Mentioned in this same line with such powerhouses like The Gathering or Moonspell, in only three years Lacuna Coil achieved a remarkable status of one of the most recognized dark-gothic bands. The combination of Cristina Scabbia’s seductive appearance with magnetism of her unique voice makes male fans wet their pants during the live shows and incites jealousy among her own gender. Although Italy is known as a county of never-ending siestas or happy sounds of italo-disco, "Unleashed Memories" takes us into an even darker and more melancholic side of the band. Female vocalist Cristina Scabbia shines some much anticipated light on my questions...

Chris


Cristina, first of all what such a beautiful woman is doing in a metal band?

[laughs] Thank you very much. Well, it’s nice, very nice because I always meet very respectable people and they are always nice with me, the fans are not aggressive with me so it’s a pleasure.

Is it something you always wanted to do?

Yeah, I mean it’s weird ‘cause I don’t consider myself as a diva or stuff like that, but I’m happy if people can dream about me with my picture even if they really don’t know me. It’s nice if you can please someone.

Have you ever thought of singing in a pop group? You never know, you might be even more popular than with Lacuna Coil.

I never thought about it before I entered Lacuna Coil. I used to sing in some occasional dance projects and stuff like that but just giving my voice without giving my name and image because I didn’t like that music. I wasn’t proud of it. So, as soon as I met the other members of Lacuna Coil and I met the metal scene I realized I want to be a metal singer.

Rather than asking are you happy with "Unleashed Memories", is there anything you don’t like on it?

I really love it and I think it’s perfect even if sometimes you would like to change something. But not in the structure, for example we just had four weeks to record this album and, of course, when you have just four weeks you have to prepare everything before entering the studio. You cannot improvise too much ‘cause you don’t want to risk that something might go wrong. So as soon as we composed the music we recorded everything as it was and we didn’t change anything at all. Of course when you listen to it later on you might want to change little things, maybe to sing one part better, maybe change the guitar sound, stuff like that but we are really, really satisfied.

Looking back are you satisfied with your previous releases?

When taking a look at them right now, of course I would change a lot of things because we were more immature, the structures are not as beautiful as we can do them now and you can feel it because we weren’t that much sure about ourselves as we are now. I mean, I like them, but I consider "Unleashed Memories" the most mature album of Lacuna Coil.

But then, it also seems like from album to album your sound is getting a little softer. Is this the direction you want to go?

I don’t think I would agree with that. I mean this album is much more melancholic but not necessarily softer. I think that you can give power even if you play some mid-tempo songs, you don’t need to have fast drums to give power, and you can give intense feeling even with those slow songs. I can’t tell you what music we will do in the future. For sure we will stay metal and go with this direction, maybe we add more growl vocals and stuff like that.

Have you ever thought you would achieve so much success in just 3 years?

No, absolutely not. As soon as we released the first EP we had so many good reviews but it happened so many times to a lot of bands that I didn’t realized that’s the beginning and we will be popular in 3 years. But it also happened because we work a lot, we did many interviews and we played all over the Europe.

Over the last 2-3 years Italy has delivered many metal bands into the international scene (Labyrinth, Rhapsody) with recognized success like Lacuna Coil. Have the people of Italy had enough of italo-disco and are looking for a heavier sound?

To tell you the truth I don’t know why people outside of Italy realized now we are able to do good music too. Maybe this is due because Italian bands learned to work in a more professional way. To give you a short example when we were searching for a deal we just sent a promo tape to some labels around the Europe but we recorded this promo tape with a very good sound quality, we included very good pictures, and a full biography. Not something funny or anything like that. We just put it in a very professional way even when Lacuna Coil didn’t have a deal with any label. I think right now Italian bands improved in a more professional direction and they know how to work in the studio, how to do a good gig and stuff like that and now people outside of Italy are realizing that.

How big is the underground? Do you know any new interesting bands?

