Shallow Life
Encyclopedia
Shallow Life is the fifth album by Italian band Lacuna Coil
. The album was released on April 20, 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.
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."
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 1 April 2009.
In the beginning of April the song I’m Not Afraid was released as airplay on Russian radios.
On 8 April 2009 Lacuna Coil posted all 12 tracks from their album to listen to on their MySpace profile page for one week only.
On 14 April 2009 the band created a poll on their MySpace profile for fans to choose the second single, involving nine songs from Shallow Life.
Shallow Life was re-released as a double disc deluxe edition with new artwork from January 22–27, 2010 in Europe and February 22, 2010 in North America. The bonus disc contains live and acoustic recordings and previously unreleased studio tracks.
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." 411mania states that the band's dramatic departure from their signature heavy guitar riffs and deep and impactful lyrics in favor of a new simple musical and lyrical approach is a "step back" in comparison to their previous albums. Rocksound 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".
Production
Other personnel
Publishing
Other credits
Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Formed in 1994, the group has had two name changes since being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal and was inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music...
. The album was released on April 20, 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.
Background
The album was recorded in autumn 2008 at a studio in Los Angeles with producer Don Gilmore. 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."
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 1 April 2009.
In the beginning of April the song I’m Not Afraid was released as airplay on Russian radios.
On 8 April 2009 Lacuna Coil posted all 12 tracks from their album to listen to on their MySpace profile page for one week only.
On 14 April 2009 the band created a poll on their MySpace profile for fans to choose the second single, involving nine songs from Shallow Life.
Shallow Life was re-released as a double disc deluxe edition with new artwork from January 22–27, 2010 in Europe and February 22, 2010 in North America. The bonus disc contains live and acoustic recordings and previously unreleased studio tracks.
Reception
Initial reviews have been fairly positive. Kerrang!Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine gave it three out of five, stating: "It may not stand along Karmacode
Karmacode
Karmacode is the fourth studio album by Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil, released on 31 March 2006 in several countries in Europe, 3 April in the UK and other European countries, April 4th in North America, and 5 April in several other European countries...
in ten years' time...but it is an album for today." 411mania states that the band's dramatic departure from their signature heavy guitar riffs and deep and impactful lyrics in favor of a new simple musical and lyrical approach is a "step back" in comparison to their previous albums. Rocksound 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
Bonus tracks
Special edition 2 CD
Singles
- "SpellboundSpellbound (Lacuna Coil song)"Spellbound" is the first single released by Lacuna Coil's fifth studio album, Shallow Life. The song is their first chart entry on the U.S. Billboard charts since "Our Truth" in 2006. It debuted at #36 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and has become their first Top 30 single...
": "Spellbound" was released on March 20, 2009, via digital download. No physical release is scheduled. "Spellbound" was released on the "Liquid Metal" and "Octane" stations of Sirius XM satellite radio on February 14 and was released officially on their MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
on February 24.
- "I Like It": The single was chosen after a poll on their MySpace profile, involving nine other songs from Shallow Life. The video for "I Like It" was filmed in May. The music video was shot in Kansas City by the American director Kevin James Custer and it was released June 29, 2009. Despite being released as a single, however, it has never been performed live.
- "I Won't Tell YouI Won't Tell You"I Won't Tell You" is the third single from Lacuna Coil's fifth album, Shallow Life. The single was released to radio on October 6, 2009, and was played on American radio station KROQ-FM and 97x...
": The single was released on October 5, 2009 on American mainstream rock radio stations. The video for "I Won't Tell You" was filmed on December 5 in Milan by the Italian director SaKu, who also directed the video for "Spellbound." The music video was released on the band's official MySpace page on January 12, 2010.
- "Wide Awake": The single was released on November 30, 2009 for Italian radio stations as a special single for the holidays.
Credits and personnel
Lacuna Coil- Cristina ScabbiaCristina ScabbiaCristina Adriana Chiara Scabbia is an Italian singer, best known as one of the two vocalists in the Italian gothic metal band Lacuna Coil. She also writes an advice column in the popular rock magazine Revolver, alongside musician Vinnie Paul. Scabbia is featured in a Megadeth song, "À Tout le...
- vocals - Andrea Ferro - vocals
- Cristiano "Pizza" Migliore - guitar
- Marco "Maus" Biazzi - guitar
- Marco Coti Zelati - bass, keyboards
- Cristiano "Criz" Mozzati - drums
Production
- ProducedRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and EngineeredAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
: Don Gilmore - Assistant recording engineer: Mark Kiczula
- Studio Assistant: Josh Newell
- RecordedSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
at NRG studios, North Hollywood, CACaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... - MasteredAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
by Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
at Sterling Sound
Other personnel
- Band PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
by Chris Denner - Art Direction, DesignDesignDesign as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
& Production: Stefan Wibbeke, Media Logistics GmbH, medialogistics.com
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, ASCAPAmerican Society of Composers, Authors, and PublishersThe American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization that protects its members' musical copyrights by monitoring public performances of their music, whether via a broadcast or live performance, and compensating them...
- 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 and certifications
| Chart (2009) | Provider(s) | Peak position |
Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart | IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
68 | ||
| Belgian (Flanders) Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
74 | |||
| Belgian (Wallonia) Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
60 | |||
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
Nielsen SoundScan Nielsen SoundScan Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada... |
44 | ||
| Dutch Albums Chart | IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
76 | ||
| European Albums Chart | 39 | |||
| French Albums Chart | SNEP | 46 | ||
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
Media Control Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
52 | ||
| Greek Albums Chart IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
15 | ||
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
IRMA Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
55 | ||
| Italian Albums Chart | FIMI | 25 | ||
| Spanish Albums Chart | PROMUSICAE PROMUSICAE Spanish Music Producers is a trade group representing the Spanish recording industry... |
95 | ||
| Swiss Albums Chart | Media Control | 64 | ||
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... /OCC |
42 | ||
| UK Rock Chart UK Rock Chart The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales.... |
2 | |||
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
16 | 75,000 | |
| U.S. Billboard Top Rock Albums | 2 |
| Worldwide sales |
|---|
| 225.000 |
Release history
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
April 17, 2009 |
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
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| Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
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| Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
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| Benelux Benelux The Benelux is an economic union in Western Europe comprising three neighbouring countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These countries are located in northwestern Europe between France and Germany... |
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| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
April 20, 2009 |
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
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| Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
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| Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
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| Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
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| North America North America North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas... |
April 21, 2009 |
| Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
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| Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... |
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| Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
April 22, 2009 |
| Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
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| Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... |
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| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
May 20, 2009 |