So, bear with us here. Downtuned, chunky guitars, trippy cyber-goth visuals and a band plastered in black-and-white face paint: have Lacuna Coil gone nu metal? 22 years on from their breakthrough album Comalies, the Italian band have certainly evolved beyond their goth metal roots, but glib comparisons aside, they've retained a sense of identity and standout class that's made them a solid fixture of the metal scene over the past 20-plus years - something a packed Wolverhampton venue on a Tuesday night can certainly attest to.
That doesn't mean there isn't some nu metal to enjoy tonight, however. Blind Channel have just announced plans for a hiatus, making this something of a bittersweet occasion to catch up with the Finns. Bounding out to the madcap riffs of Where's The Exit? from this year's Exit Emotions, there's no denying the powerful hooks the band have managed to harness in their songwriting since 2022's Dark Side.
