Shallow Life

Shallow Life
Studio album by Lacuna Coil
Released April 21, 2009 (US) (See release history)
February 16, 2010 (Special Edition)
Recorded NRG Studios, Los Angeles, California
Genre Gothic metal, alternative metal
Length 44:00
Label Century Media, EMI
Producer Don Gilmore[1]
Lacuna Coil chronology
Visual Karma (Body, Mind and Soul)
(2008)		 Shallow Life
(2009)		 Dark Adrenaline
(2012)
Singles from Shallow Life
  1. "Spellbound"
    Released: February 24, 2009
  2. "I Like It[2]"
    Released: June 29, 2009
  3. "I Won't Tell You"
    Released: October 5, 2009
  4. "Wide Awake"
    Released: November 30, 2009
  5. "I'm Not Afraid"
    Released: 2010

Shallow Life is the fifth studio album by Italian band Lacuna Coil. The album was released from April 17–22, 2009 in Europe and April 21 in North America. As of September 2009, it has sold over 75,000 copies in the U.S. and 225,000 worldwide.[3]

Background

The album was recorded in autumn 2008 at a studio in Los Angeles with producer Don Gilmore.[4] According to magazine Rock Sound the album would have some Arabic influences. Scabbia noted that the album "feels more rock" and that it is "the perfect mixture between our old European sound and something more modern...some of its very heavy. The most amazing this is, we've been able to improve everything about Lacuna Coil without taking away anything good or doing something that doesn't belong."[5] Shallow Life is reportedly set to be the band's first concept album, containing references toward superficial lifestyles in the world today. The song "Spellbound" was debuted live at the Soundwave Music Festival in February 2009. The song "Not Enough" was released as a free download on the Italian Music website XL with the backstage of Spellbound video on April 1, 2009.[6] In the beginning of April the song I'm Not Afraid was released as airplay on Russian radios.

On April 8, 2009 Lacuna Coil posted all 12 tracks from their album to listen to on their MySpace profile page for one week only.

On April 14, 2009 the band created a poll on their MySpace profile for fans to choose the second single, involving nine songs from Shallow Life.[7]

Shallow Life was re-released as a double disc deluxe edition with new artwork from January 22–27, 2010 in Europe[8] and February 22, 2010 in North America. The bonus disc contains live and acoustic recordings and previously unreleased studio tracks.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic68/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [10]
Kerrang!
Popmatters[11]
Sputnik Music [12]
Metal Hammer
Alternative Press
Rock Sound [13]

The Album received mixed reviews from music critics. Allmusic writer, gave a mixed review to the album and rated it as two-and-a-half stars out of five and wrote: "In all fairness, Shallow Life, does come on very much as expected based on Lacuna Coil's preceding career arc, and many observers would argue that backtracking isn't the solution either if a band is to prosper in the long run -- but it may have to be here, given the underwhelming sales and vociferous critical backlash bestowed upon the album."[10] Kerrang! magazine gave it three out of five, stating: "It may not stand along Karmacode in ten years' time...but it is an album for today." Rock Sound gave them eight out of ten saying that the album is "Edgier, racier and more accessible than almost anything they've done to date, 'Shallow Life' is the sound of a band that's reaping the rewards of over a decade in the business".

Track listing

All lyrics written by Lacuna Coil & Don Gilmore, all music composed by Lacuna Coil.

No. Title Length
1. "Survive"   3:34
2. "I Won't Tell You"   3:49
3. "Not Enough"   3:40
4. "I’m Not Afraid"   3:22
5. "I Like It"   3:42
6. "Underdog"   3:40
7. "The Pain"   4:00
8. "Spellbound"   3:21
9. "Wide Awake"   3:51
10. "The Maze"   3:38
11. "Unchained"   3:22
12. "Shallow Life"   4:00
Bonus tracks
Special Edition (Double disc)

