'Metal' is way over my head, and always reminded me of my little sisters banging on the pots and pans when they were toddlers. Pure Cacophony. :)

But, since "Lacuna Coil" is from Italy, is hot, and has sold more than 100,000 of their album "Comalies" and has major radio play and MTV2 rotation. Let's check it out.

Ozzfest, a metal festival founded in 1996 by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne after Ozzy was tossed out of Lollapalooza. It features Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Slayer etc.

Lead singer of Italy's Lacuna Coil shares love of cooking, melody

The Olympian
Olympia, Washington
by Sharon Wooton
Thursday, July 22nd, 2004

The original Black Sabbath and Judas Priest lineups will be center stage at Ozzfest on Tuesday, but spare some time for a second-stage performance by the Italian metal band Lacuna Coil ("Empty Spiral" in English).

Cristina Scabbia is lead singer of "Lacuna Coil"

Let's skip metal for a moment and go right to the pasta. Not to tarnish a rising image in the metal world, but front-woman Cristina Scabbia loves to cook in the traditional Italian way, including making the pasta.

"I was always surrounded by family. We learned to be able to cook the traditional way. Mothers teach you how to cook (and) it's passed on from father to son. Everybody can basically do it.

"For some people, it's a passion. I really love to cook, but I like to experiment as well. I'm open to other ways of cooking, but you don't find any food better than Italian."

On the U.S. tour, she misses her home-country food.

"For us, one of the main things in life is food, and it's to be done in a certain way with passion and proper ingredients."

It's a hard combination to find during a tour.

Scabbia used to do karate when she was a child, and other band members are followers of martial arts. She also played volleyball when she was young, likes Japanese anime films, current video games and soccer, specifically A.C. Milan.

"I was really happy when we won the championship."

Scabbia didn't grow up dreaming of being a singer in a rock band.

"It's a job that chose me, although I always loved to sing. I met the guys in Lacuna Coil early on, we became friends and they asked me to sing with them.

"I never thought about being a girl in the metal scene. I'm kind of a tomboy. ... I'm an easy person, not picky about living on a tour bus or not having a shower every day."

It's easier to overlook the inconveniences when your band is hot. Lacuna Coil has sold more than 100,000 units of their album "Comalies" and has major radio play and MTV2 rotation.

The Italian metal scene is mostly underground and gets little support from the media, Scabbia said, although it's bigger in other European countries, particularly Germany.

Scabbia was recently named Female Performer of the Year by Metal Edge Magazine.

"It's a combination of things. Our sound is really European and that's not common. It's a case of a new image (to Americans) and a music combining classic rock and metal with a modern sound ... compared to what I see on video every day."

"The European sound has a lot of melody, a lot of passion, although passion may be more Italian than European."

Don't fret: Lacuna Coil tosses out its share of gothic overtones, melancholy, aggressive riffs and dark images. But it's the melody in the metal that has clicked with so many and set them apart.

"If there's no melody there, then there's not a song. The music has to be good to my ears," Scabbia said. -

What: Ozzfest, a metal festival founded in 1996 by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne after Lollapalooza tossed Ozzy out of the lineup. It features Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Slayer and Slipknot, to name a few of the bands that will play.

- When: Begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday
- Where: White River Amphitheatre, Auburn
- Tickets: $49.50, $79.50; 206-628-0888

Living -The Olympian
http://www.theolympian.com/home/news/
20040722/living/102957.shtml