Italian metal band Lacuna Coil delivers another solid record with “Broken Crown Halo,” an even heavier progression from 2012’s “Dark Adrenaline” that still maintains plenty of the gothic and melodic elements that give the band its distinct sound.

“Broken Crown Halo” is a well-rounded effort in that it brings listeners deep into the dark imagery and lyrics while carrying them through to the beautiful, serene conclusion that is “One Cold Day.”

Cristina Scabbia’s vocals combined with the slower, melodic instrumentation during certain parts still has the same calming, almost transcendental effect.

At the same time, both Scabbia and accompanying male vocalist Andrea Ferro go places with their voices that are far more metal than on previous records.

Ferro starts off the opening track “Nothing Stands In Our Way” with a brief growl, and through out the song he growls parts of the chorus beneath Scabbia’s clean singing.

Ferro’s newfound bite is most prominent on the track “Zombies.”

This song takes a serious turn into heavy territory, breaking into a short but undoubtedly metal guitar solo.

Only one short lapse of Italian makes its way onto the record on the song “Die and Rise.” 

However brief, the phrase makes for quite the intense transition as Scabbia repeats the dramatic words, raising her pitch each time and creating a stirring tension until Ferro starts on the chorus again. 

Where Scabbia’s vocal talents get interesting is on “Victims,” where she shifts from harmonically singing as usual to harshly singing, nearly yelling the lines “People told me I was weak; I told them I’d never quit.”

The album is a good mix of the softer, gentler side of Lacuna Coil and the dark and heavy atmosphere that has recently expanded to new levels.

Songs like “I Burn In You” are perfect examples of this and take the listener through all the complex ranges of Lacuna Coil’s musicianship.

The last track of the album, “One Cold Day,” ends the album perfectly. The lyrics express a tragic loss of hope, creating such a gloomy and depressing yet tranquil environment that it feels like the world is ending with the close of this record. 

And the words are sung so softly, the peaceful vibe makes me almost glad to leave this way.

“Sometimes the sunshine’s cold… it’s becoming so cold outside…and the clouds gather above me.” 

Speaking of depressing, it’s too bad this will be the last record that guitarist Cristiano “Pizza” Migliore and drummer Cristiano “CriZ” Mozzati will be contributing to, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Lacuna Coil can carry on and continue to evolve to creating an even richer, enticing dynamic.

Stephanie Markham can be reached at 581-2812 or DENverge@gmail.com.