Each week the spotlight is on musicians...

Each week the spotlight is on musicians making a commercial breakthrough. -- CASEY DOLAN

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“Karmacode”

Lacuna Coil

Century Media Records

Artist info: This Italian hard-rock band, whose name translates to “empty spiral,” has a male-female double whammy upfront with singers Andrea Ferro and Cristina Scabbia. “Karmacode,” the group’s fourth album, appears to be headed for a Top 20 debut on next week’s national sales chart. Ferro and Scabbia are operatic enough for La Scala and the rest of the band has enough flailing hair to dignify any sonic metallurgists. It’s a richly textured sound with a trace of post-punk goth or prog-rock (something the Italians have well provided for in the past).

Back story: Italian bands have traditionally not fared well in the American marketplace but the group’s first album, “Comalies” (2002), received a great boost when the band appeared at Ozzfest that year, helping U.S. sales reach 229,000 copies. Since then, the group has toured relentlessly with such acts as P.O.D., Anthrax, Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne. The new album’s first single, “Our Truth,” is on the soundtrack of “Underworld: Evolution.” Lacuna Coil is on tour with Rob Zombie (stopping at the Wiltern LG on April 24 and 25) and will play the main stage at Ozzfest a few days later.

Influences: Paradise Lost, Meshuggah, Soundgarden, Arabic music

Trivia: All the band members are soccer fans, most supporting the A.C. Milan team, but drummer Criz has sympathy for Inter-Milan, A.C.’s rivals.