Karmacode

I was ready to go against the grain. I hadn’t listened to this album in years, casually heard Lacuna Coil’s version of “Enjoy The Silence” within a shuffle, and decided that I just heard some pretty cool shit and it was time to repay this album a visit. I was already working out synonyms for ‘underrated’ in my head before I even started listening to it. Even the album cover took on a new relevance. “It’s mummy wrappings inside a man instead of the other way around! The meaning of this must be so deep and esoteric that I’m not even going to try to figure it out” I told myself while downing a few pints. So I took the plunge. Finally, after I finished hearing the album again for the first time in ages, all I could think of was “Oh yeah…that’s why I never play this thing.”

In the past, Lacuna Coil wasn’t particularly averse to down-tuning their instruments to D on occasion, but with Karmacode they drop to C level and apparently revel in their new tone since the first three songs in a row feel comfortably rooted there. In fact, an overwhelming chunk of material here basically repeats the first song’s aspects with only minute variations in structure. Unlike their previous releases, the bass is right up front in the mix and distorted like an unusually fat ass. Other than that, the production as a whole is not unlike their last outing in that it does a monumental job in capturing a reasonably heavy yet accessible sound, which in essence doesn’t mean much since I find much of this album a difficult listen simply due to the songwriting itself. Along with the loopy little industrial flourishes introduced during Comalies, there’s now some Middle Eastern vibes scattered throughout the disc, with Cristina warbling away like a pissed-off belly dancer. If there was still any speculation as to where the band wished to trudge for this outing, the groovin’ drums are the dead giveaway in that they came to a conclusion that the nu-metal genre was not only still kickin', but a thriving and resilient higher plane of financial benefits and perks (they basically saw Evanescence and wanted in). Toss in some goth trappings and a couple of atmospheric ballads to appease the chicks with purple lipstick, and that’s essentially Karmacode in a nutshell.

On an album this poorly conceived, it's easy to pick out the highlights since there aren't a hell of a lot. "Within Me" is one, not just because it doesn't remotely sound like anything else on the album, but that its waltz-like rhythm and borderline folk-ish lilt contains an appealing vocal melody in the chorus that owes more to Renaissance Faire trollops than 'flygirl' posturing. It's not a great track, but on this album it comes across like an innovative revelation. "You Create" is a mellow, Eastern inflected piece that actually captures a bit of pseudo-Gothic atmosphere, although it is in fact just a short interlude and gets hijacked near the end by a Darth Vader impersonator. You know that treading through an album's musical journey is rough going when one of the best tracks is a fucking intro. This dittie unfortunately segues into the chugging slab of rubbish called "What I See", in which the Disturbed worship is so apparent that I was practically expecting David Draiman to chime in with some of his signature 'choking on a chicken bone' dog barks. Truth be told, between this pandering dreck and the last track there is really nothing much of merit. I knew the final song was quality, and it was not just a chore, but bloody torture getting to "Enjoy The Silence" that I felt like I deserved a Purple Heart by the time that familiar Depeche Mode melody soothed my ears. I'm almost surprised the cover turned out as well as it did, considering the Korn-aping mentality of the band at this point. Seriously, most of the vocals smeared on the rest of these tracks had to have been inspired by that Korn singer's note patterns, which in turn undermined the talents of both of Lacuna Coil's vocalists. Such a waste.

I do have some ideas as to why the band went this route. During their early days they opened shows for the likes of Opeth and other unarguably metal acts. After the gradual success of their Comalies disc, the band found themselves touring with bigger names that catered to the nu-metal crowd. Karmacode could have been a survival technique to adapt to the changing audience thrust upon them, or perhaps they just liked that thumpy shit and enjoyed wavin' their arms in the air like they just don't care. Either way, as I learned once again, my initial impression years ago was right and still stands. I'll hold onto a couple of tracks and ditch the rest.