Lacuna CoilFLINT, MI -- "Dark Adrenaline," the latest record by the Italian metal band Lacuna Coil, debuted at No. 15 on The Billboard 200 album chart.
Andrea Ferro, who shares lead vocal duties with Cristina Scabbia, said that feat reflects more than just the act's success. It shows that the band has been able to establish a deeper connection with fans, something that goes beyond the songs or music.
"For some reason, we see a lot of emails or messages from the fans where they connect so much with our songs and also with the band," Ferro told The Flint Journal in his thick Italian accent.
"The way we stay in touch with them. The way we do the meet and greets. The fact that we stay out there signing and taking some pictures and reply to their messages. We're not just a band that sells some records. It's more about our life. It's a big lifestyle for us. Everybody's a part of this lifestyle. I think that's why they feel it's a little deeper than with some other bands that are more commercial products, in a way."
Ferro said one song that has particularly touched fans is "Dark Adrenaline's" closer "My Spirit," which bassist Marco Coti Zelati wrote the night that Lacuna Coil received the news that Peter Steele from Type O Negative died.
"He was a great friend of ours," Ferro said quietly. "We toured together. He was a big influence on the band. Every time we go to New York, he was coming to the shows. There was a special relationship that was beyond two bands."
Even though Steele's death played a heavy hand in the song, Ferro and Scabbia penned lyrics that that were dedicated to all the friends they have lost.
"All the friends that are not with us anymore with their body, but we feel they're still around with their legacy, their spirit," he said.
"That song connected to a lot of people because they can apply it to their own personal experience. Everybody has somebody they have lost in their life -- a family member or their friend. It's easy to connect with that song."
Other favorites, he said, includes the opening track "Trip the Darkness," "Intoxicated" and "I Don't Believe in Tomorrow."
"They're powerful songs that people like to hear," Ferro said.
Lacuna Coil, who ends its North American headlining run at The Machine Shop on Tuesday, May 22, recorded the album in Italy and in Los Angeles with producer Don Gilmore.
"Basically, we started January of last year and me, Marco, the bass player, and Cristina, the other singer, we were basically locked down in Marco's basement," he said. "He has a little home studio in the basement so we were there for, like, a few months almost every day working on all the arrangements for the vocals and Marco's responsible for the music."
After the band created 15 to 16 songs, it took the tracks to the others in Lacuna Coil to see what they thought of the music. Once there was a decision on the tunes, Gilmore came to Italy and worked in Coti Zelati's studio and Lacuna Coil's vintage room. Afterward, Coti Zelati, Scabbia and Ferro flew to Los Angeles with Gilmore to his facility.
"It was cool," Ferro said. "We worked with him already on the previous album 'Shallow Life.' That was the very first time we met him and we worked with him. This time we worked better with him because we know each other."
Lacuna Coil, who is known for its cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence," bowed to the altar of R.E.M. and redid "Losing My Religion" for "Dark Adrenaline."
"That song was already in the loop when we did a few years ago 'Enjoy the Silence' for the 'Karmacode' album," Ferro said. "'Losing My Religion' was another candidate for that record. We had such an amazing result right away with 'Enjoy the Silence' that we didn't even try to do another song."
Ferro described the song as "quite different" than R.E.M.'s original.
"It's more of a Lacuna Coil song with R.E.M. lyrics, besides maybe the chorus, which is more similar to the original version. It's a good song and the lyrics were just a perfect match with all the other lyrics of the album. We thought it was a good choice to put it in this one."
But Ferro is pleased that fans are reacting well to "Dark Adrenaline."
"It's hard times for the record business right now," he said. "It's hard to sell records. Record companies are cutting down all the budgets and the people down in the department. It's important that our fans are still there and buy the record the first week to show support to the band after 15 years now."
Lacuna Coil with Know Lyfe
7 p.m. Tuesday, May 22
The Machine Shop, 3539 S. Dort Highway, Flint
$20 in advance for the 18 and older show
(810) 715-2650 or etix.com