Band:	Lacuna Coil
Album:	Dark Adrenaline
Style:	Alternative metal
Release date:	January 2012

01. Trip The Darkness
02. Against You
03. Kill The Light
04. Give Me Something More
05. Upsidedown
06. End Of Time
07. I Don't Believe In Tomorrow
08. Intoxicated
09. The Army Inside
10. Losing My Religion [R.E.M. cover]
11. Fire
12. My Spirit
13. Soul Inmate [bonus]

The reason I picked up this album is because I loved their Comalies record. In my nu-metal years, I listened to "The Ghost Woman And The Hunter", which left a very strong impression on me. I loved the vibe they created, it was amazing. I went further and checked out the band's debut (In A Reverie), followed by Karmacode and Unleashed Memories - a mind-blowing experience delivered by Andrea Ferro and co. I strongly believe these were the band's golden years, where they built some solid credibility and also managed to catch the attention of fans at large. By and large, Lacuna Coil have always succeeded to deliver moderately catchy tunes while featuring a beautiful Italian vocalist in Cristina Scabbia.

Checking out Dark Adernaline was no surprise at all. I felt that in the "oversaturated mainstream rock" scene, goth metallers must have brought some changes in the musical department to place themselves higher than any other gothic metal artists (frankly, I lost touch with the band post-Shallow Life). The first track spotlights chubby riffs, mid-paced tempos, a fairly linear structure, and a dark gothic atmosphere while keeping it heavy. The following tracks focus on dark melodic atmospheres taking over huge chorus parts. This is quite similar to their early releases in regards to the music. If you clearly listen to these songs you'll feel they're just recycled sections from their previous records. Not a smart move I guess.

Well, after that it was mere blueprint which repeated throughout the entire album. With the passing of each song the album presents some decent riffs that maintain the album's gothic ambiance, yet there is a strong mainstream rock foundation. Cristina's voice is okay, while Andrea came off as a second-rate David Draiman at best. With superb releases like The Foreshadowning's Second World or Dark Vagrant's Vagrant God in 2012, Dark Adernaline falls flat in comparison. It's simple generic modern mainstream gothic metal. The only positive aspect is the heavy riffing and moody atmospheres. With this album I feel that Lacuna Coil are losing their shadow and are instead pushing themselves more into a pit.

My recommendation to fans: If you're blind fanboy, go pick up a copy and seduce yourself with this mediocrity. For fans of gothic metal, well, I said it above.