably be drawn to giving it a go.
Not exactly a mandatory or essential release except for the diehard fanbase, Live from the Apocalypse is still an enjoyable release for those who enjoy the band. If you enjoyed Black Anima, it’s worth a listen just to hear the material played live, just don’t expect any real major differences from the studio versions.
