Search - Lucia :: From the Land of Volcanos

So Clever

Clarissa | Ontario, California | 06/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm only familiar with a handful of KMFDM songs but when I found out that their female vocalist Lucia Cifarelli was releasing her first solo album I knew it was something I had to check out! However, because of legal issues with her record label (or something like that) the release date was unknown for quite some time. Then 'From The Land Of Volcanos' came out and I suddenly felt reluctant to buy it since I couldn't find samples for it anywhere. So, not knowing what to expect I bought it on a whim when I found it, surprisingly, at Best Buy and couldn't pass it up. I stood in line questioning this purchase for I was pretty much broke at that point but I'm glad I decided to go ahead and get it. The price of this CD was worth every penny spent! I've been listening to it nonstop since I brought it home a couple days ago.



It's hard to slump her music into one category for there's many different influences heard here, showing that she obviously has eclectic tastes, but I must warn all you die-hard KMFDM fans that, aside from both versions of "Monkey Puzzle Tree" and maybe even the dark Gothy moments found on "What You Become", this is hardly going to resemble them! Some may be disappointed by that fact but it's, IMO, a very good thing. It niches her own impression; enabling her to create a name for herself as an individual artist with her own divergent brand of style, although I'm sure she's still trying to find her sound as it at times can feel unbalanced.



This album features some undertones of electronica but you won't find any hard rock or industrial flourishes here. In fact, this is far from anything most fans are used to hearing from her. Many might cringe when I say this but I believe this album will appeal to fans of the "new" Liz Phair and maybe even Dido. And the only reason I say that is because most of these songs are accessible pop-rock tunes. Don't let that disgruntle you, though. Lucia has more of an edge to her voice with beats that are slightly more melodic sounding than those previously mentioned. It also seems that she is capable of attracting people from all stretches of life and I really see her going places if she continues down this path. Almost every track is a winner (the only song I don't care for is "Feels Like Summer") but my favorites include the aforementioned tracks as well as "Northern Star", "Fear", "We Are Angels" (she sings this with so much emotion, it gives me goose bumps), and the strange yet infectious "Little Rose"."

A stunning debut solo album

Erica Anderson | Minneapolis, MN | 05/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have owned a copy of Lucia Cifarelli's "From the Land of the Volcanos' for the past few months. I bought it through Metropolis Record's website but it was recently re-released through a different record label (because Universal Records, who was originally set to release the album, backed out of the deal. Thankfully Lucia was able to buy back her album from the corporate monster.) I have been waiting for an eternity to get a chance to review the album. The only differences between the original version and the recently released second version is the cd cover art and the KMFDM remix of "Monkey Puzzle Tree". For KMFDM enthusiasts, you would know that Lucia Cifarelli is the female vocalist from the legendary industrial band. I was completely taken aback (in a good way) when I first listened to "From the Land of Volcanos". The music was a complete departure from what I have been used to hearing with KMFDM. Lucia actually gets the opportunity to showcase her vocals which reminds me of a mixture of Collide's kaRIN and Curve's Toni Halliday. The reminds me a lot like Garbage minus the Scottish accent of Shirley Manson as well as Curve. I particularly enjoy the ballads like "I Don't Care", "Northern Star", and "Feels Like Summer". Lucia also rocks out on this cd with "We Are Angels" (another personal favorite song of mine on the cd) and "Monkey Puzzle Tree". There are elements of KMFDM in the music, just not obvious. If you can listen hard enough, you can hear Sascha's musical influences in Lucia's music. Sascha also contributes his songwriting skills on a couple of the songs on the cd. If you like bands such as Garbage and Curve, "From the Land of Volcanos" is definitely worth checking out. It is one of my personal favorite albums in the past six months."

Dated feel, but what a triumph of a pop alubum!

Brendan A. MacWade | New York, NY, USA | 02/01/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are many ways to describe this surprising electro-pop release by Lucia, the screaming siren of KMFDM. [...] Take a singer known for screaming and put him or her in an electronic song production. Ron Halford almost succeeded where Lucia soars here. To be fair, Lucia has the advantage of sounding as good as Shirley Manson or Toni Halliday (who knew, right?), and she keeps the CD sounding fresh and not embarrassingly bad (J-Lo or late Cher album this is not). It's rock, dance, pop, and some goth. If you like garbage and Curve, you will love this CD. It even has an Eric Bazilian ("What if God was One of Us," The Hooters) song that does not suck. So go figure. The brunette who "screams like a banshee" on the KMFDM discs has a solo CD that is as good as any dark electronic pop release from the mid 90's. It is a wonderful CD to discover."