Bloodstock Festival Countdown : 30 Bands Not To Miss

9. Lacuna Coil - Ronnie James Dio Stage - Friday early Evening

Italy has never been a particular hotbed when it comes to A-list metal bands. However, Lacuna Coil is the exception to the rule. For 31 years, they have produced startlingly evocative gothic metal. Full of pathos and emotionally entrancing content, this is metal of an ethereal and cerebral nature. At the heart of their sound is the juxtaposition between Andrea Ferro’s harsh vocals and Cristina Scabbia's divinely evocative vocal range. The intertwining of the two styles goes beyond any simplistic “beauty and the beast” arrangement and instead has created a powerhouse of creative cacophony that allows Lacuna Coil to stand out from the crowd. This is the antithesis to metal’s ingrained toxic masculinity. This is metal with its broken, charred heart on its sleeve. This is proof that there is beauty in heartbreak and suffering.