In a brand new interview with The Razor’s Edge, LACUNA COIL co-vocalist Andrea Ferro was requested how fashionable know-how has modified the way in which he and his bandmates strategy album releases and work together with their followers. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Yeah, clearly, that is one thing that we needed to be taught as nicely. It is a new world utterly for everyone, I assume. And everyone needed to cope with the change from analog life to digital life. And that is additionally why we had the title [of the new LACUNA COIL album] ‘Sleepless Empire’, as a result of it is a type of an remark of how the society has modified, how issues are completely different, how a lot we’ve this big empire with all these prospects supplied by the connectivity, the Web, the supply of 24 hours on-line and blah, blah, blah. And alternatively, the truth that we’re sleepless, that we’re at all times with this display in our face, even at evening. However that is not just for the brand new technology — additionally for us, it is the identical. So it is not a critique to the youngsters; it is simply the way in which it’s these days, and all of us needed to cope with this. Possibly we’re a little bit bit extra lucky that we had skilled the life earlier than the Web, and so we all know what it’s to actually reside even with extra less complicated issues, and we get pleasure from even the life with out having to be related on a regular basis. However apart from that, that is the principle remark and the way in which that life has modified. However I feel we have been fairly good and shifting and following the trail of how music has modified, how the music enterprise has modified as nicely. Earlier than, clearly, whenever you have been promoting bodily data, loads of bodily data, it was far more revenue from that supply, whereas these days, though we do nonetheless promote loads of bodily data as a result of steel is among the few genres the place individuals nonetheless need to have the file — both vinyls, even cassettes or special-edition CDs — so we’re fortunate we nonetheless promote fairly good numbers of that. However we’ve discovered new methods of constructing revenue for the band. There are some issues that earlier than [were] utterly unthinkable, like sponsorship or someone needs to place an advert in your Fb web page or Instagram web page, clearly, we attempt to at all times do it with manufacturers that we really belong to us, to our tradition, to our background, not one thing that does not — you are not gonna put an iron board or one thing like that, or a soda — it is gonna be one thing that we use or we belong or we share, we like. And so there’s new methods of constructing the band financially work, and in addition the touring, extra merchandise. There’s alternative ways. However I feel we have executed fairly nicely adapting to the adjustments.”
“Sleepless Empire” is ready to be launched February 14, 2025 by way of Century Media Information.
In a latest interview with Luke Morton of Kerrang! In Dialog, LACUNA COIL co-vocalist Cristina Scabbia spoke concerning the “Sleepless Empire” title. She stated: “We selected that title as a result of it was representing the occasions that we live immediately. We’re at all times awake, continually attempting to be productive, tremendous related with the remainder of the world, however on the identical time, we have by no means been so disconnected and anxious and feeling that we have to show one thing, that we should be current on a regular basis, as a result of if not, we’re forgotten by the remainder of the world.
“I’m placing myself within the sleepless empire as nicely, so it is not a criticism,” she defined. “It is only a realization, as a result of I’m a part of that technology that noticed all of it and noticed it coming and noticed how briskly the know-how developed and the way huge the adjustments have been, so I’m attempting to take the most effective out of the previous to convey it sooner or later and the current, as a result of I feel that we must always reap the benefits of know-how. I imply, the truth that we’re speaking proper now via a display, it is some of the lovely issues of know-how, as a result of if not, you would need to come to my place or me at yours, or we must journey someplace to fulfill in particular person, which might be superb. However this manner, you save time, it can save you 4 hours so you possibly can go spend time with your loved ones and I can go to look at [Italian professionally football club] AC Milan tonight with Andrea [Ferro, LACUNA COIL co-vocalist] on the stadium as a substitute of touring. So know-how is sweet if used properly. And I like progress — I like know-how and I like to evolve with occasions — however I feel it is cool to recollect what the vital issues actually are, as a result of on the finish of the day, on a regular basis that we waste in stuff that does not actually enrich us as individuals, it may be wasted. So generally I strive to consider this, even when realistically the very first thing that I do after I get up within the morning is to seize the telephone and see the messages and watch the messages and perhaps scroll via tales of different individuals.”
