(Rockum)-In a recent interview with official LACUNA COIL online community Empty Spiral, vocalists Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro delved into the lyrical concepts behind their new "Black Anima" studio album. Released last month via Century Media, the band's ninth disc was described by the LACUNA members as "deep, intense and melancholic."

"I think 'Black Anima' is basically the realization of who we are at the moment, all the experiences that we collected throughout the years and the realization that nobody's perfect," Cristina said (see video below). "We are not perfect. We might succeed and we might fail, but we just don't want to hide the most uncomfortable parts to see, the same way we don't want others to hide behind a barrier just so they can show the most perfect, unfiltered and happy part of their life. We would like things to be more normal in a way for everyone. I think that we're all forgetting what real life is because we are so getting used to so much fake pushed in your face that sometimes we're forgetting what's really important."

Added Andrea: "We went through some really painful moments in the past years, like losing a dear member of your family and a friend. Those moments are normal in a way, but you never prepare to face those situations, even if you think about it even before they happen. But they never happen in the way you thought. The solution is never as you imagine it could be. Your reaction is also completely unexpected, obviously. All these things kind of stimulate in having a reflection about these people who are not here with us anymore, but we still feel them as part of ourselves now."