Singles

Credits and personnel

Lacuna Coil
Production
Other personnel

Publishing

  • All music by: Lacuna Coil
  • All keyboards by: Marco Coti Zelati
  • All lyrics by: Lacuna Coil / Don Gilmore
  • All music and lyrics published by Lacuna Coil / High Speed Chase, ASCAP
  • Administered by Kobalt

Other credits

  • Management: Adam (DOOM) Sewell for Riot Rock Management
  • Booking: Paul Ryan (UK), Tim Borror (US) for The Agency Group
  • Legal Representation: Michael Toorock, Toorock and Rosen, LLP
  • Tour Management: Mark "Gus" Guy

Charts

Chart (2009)[18][19] Provider(s) Peak
position 		Sales/shipments
Austrian Albums Chart[19] IFPI 68
Belgian (Flanders) Albums Chart[20] 74
Belgian (Wallonia) Albums Chart[20] 60
Canadian Albums Chart Nielsen SoundScan 44
Dutch Albums Chart[21] IFPI 76
European Albums Chart 39
French Albums Chart[21] SNEP 46
German Albums Chart[21] Media Control 52
Greek Albums Chart IFPI 15
Irish Albums Chart IRMA 55
Italian Albums Chart[22] FIMI 25
Japanese Albums Chart[23] Oricon 76
Spanish Albums Chart[24] PROMUSICAE 95
Swiss Albums Chart[20] Media Control 64
UK Albums Chart[25] BPI/OCC 42
UK Rock Chart[21] 2
U.S. Billboard 200[26] RIAA 16 75,000[27]
U.S. Billboard Top Rock Albums[26] 2
Worldwide sales
225.000

Release history

Country Date[28]
Italy April 17, 2009
Germany
Austria
Switzerland
Benelux
United Kingdom April 20, 2009
France
Greece
Denmark
Norway
North America April 21, 2009
Spain
Portugal
Sweden April 22, 2009
Finland
Hungary
Japan[29] May 20, 2009

References

  1. ↑ Don Gilmore credits at Allmusic
  2. ↑ http://www.emptyspiral.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1025&mode=&order=0&thold=0 | "I Like It" Music Video News
  3. ↑ http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=42227&comments=1
  4. ↑ LACUNA COIL: "Shallow Life" Due In The Spring Roadrunner Records. Accessed December 13, 2008.
  5. ↑ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=112717
  6. ↑ http://xl.repubblica.it/dettaglio/76254
  7. ↑ LACUNA COIL - (FULL ALBUM STREAM ONLINE) MySpace. Accessed April 14, 2009.
  8. ↑ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=132987
  9. ↑ "Shallow Life Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  10. 1 2 Allmusic review
  11. ↑ Popmatter Review
  12. ↑ Sputnik Music Review
  13. ↑ Rock Sound Review
  14. ↑ http://www.emptyspiral.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1025&mode=&order=0&thold=0
  15. ↑ http://www.emptyspiral.net/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=69#4
  16. ↑ http://fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16697
  17. ↑ http://www.virginradioitaly.it/top/magazine/the_rocket/lacuna_coil_wide_awake
  18. ↑ http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Lacuna+Coil&titel=Shallow+Life&cat=a
  19. 1 2 http://acharts.us/album/43233
  20. 1 2 3 http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Lacuna+Coil&titel=Shallow+Life&cat=a
  21. 1 2 3 4 http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=119172
  22. ↑ http://www.azheavymetal.com/noticias/04_2009/noticia18659.php
  23. ↑ "Shallow Life - Lacuna Coil" (in Japanese). oricon ME inc. Retrieved 2015-05-16.
  24. ↑ http://www.emptyspiral.net/2009/05/shallow-life-first-week-sales/
  25. ↑ http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/lacuna%20coil/
  26. 1 2 http://www.billboard.com/artist/306323/lacuna+coil/chart
  27. ↑ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=123053
  28. ↑ "LACUNA COIL: New Italian-Language Video Interview Available - Mar. 15, 2009". roadrunnerrecords.com. 2009-03-15. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  29. ↑ "LACUNA COIL, Shallow Life, New album release from LACUNA COIL.". cdjapan.co.jp. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, November 15, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.