Italian Goth Metal legends LACUNA COIL have finally released their virtual show from 2020 titled "Live From The Apocalypse". Many fans, disappointed about the lack of shows in 2020 due to the global pandemic that crushed the live music industry, have been anxiously awaiting this. Century Media Records provided them relief on June 25, 2021.

Consisting of songs from only "Black Anima," "Live From The Apocalypse" is unlike anything LACUNA COIL has done to date. First and foremost, this was a live show of an album in its' entirety. Secondly, there was no audience, so there is no crowd noise. The track listing is in a different order from the record, and the recording was made through the soundboard, not from the amplifiers. The recording quality is good, but the lack of noise between songs is disconcerting (pun intended) at first.

Anybody who knows the Black Anima record will be a fan of this record. It has much the same feel as the studio record, but is noticeably different in some of the tones and ambient sounds due to how it was recorded. "Anima Nera" is true to the record, but you can hear the difference in "Sword Of Anger". It is not the same as the studio album, but sounds good regardless. They stayed true to the tunings and tempo.

CHRISTINA and ANDREA sound really good for this show. Having seen them live a number of times, I expected nothing less. They work so well together and feed off each other vocally. They harmonize, trade off and accentuate with the greatest of ease. Need a perfect example? "Save Me" provides that. So does the rest of the album, but their chemistry shines early on that song.

The drums are perfectly balanced in the recording. Richard Meiz is a beast and never misses a beat. Diego Cavallotti on guitar is just poetry. His riffs, solos and fills fit the songs with dignity and grace. There is no attempt to overpower, nor does he hide under the rhythm. He knows where to be and when to go there. Marco Coti Zelati, a.k.a. The Captain, handles the rest, rhythm guitars, keyboards and one of the best bass licks in the business.

Other fan favorites from the record, such as "Reckless," "Veneficium," and my personal favorite, "Layers Of Time" all sound almost studio quality, but you can tell this is different. The songs have the added live feeling and energy. The drum count ins, the added spoken words that would fire a crowd up, if only they could have been there, the slightly different pacing and tones all add up to a unique experience.

It did take a few listens to get over the fact there is no crowd noise on this live album, but once you get used to that, the quality of this record is apparent. It takes skill to design something for an audience you can't see or, more importantly for many bands at shows, feed off of. LACUNA COIL is a dynamic band live, and they often interact with their fans after shows at the merchandise booth, so this must have been just as strange for them as it is for us.

The only thing missing from this record is crowd noise, but adding that in would have been disingenuous. This feels right, it feels real. LACUNA COIL typically tours relentlessly between studio albums, so this last year must have felt out of balance. Here's to hoping they can get a set list designed with songs from their entire catalog and get on the road soon. Their fans will love having this, but really need to sing/scream along with ANDI and CHRISTINA at a truly live show soon. Until then, here is a killer recording to tide you over!