Not that much cause we are so busy with our music we don’t have time to listen to other bands. We do a lot of interviews, tours and I only have time to read some metal magazines so I know only names of the bands but not their music and I can’t judge them.
I would love to find the time to do it but for now I have to postpone it a little.

So are you listening to any music at all, if so what is it?

I listen to everything. I always said I love music itself and not just a style or an artist. For example I love Depeche Mode this same way I love Meshuggah and this same way I love classical music. As long as it’s a good music I listen to it.

Do you have a favorite band or CD?

I would say Depeche Mode, Typo O Negative, Paradise Lost as bands but I don’t have a favorite CD that I would say I will play all my life.

Italy is recognized as one of the most beautiful countries, blue skies and gorgeous weather. Where then are all those sad thoughts coming from?

You don’t have to live in awful country to have sad thoughts. I mean everyone has its personal moments and it’s easier to look inside yourself when you are sad or depressed. It’s not the blue skies or beautiful monument that makes you happy. Personal problems will make you sad and you can be inspired by this feeling and transpose it into the music and lyrics. You can also be inspired from the sadness of another person and just try to describe his feelings. You can be just reflexive, not sad.

Does any member of Lacuna Coil play in any side project bands?

No! We are totally concentrated on Lacuna Coil.

Are you nervous during the live shows?

Just a little bit before I go on stage. As soon as I’m there I’m completely comfortable. I’m only nervous when I know I can’t give my best because I’m sick or really tired and of course you can’t cancel the show.

Have you ever had unpleasant situations during the live performances with male fans?

Never, to tell you the truth the girls are much worse. They a more arrogant, they just want to touch the guys, to kiss them. I always met guys that kissed my hand, talked to me in a very sweet way but I never met a tough guy that wanted to touch me of stuff like that they are always nice.

So, are you single?

No. [laughs] Marko, the bass player is my boyfriend.

You just toured with Theatre of Tragedy and Beseech. Did anything unusual or funny happen during the tour?

Because we had incredibly good relationship with them a lot of funny things happened. Guys from those bands are very nice people and we still write to each other. Something funny? Well, maybe the last gig. I don’t know if you know about it but during the last gig you can do whatever you want to other bands. So the guitar player and the drummer from Theatre Of Tragedy came on the stage and were improvising on guitars without really playing them just to have some fun with us.

What are your tour plans for "Unleashed Memories"? USA?

USA? Maybe. We were in Mexico in December where we played two gigs and after that we were suppose to have a tour on the east coast but we would have to drive ourselves to reach the venues and we didn’t want to give a terrible gigs just because we were tired. So we decided to organize it better and come over in the future.

What is your most embarrassing moment on the scene?

Most embarrassing? Let me think... oh yeah. [laughs] You know my hair is very long now but in the past they we just up to my shoulders so for the shows I used to wear a fake tail. Once during a gig I lost it and I didn’t realize it till the end of the show when I went on stage to say final thank you to the audience. I looked at my feet and there it was I don’t know if people saw it but that was the most embarrassing moment of my career.

Later on I laughed for about 2 hours...

Leave us some last words...

If anyone wants to write to us or has any suggestion please visit us at www.lacunacoil.it we will answer all your letters and I hope you will enjoy our new album.

What a way to end the year! On the last day of 2001 and I get my questions answered by Maurizio Iacono from Kataklysm! Have you heard "Epic (The Poetry Of War)"? No, then get to the local store while there's still time and end this year with a real kick in the face from our Northern-hyperblasts. I don't want to repeat myself here (you can read the review) but Kataklysm once more proved themselves as a class-act in a death metal world and with the addition of a few new elements to their traditional sound, they created a masterpiece that made my knees bleed. With this bloody accent I wish you all more of that in 2002… and that won't be a problem while listening to albums like "Epic (The Poetry Of War)".

Chris


Congratulations on a perfectly composed music assault to keep us warm during the winter. Is that cold Canadian winter a big reason for such heavy molesting of your instruments?

