With the debut of their self-titled 1998 EP, Lacuna Coil (which translates to "empty spiral" in English) turned a lot of heads in Italy's ambient⁄goth scene thanks in part to Cristina Scabbia's haunting but mesmerizing vocals. Additional recognition came after a European tour with Moonspell and later with the Gathering and Seigmen. With the rest of Lacuna Coil's lineup in place -- courtesy of Andrea Ferro (vocals), Cristiano Migliore (guitars), Marco Coti Zelati (bass), and Christiano Mozzati (drums) -- the band's first full-length, In a Reverie, was issued in 1999. The Halflife EP appeared in 2000, and their next LP, Unleashed Memories, followed in spring 2001.

The group's third album, Comalies, was highly praised by the metal world after its release in October 2002, and attention surrounding Lacuna Coil continued to grow as they spent time on the road with Type O Negative, P.O.D., Opeth, and Danzig, among others. "Heaven's a Lie" was also a U.S. commercial radio success as the album's first single, followed by the equally popular "Swamped." The band accepted an invitation to appear at 2004's Ozzfest, and spent the next year playing at many European festivals. Karmacode surfaced in April 2006. ~ Mike DaRonco, All Music Guide