Lacuna Coil

The Italian goth-metal band leaves their moody atmospheres behind for a heavier, more-radio-friendly sound on this long-awaited 2006 release. As the prominent guitars bury the keyboards in the mix, longtime fans may get a little nervous, but the ethereal beauty of Cristina Scabbia's vocals, often doubled with Middle Eastern textures, remains a mainstay of their sound, so all is not lost. Also, bands typically go from heavy to light in their sound, not vice-versa which, is the case here -- an interesting twist.