Well, there must be something in the water making bands play faster than the norm, that's for sure... [laughs]

Why 'poetry' instead' of 'power ' of war, such delicate word with so brutal an event?

It's a play on words, something poetic is meant to be beautiful and delicate yet war is destructive and dark. The Romans used to sometimes associate both, by saying that War was a beautiful thing... a necessity for survival.

Are you against or for the present situation in Afghanistan?

I'm for it... those responsible should pay for the horror they have committed. The sad thing is our paradise has fallen now we must be vigilant, 'til the enemy is defeated.

Are all tracks related to the topic of war only and from what point of view?

Most of the album deals with the human mind and how it can make the whole difference in conquering problems in life… I've used the Roman Empire and war themes as an example of that... the reason they conquered the world is because they used their intelligence, not because they were bigger or stronger men. The same tactics used by the Romans and their ideology/strategies on battle is still the base for all wars conducted by super-powers like the USA.

It seems like Rome I' and 'Rome II' is a mini-concept on this album; to what event does it relate?

It's basically the rise and fall of Rome in two parts. To write it in a detailed manner would take me many more albums... it's too long. I just wanted to show with this that Power can bring you the greed that will kill you in the end.

Although "Epic" is still a traditional Kataklysm release, there are more influences from other genres; the album seems more melodic, there are some thrash and black metal elements. How different was the writing process from your previous releases?

It's getting easier and easier to write... I guess we've matured and now know how to put to music what we are thinking... which is sometimes a problem if you limit yourself, we don't restrict ourselves and wanted to put all the influences that make Kataklysm what it is... the most important thing is that it flows like water.

"Epic" is Kataklysm's most technical release to date, how hard did you have to work on it and did it take more time to write it than before?

It took us a whole month and a half to write... that's how this is getting to be part of us, as long as we have something to say, I think it will be easy to express ourselves. We have ideas and everybody in the band collaborates and makes it interesting. If we would take months to write, I think that we would lose that original edge that comes with being spontaneous.

A lot of lyrics are sung in a more black metalish style, which is different from what most death metal bands do. Why did you choose this form over traditional growls?

I get bored of using the same tones over and over again... so I try to put variety in it... I like high pitch and low ends... and I also go mid range, whatever fits the mood.

Do you think all those changes are a natural progression of the band within the last 10 years or is everything happening according to the original plan?

It's rare that plans stick... they never do most of the time, especially if it's for the long run... so we go with the flow, we've survived many obstacles that would of destroyed many bands... and to actually come back and become stronger than ever makes me very proud.

How are your relations with Nuclear Blast right now, you've been in and out and in again?

It's never been as good as it is now... we have people over at the head office in Germany who really take care of us and believe in Kataklysm. I think we deserve a better push in N. America... but you don't get what you desire every time.

I've heard that the European tour turned out to be a huge success for you. What was so special about it and can you share with us some embarrassing or weird stories from it?

It was amazing... probably the most successful Kataklysm tour in Europe... people were really digging the new album and we made a lot of new fans, which is resulting in us going back in march for our first euro-headliner tour and our first festival appearance at WITH FULL FORCE in Germany in July.

An embarrassing moment was me singing with my fly/zipper wide open... J. F. kicked me and said "dude your zipper... " ...I'm like "oh shit!"

You've been touring a lot but is there a band you dream of playing with?

I mean we could only tour with extreme bands... so I'd have to say Napalm Death, one of my fave bands and one big influence on Kataklysm.

What are your future plans to support "Epic"?

Tour more in 2002. Europe is confirmed... hopefully we'll make it to The States.

Is Kataklysm a band of close friends or do you do your job and each one of you goes separate ways until the next record or tour?

We are friends, if we didn't get along it just wouldn't work. There's too much blood and sweat involved and not enough money... we don't see each other often cause half the band lives in the city and the other half in a different city an hour away.

Are we ever going to see Kataklysm as a band of "Northern-melodic-happy-blasts"?

Melody will always be present but the 'Happy' part ain't happening with Kataklysm!