LIVE: LACUNA COIL – Charlotte, NC, USA – April 26, 2026

Venue: The Underground

City: Charlotte, NC

Dates: April 26, 2026

Review and Photographs by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur (www.toddstarphotography.com)

Lacuna Coil is one of those bands that I listen to on occasion and when reminded of their catalog wonder why I don’t listen more often.  With a sound that leans into a heavier vibe, they have a cool melodic and mainstream groove woven into their music.  Their current tour has them playing venues with openers Escape The Fate and Axty kicking off the shows.  Axty was new to me and the trio hit the stage ready to rock.  The band stayed in the shadows or buried in red light, but delivered a set that seemed a good setup and was well received by those that worked their way into The Underground early enough to catch them.  Next, Escape The Fate brought a setlist full of fan favorites and played them one after the other, cranking the crowd up for what was to come.  The band pulled tracks from across their catalog and even tossed in a new track in the opening part of the set with 2026’s “Deja Vu” hitting second.  They played a couple tracks from my favorite releases with “This War Is Ours” from the album of the same name and “Gorgeous Nightmare” from their 2010 eponymous release.  They were on fire and the crowd enjoyed every song the band threw at them tonight.

Next up, headliners Lacuna Coil cast the stage in red light (later cycling green and blue as well) as they took their places on stage, with original members vocalist Andrea Ferro and bassist Marco Coti Zelati taking their places after emerging from the shadows.  As the opening song of their set unfolded, the bands other vocalist / front woman Cristina Scabbia unleashed her vocals and welcomed the packed crowd into the bands world and began the evenings journey with “Layers Of Time” and “Reckless” from Black Anima.  The band pulled from seven of their releases with Sleepless Empire getting the heaviest representation as eight tracks from the disc made it into the set.  Two of my favorite tracks from the band were paired together in a powerful one-two punch when “Spellbound” from Shadow Life and “Heaven’s A Lie” from Comalies hit the front half of the set.  While the band is serious about what they do, there were moments when a smile or enjoyable look would wash across their faces even if just for a second.  The ominous makeup on Zelati, drummer Richard Meiz, and guitarist Daniele Salomone hid their excitement to play, but the music was full of energy and perfectly carried the mood and tempo of the evening.  Ferro did what he does best with a microphone and was fun to watch.  His voice is as much a part of the sound and mix of the band, but you can’t deny his energy on stage that helps elevate the live show as well.  Scabbia was on fire and her vocals were as good as the last couple times I saw the band in the early 2000’s and again in 2012.  As the band hit their stride and worked through the evening, the second half of the set was packed with tracks from Sleepless Empire, with “Scarecrow” kicking off the balance of the show with the trio “Gravity,” “Oxygen,” and “In Nomine Patris” grouped together to give the crowd a huge sonic taste of where they are musically, tying together the sound they are known for with a heavier feel.  The show seemed to pass by too fast and before we knew it, we were being sent into the night after another new track, “Never Dawn,” closed out the night.  While the Charlotte show was near the end of the North American tour, the band used us as a springboard for their European dates that kick off in June and crossover into 2027.

Setlist: Layers of Time – Reckless – Hosting the Shadow – Kill the Light – Die & Rise – Spellbound – Heaven’s a Lie – Scarecrow – Blood, Tears, Dust – Gravity – Oxygen – In Nomine Patris – Nothing Stands in Our Way – The Siege – I Wish You Were Dead – Swamped – Never Dawn

[Show as slideshow]

COMPLETE SET OF LACUNA COIL PHOTOS

LACUNA COIL LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

X

INSTAGRAM

TOUR DATES

Tags: featured

Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries