Lacuna Coil, Future Static @ The Gov, Adelaide 17/2/2026
‘You are perfectly imperfect, the beating heart of music.’ Cristina Scabbia, one half of the dual vocal attack that is Italians Lacuna Coil declares from the stage. There is something beautifully poetic about how other languages get translated into English and Lacuna Coil are a poetically beautiful band.
Venturing to Adelaide for the first time in, well, seventeen years and a Soundwave appearance by my calculations, the Italians are serene, styled, and swashbuckling on stage. The crowd eager and squashed in to see the rarest of bands in these parts.
Opening the night is Melbourne’s dazzling Future Static. Vocalist Amariah Cook’s demented possessed ballerina persona, the devil’s conduit to the bands pulsating energy that explodes out onto the crowd.
Being able to drop a twelve-track setlist gives the audience an amazing opportunity to see all the different faces of the band, from Hourglass to Gasolina to Roach Queen to newbie State Of Mind. Rhythm section Jackson Trudel and Kira Neil hold the band firm while guitarist Jack Smith and Ryan Qualizza slam like windmills in a storm to allow Amariah to set the fireworks off up front. Judging by the queues at the merch desk when finished, plenty of this crowd were blown away.
Opening with battering rams of Layers Of Time and Reckless, Lacuna Coil bring the heavy early. The dual vocal attack of Scanbia and Andrea Ferro balancing the equilibrium between the demon and angel that is the bands performance art.
Scabbia, dressed in blood red gothic attire and Ferro, the dark master in black, visually become the band of Edgar Allan Poe’s nightmares.
Die & Rise swaggers as the crowd chant back the chorus, while Spellbound is the showcase for Scabbia to really let loose her vocal range.
Most of the setlsit is from the recent Sleepless Empire album however the band make sure to reach into each album for a gem. Newbie In The Mean Time a fine example of Ferro bringing the grit, while Scabbia brings the glory, noting that for the dynamism of each vocalist to truly shine, they need the other to compliment them.
Intoxicated grooves as Scabbia runs the riders to connect with everyone in the audience before they slow it down with the newer version of Heaven’s A Lie, the crowd raising the roof off during the chorus.
Blood, Tears, Dust has the band headbang in glorious union to the songs spine tingling breakdown, Gravity stomps before Scabbia speaks to the audience about the bands drive to get out of Italy and fearing nothing as they, and the crowd, launch into Nothing Stands In Our Way.
A four-track encore featuring hand waving, fist pumping and oldie Swamped before ending with Never Again has the ears ringing, the head buzzing and hearts full.
Beautifully poetic, poignant and pristine, Lacuna Coil were worth every minute of the seventeen-year wait. However, let us not leave it as long next time please.
Live Review By Iain McCallum