Comalies

After a few really solid goth metal records, Italian melancholy masters Lacuna Coil brought in just enough heavy rock influence to take them to the next lugubrious level. Christina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro trade vocals, the former angelic and the latter somewhat more grounded, but the dynamic works – “Heaven’s A Lie” and “Tight Rope” – show how effectively they play off each other. The sunflower of sadness is filled with memorably tumultuous tunes. Powerful statements like “Swamped,” “The Ghost Woman and the Hunter,” and “Daylight Dancer” show why when Evanescence hit the following year savvy listeners already had no time for them.