With their 8th studio album the Italian Gothfathers decided it was time to up the ante, switch into a heavy mode and finally take full creative control over every aspect of “Delirium”. They created an audio-visual setting that is allowing for flashing glimpses of a dark place that will take their listeners on an entrancing trip. A trip, where they will decide if they are ready to open another door and fully engulf themselves in the “Delirium” experience – but just to finally find their ways out of this dark maze and come back invigorated. Or as LACUNA COIL say in their very own synopsis of “Delirium”: “’Delirium’ is about the horrors that we must face in everyday life by exploring the unknown, and to one day, hopefully find the cure.”
Gearing up for the album release, Metal Wani’s Fernando Bonenfant had a chat with LACUNA COIL singers Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro at London office. They discuss new album ‘Delirium’, songwriting, musical direction after the departure of 3 members and why it’s the most personal and darkest album of their career. Cristina and Andrea also throw light on the inspiration behind the album, dynamic change with the new line-up, a trip to a Sanatorium at Northern Italy, guest musicians i.e. Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge) and others on the album.
Here are some of the excerpts:
On the lineup changes in LACUNA COIL that took place prior to the recording of the band’s new album, “Delirium”:
Cristina: “Two of the members [guitarist Cris ‘Pizza’ Migliore and drummer Cristiano ‘Criz’ Mozzati] left two years ago… They just left, because they just wanted [their] life and settle and they were tired of touring. And then we continued for a while with Maus [Marco Biazzi, guitar]. And then Maus decided to resign when we were entering the studio, pretty much, because he felt that he couldn’t express himself completely anymore, or whatever reason he decided to leave for. But the songwriters of LACUNA COIL are still in the band, because it was always Marco [‘Maki’ Coti-Zelati, bass], the writer of the music and the internal producer of the band, and it was always Andrea and I writing the lyrics. And Ryan [Blake Folden, drums] came in and added so much with his incredible drumming and his persona. So, honestly, it didn’t really change the balance. Of course, it’s always sad when a person that you shared so much time with decides to take a different path, but it’s not that he died or he just left in a bad term or there was drama going on. So, I mean, it’s a natural evolution. I think it’s normal in a family; I think it’s normal in your relationship. It can happen. Actually, Maus‘s departure [resulted in] a new energy within the band. It’s, like, this is not even the next chaper; it’s the new book of LACUNA COIL. A new lineup, a lot of guests in the record. Marco playing guitars. First album self-produced by us, and [we were in] total control. Everything is new, and we’re excited like kids, like it’s the first album we’ve ever done.”
On how LACUNA COIL went about enlisting guest guitarists — including Myles Kennedy (ALTER BRIDGE) and Mark Vollelunga (NOTHING MORE) — to play on “Delirium”:
Cristina: “Myles, he’s a friend of ours. I had the chance to collaborate with ALTER BRIDGE years ago, so since then we’ve been in touch; we’ve been writing each other. When Maus decided to resign, we thought that it would be cool to invite some friends to contribute to the record… speaking about the guitar parts. And we had some slots open for solo parts, and we started to think about friends that werer playing guitars. And Myles Kennedy is really known as an amazing vocalist, amazing singer, but not a lot of people know that he’s a great guitar player as well. So I think it’s cool that he contributed, but not singing, as everybody would expect, but with his guitar. So we let him free to do whatever he wanted to do. We didn’t hear the solo up until he sent it to us, because we recorded [the album] in Italy. And the same was with Mark Vollelunga of NOTHING MORE. He’s a friend of ours, because we toured together with NOTHING MORE in the past, and they put on an amazing show; they’re great musicians.”
Andrea: “[NOTHING MORE] did their first national tour in America opening for us; so that’s how we met them. And then we’ve been in touch all the time. When they played Milan, we went out for beers and drinks and food, and then it was just natural to ask him. He has such a unique style of playing that he did something very great on the song, I think.”
Cristina: “And then Marco Barusso is also the sound engineer of the record, and he’s a good guitar player too. And the same for Diego Cavallotti and Alessandro La Porta; they are friends of ours that came in, and that made the album even more dynamic and intense, so we could have different things in it.”
Stream The Entire Interview Below: