Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
Things have a habit of going ‘full circle’ in life. Whilst the warm welcome from the Tramshed’s security and front of house staff remains constant behind the scenes there’s change. Richard Buck and Dan Ickowitz-Seidler, formerly joint owners of the venue when it was set up ten years ago, have under the guise of Propaganda Independent Venues purchased the Grade II listed building in a deal with TEG UK. There’s much promise in the projected details with a proposed ‘fairer ticketing allocation model’ to benefit local promoters and artists not being charged ‘merchant fees’.
It’s a deal that sees the pair also secure ownership of The Globe across the city centre as well as a number of venues in Birmingham and London. With a view to supporting local bands and artists Ickowitz-Seidler stated, in an article on Wales Online, “I am really excited to have reacquired Tramshed, our original venue that Rich and I created 10 years ago, along with The Globe” furthering “Both venues have such an important place in the Welsh live music scene. It is a challenging time for grassroots venues, and we want to support the touring ecosystem as much as possible.”
As Italian gothic masterpieces Lacuna Coil roll into the Welsh capital on a gloomy, rainy Friday evening there’s just two shows remaining after tonight for them and their touring compatriots crossover metallers Nonpoint. The relentless touring schedule of the previous two months is drawing to a close; 30 plus shows across an incredible 18 European countries and I can safely assure one and all that there’s an incredible amount of energy on display.
Tonight is an opportunity to embrace a much-required escape from the escalating mayhem of festive financial outpouring; heck folks we even have a few days of November remaining. Kicking off proceedings with their uncompromising kinetic complemented with a genuine down-to-earth sincerity Florida-based nu-metallers Nonpoint are on a hearts and minds mission of industrial proportions.
Fronted by the effusive charms of vocalist Elias Soriano they cannot, and won’t, fail. He’s a force of nature in that department and makes connections with the Cardiff crowd in an instant. “I’ve been wet for a week; you Brits are a resilient bunch” he cajoles towards the end of a magmatic set. Born in New Jersey he’s proud of his Caribbean descent as he furthers “I’m Puerto Rican, Dominican Repulican this weather isn’t good for my skin!”
The lighting pierces the Tramshed gloom as the house lights darken on the stroke of eight. With a slick alloying of Lenny Kravitz and Skindred Nonpoint rasp into the set-launching ‘Breaking Skin’; dreadlocks fly wildly as the band bounces seemingly unified. It’s a powerful entrance and one that grabs the attention instantly. Their nu-metal grooves have the Tramshed ensemble onside right away welcoming them as if they’re returning heroes not first-timers in the capital.
Punching and pummelling the quintet barely draw breath as the break headlong into maelstromic presence of one of their very earliest singles. Off their major label debut ‘Statement’ from 25 years ago ‘What A Day’ exudes a crepuscular melodic. Yes, they’ve been around that long and I’m shamefully guilty of the charge of not knowing of them before this evening. Based on this empowered display I won’t be disconnecting with them for sure.
Their blistering pace continues unabated as ‘Chaos and Earthquakes’ does precisely what it says on the exterior of the metaphorical tin. Adam Woloszyn’s bass is volcanic as riffs from six-stringers Rasheed Thomas and Jaysin Zeilstra dart hither and tither. With a superstrength partnering of Hatebreed and Suicidal Tendencies the high impact of ‘Dodge Your Destiny’ elicits a moshing outbreak; in fact, this could well be this band’s ‘Destroy Everything’ moment.
Pointing to his jersey and the backdrop “If you can’t for some reason you can’t read this, we are Korn” banters Soriano. Oft likened to the Californians they detonate into the rapid destructive of ‘Buscándome’ which paves the way for the urban grit of ‘Ruthless’. Fists, clenched tightly, thrust upwards to the rapped vocals and searing despatch as Cardiff simmers.
The jackhammer resonance of ‘A Million Watts’ aptly electrifies with its Skindred-infused torrent ahead of the band throwing in the swerve ball of their immensely ramped up cover of Phil Collins’ ‘In The Air Tonight’. ‘Rabia’ unleashes an apocalyptical avalanche as the Tramshed is whipped up into a seething frenzy. The tornadic ‘Alive and Kicking’ brutalises with the spinetingling ‘Bullet With A Name’ wrapping up a frenetic three quarters of an hour that has surely converted a good percentage of the large gathering here inside the Tramshed.
The venue, chattering expectantly with the verve a flock of roosting starlings, is packed pretty much to the rafters ahead of the headline appearance of Italians Lacuna Coil. Although, over the years, relatively regular visitors to the United Kingdom their visits to the Welsh capital can be counted upon a singular hand with digits to spare. It’s been well over a decade since their last on the Darkness Rising tour, so this evening’s is a most welcome one for sure.
Deep, brooding thunder rolls as the eagle swoops from its lofty perch atop the highest of the fortification’s towers. LC have arrived. Powerhouse drummer Richard Meiz, biting on one drumstick, points another crowdwards as he beats his heart. Bassist Marco Coti Zelati defines a heart two-handedly as guitarist Daniele Salomone takes his station. All is now set and ready for the entrance of twin vocalists Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro.
Ferro’s harsh vocals bring in opening number ‘Layers of Time’ – the first of a scintillating brace from 2019’s ‘Black Anima’ – with its tempestuous hurricane forces spiralling angels through a gothic melancholy. Scabbia’s crystalline voice stabs through the caliginous miasma; beauty has no right being this refined and alluring and remaining wholly legal.
Slipping seamlessly into ‘Reckless’ angelic spirits, twisted and torn, rise up through the abyss. Afore introducing the etherealness of ‘Hosting The Shadow’ Scabbia shines a spot on the quality of guest upon its parent album ‘Sleepless Empire’ and in particular Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe who contributed to this number in the recording studio. Released in February it’s an album LC are rightfully proud of, and this is the first of eight selections from it liberally sprinkled throughout the set.
Cimmerian tones of ‘Kill The Light’ see the band pouring their hearts and essence of their souls into the despatch; a metalliferous Adonis if you wish. Zelati’s bass roars whilst Meiz mounts a serious attempt to obliterate his kit in the entrancing, high velocity of ‘Die & Rise’; there’s a shadowy grandeur afoot. The big guns are wheeled out in the haunting landscapes of ‘Spellbound’. Its rousing symphonics are an intoxicating broth with tasty hints of Within Temptation; the Tramshed, bewitched, heartily imbibe of it.
‘In The Meantime’ is seismic upon a grandiose geological scale bulldozing a path for the particularly portentous ‘Intoxicated’. Hands sway from side to side as Scabbia urges “Let me see those beautiful hands in the air right now!” as the herald for the regality of ‘Downfall’. As majestic as the first snow of winter it abounds with touches of both Visions of Atlantis and Within Temptation.
Encouraged by the band the Tramshed gathering claps along to ‘Heaven’s A Lie’; the track providing the bridge between the two halves of the show as it replies to the unanswered prayers that hang in the darkness. The remainder of the set is dominated by a showcase of tracks from this year’s studio release, one of my personal favourites of the calendar. From lofty architraves ‘In Nomine Patris’ soars effortlessly with Scabbia pointing at Salomone, to her left, in appreciation as he warps his seven strings.
An uplifting tempo lands in the spectral form of ‘Blood, Tears, Dust’, this five-piece are in the form of their lives and really – with every respect to venues like tonight’s – should be playing to larger arenas and theatres. The dystopian resplendence of ‘Gravity’ is loudly received as the Tramshed absorbs every last moment with the theatrical ‘Oxygen’ taking centre stage.
Scabbia implores “At every gig our hearts are filling!” as she showers the crowd with heartfelt emotions. The band’s early naysayers receive a rightful sideswipe as she dedicates ‘Nothing Stands In Our Way’ to them. The track’s sweet embrace of symphonics and power metal provides an utter triumph to end the main body of the set upon. As the band exit stage left so a chant of “We fear nothing” emanates from out in the darkness of the crowd. Cardiff isn’t about to let Lacuna Coil go just yet.
An alluring potion ‘The Siege’ re-engages swiftly it’s imperiousness a strident invocation. The coruscant shimmering of the anthemic ‘I Wish You Were Dead’ injects a royalness into the evening as Scabbia clutches a sparkling dagger. Tearing shadows apart ‘Swamped’ cranks it up to lead into the mystique of ‘Never Dawn’. With an understated “Run!” the cloister-infused track detonates effervescently in a way that only LC knows how. I continue to muse upon how it shouldn’t be possible that lambent refinement can be actually this exquisite. Somehow Lacuna Coil hit that mark consummately.
Photography by Kelly Spiller for MPM