Cristina added: “We simply want to concentrate. I feel that particularly with the brand new generations that by no means noticed it coming and by no means noticed the way it was earlier than, they have a tendency to check to one another. They see lovely lives in different individuals’s social medias, and so they assume that that is actuality. So generally they really feel lower than they’re and so they really feel depressed and pissed off as a result of they do not really feel sufficient. So no less than, identical to the truth that I used to be born earlier sort of gave me a type of a shelter that it is a type of a filter that it is, like, okay, I needn’t evaluate myself to a different particular person as a result of, after all, that is my life. That is their life. And perhaps not every thing they’re exhibiting [is] true. Likely not every thing they’re exhibiting [is] 100% true. Possibly it’s, however who cares? I ought to take a look at my life. I ought to take a look at what I am constructing. I ought to take a look at what I am residing. I ought to take a look at the individuals, the true individuals round me and actual life round me. It ought to be a stability. As every thing, you simply need to hold the best stability.”
Requested if she is responsible of waking up within the morning and selecting up her telephone instantly after which losing hours and hours day by day simply scrolling via social media, Cristina stated: “Oh, completely. Completely. I am responsible, particularly within the morning. Not simply losing time, simply socials as a result of I additionally do it as a type of a research ‘trigger I wanna see what occurs. I am curious — I am genuinely curious — so perhaps that is not an entire waste of time, ‘trigger it is nonetheless entertaining. What I am responsible of is that I really feel responsible after I need to take time for myself. Now, when [I] get a message, I’ve the tendency of desirous to reply instantly or I really feel responsible. And perhaps I ought to wait. Possibly I should not have a lot nervousness if I reply 10 minutes after and I do not reply as quickly as I open my eyes. Possibly I ought to simply open my eyes, go within the kitchen, put together myself a breakfast after which begin my day and dedicate it to the work and my mails and every thing. As a substitute, I simply seize my telephone. I am simply, like, ‘Okay, I received a mail. Okay, I’ve gotta reply. My eyes are nonetheless closed, however I am gonna reply.’
“There may be this bizarre cycle for all of us that we’re working laborious as a result of we’ve so many inputs,” she continued. “Then we attempt to detach ourselves and calm down watching different stuff on different social medias, considering that they are entertaining. And so they create much more nervousness. So it is a cycle that may very well be harmful… But it surely’s not all unhealthy. So the sleepless empire, it is mainly an empire with those that by no means sleep, that [are] at all times doing stuff, which may very well be good and may very well be unhealthy as nicely.”
Inspiration to create “Sleepless Empire” got here in the course of the periods for “Comalies XX” (2022),the acclaimed remake of LACUNA COIL‘s breakthrough third file “Comalies”. Writing and recording happened in northern Italy between Milano (the band’s hometown) and Como, the place SPVN Studios are positioned. As with their earlier albums, manufacturing was executed in home with Marco “Maki” Coti Zelati on the helm, and paintings was hand curated by the proficient Italian artist Roberto Toderico. Two different very particular abilities enrich the album, specifically the visitor vocalists: LAMB OF GOD‘s Randy Blythe on the tune “Internet hosting The Shadow” and NEW YEARS DAY‘s Ash Costello on “In The Imply Time”.
As a token of the band’s love for the gaming world (which we have seen in previous endeavors corresponding to their card recreation “Horns Up” and their collaboration with Zombicide for which they wrote the observe “By no means Daybreak”),the band have created an oracle “recreation” to be performed with customized made cube out there solely within the field set model of “Sleepless Empire”.
The brand new album is comprised of 11 tracks; each is a richly textured soundtrack to a particular time and place. With “Sleepless Empire”, that place is darkish, cinematic, and unmistakably true to the distinctive traits which have given LACUNA COIL such a celebrated entry within the annals of heavy music.
The band beforehand shared: “‘Sleepless Empire’ captures, via our eyes, the chaos of a technology trapped in a digital world that by no means stops, the place social media consumes identification and day by day pushes us one step nearer to turning into soulless zombies. We discover ourselves in between, having witnessed a full analogic world and the fashionable one, confronting the evolution and looking for a real that means of all of it. All through each tune, the journey is an undercurrent of insurrection, a determined cry to reclaim oneself in an period that appears to have misplaced its sense of time and actuality.”
This previous October, Italian guitarist/producer Daniele Salomone confirmed that he has joined LACUNA COIL because the alternative for the band’s longtime guitarist Diego Cavallotti.
Salomone made his reside debut with LACUNA COIL on August 4, 2024 on the Rockstadt Excessive Fest in Râșnov, Romania.
In June 2024, LACUNA COIL introduced Cavallotti‘s departure. Diego, who joined LACUNA COIL in 2016, initially as a fill-in guitarist following the exit of Marco “Maus” Biazzi, later stated in a social media submit that “this resolution just isn’t the results of my dissatisfaction or want to discover new alternatives.”
Cavallotti and Salomone performed collectively within the Italian steel band INVERNO, which launched its debut album, “Stasis”, in December 2023.
