After an absence of 14 years, almost to the day, it is little surprise that the Tramshed is rammed to the rafters over half an hour before support Nonpoint hit the stage. For the Welsh in the crowd, which one imagines is the majority, the delight in not having to traverse the cursed Second Crossing to see Lacuna Coil, a band who have favoured Bristol in the past decade and a half, is palpable.
Lacuna Coil – Nonpoint
Tramshed, Cardiff – 28 November 2025
Words And Photography: Paul Hutchings
The atmosphere is electric as drummer Richard Meiz enters the stage. He is bathed in blues and a haze from the smoke machine, which thankfully remains reasonably dormant for most of the evening.
It is a moment that starts 90 minutes of emotionally charged theatre. He stands and stares at the masses on the barrier and beyond. Like an orchestral conductor composing himself before starting the performance, Meiz can exert control from his elevated position.
There have been plenty of famous bands who have graced this venue’s stage over the past decade. Few have received such a warm welcome.
After Meiz is joined by Marco Coti Zelati and Daniele Salomone, there is only one roar that is left as the dual vocalists Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro take the stage.
It is a truly commanding performance from the start. The opening double salvo from Black Anima, Layers Of Time and Reckless, immediately pump the temperature in the venue even higher. The diehards are in full voice, while the more casual observer nods along with the addictive groove that these Milanese Gothic Metallers bring.
In October 2024, Lacuna Coil premiered four tracks from the magnificent Sleepless Empire, released in the early part of 2025. Tonight, they treat us to eight songs from the album, all of which are now as familiar as some of the older gems they unleash.
It is a tour through the band’s 30+ year history, with a few deeper cuts sparring alongside newbies, Hosting The Shadow, a fiery In Nomine Patris and the double hit of Gravity and Oxygen. Spellbound, Heaven’s A Lie and Swamped ensure the early albums remain represented.
It is all intoxicating stuff, and whilst I rated their last show at Bristol in 2024 as one of the best I have seen, this one pushes it hard, very hard indeed.
A carefully conceived light show emphasises the band’s strengths. The piledriving riffs from Salmone, now every inch at home in the band, and bassist/founder Zelati crunch bones, providing the solid backbone for each theatrical element of the band’s performance.
Blues, pinks, and reds add to the atmosphere as the stage is bathed in light.
To many, it is all about Cristina Scabbia and Andreas Ferro, the duo restlessly prowling the stage, making use of the raised platform that runs across the front of the stage, sparring off each other.
Scabbia’s voice is breathtaking, even better than that show in Bristol, and although Ferro is showing the effects of two months on the road, he still brings his best gravel-soaked roars to the likes of the pounding Blood, Tears, Dust.
From crushingly heavy to the more balanced, Lacuna Coil spellbind the crowd for the full evening. The slower Heavens A Lie XX provides a moment of calm, the slightly less frenetic delivery working brilliantly.
Scabbia’s conversations with the audience are limited, but she refers to the evening as music therapy. Judging by the wide smiles and huge reactions the band generate, this is an evening where we all leave a little better than when we arrived.
The cathartic chanting of “We Fear Nothing” does not do any harm in releasing a few demons at the start of set closer Nothing Stands In Our Way, whilst the band are strong enough to finish the evening with a blistering Never Dawn from Sleepless Empire.
It may have been 14 years since Lacuna Coil were last here. It is evident on this evening that another 14-year gap is simply unacceptable.
You hope the band have truly taken notice. The dragon needs this seminal band back again. And soon.
Nonpoint
I will admit to knowing next to nothing about Nonpoint. They sit in that late ’90s mix of Nu-Metal, which you will have either fully embraced or dismissed with disdain.
I am very much in the latter camp, so to find myself nodding along halfway through their set was something of a surprise.
They have energy in spades and use all the space afforded to them, apart from drummer Robb Rivera, who is almost side stage due to the domination of the covered kit of Lacuna Coil’s Richard Meiz. The rest of the band can jump, leap and bounce as their Nu-Metal grooves kick in.
Frontman Elias Soriano is engaging, charismatic, and endearing. His between-song chat warms the crowd as he thanks them for their welcome and sheer energy. He is funny too, with witty remarks about the moisture level in the venue and the impact on his skin of the UK weather, bringing big smiles.
Many in the venue may not be familiar with some of Nonpoint’s music, but their now staple cover of In The Air Tonight lifts all voices and sits neatly alongside songs from their catalogue that those fans in the venue sing along to.
It is impossible not to be engaged due to the sheer effort that Nonpoint put in, and as they pummel through the admittedly excellent Bullet With A Name to finish, it is likely that the Floridian outfit may just have picked up a few more fans.
