Italian gothic metal icons LACUNA COIL are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their landmark album Karmacode with the release of a special double single featuring “Fragile XX,” a newly reimagined version of the original track, and a remix of “I Wish You Were Dead” by electronic music producer SWARM.
Released today, October 21, the double single bridges two decades of the band’s musical evolution, connecting the sound of 2006’s Karmacode with the darker, more aggressive direction explored on their latest studio album, Sleepless Empire, released in 2025.
The anniversary release follows the band’s tradition of revisiting its musical legacy through a contemporary lens, much like 2022’s Comalies XX, which offered entirely reworked versions of songs from their influential 2002 album.
“Fragile XX” brings a Karmacode favorite into 2026
Originally featured on Karmacode, “Fragile” has remained a significant part of LACUNA COIL’s live repertoire for two decades. The song’s themes of vulnerability, perseverance, and resilience continue to resonate with the band, making it a natural choice for an anniversary reinterpretation.
Rather than simply remastering the original recording, LACUNA COIL approached “Fragile XX” as an opportunity to reinterpret the composition through the perspective of the musicians they have become.
Vocalist Andrea Ferro reflects on the song’s history:
“‘Fragile’ has always been a live favorite, it was actually one of the very first songs we debuted on stage even before ‘Karmacode’ was released 20 years ago. Its message of accepting life’s vulnerability, never surrendering though we live in a fragile circle that is often breached, is one that we still relate to today.”
Ferro acknowledges that revisiting a beloved composition presented its own creative challenges, particularly for bassist and principal songwriter Marco Coti Zelati.
“While reworking a much loved song can initially feel unsettling (in particular for Maki, our main songwriter), we faced the process as a tribute to ‘Fragile’ and ‘Karmacode’, and are really excited by the result. ‘Fragile XX’ feels and sounds like Lacuna Coil in 2026, and we look forward to performing it live for the next 20 years!”
An official lyric video accompanies the release, giving fans a new way to experience the reimagined track.
Watch the official lyric video for “Fragile XX”:
SWARM reimagines “I Wish You Were Dead”
The second track on the double single takes LACUNA COIL’s music in a different direction, with electronic producer SWARM delivering an aggressive reinterpretation of “I Wish You Were Dead,” originally featured on the band’s 2025 album Sleepless Empire.
A longtime admirer of the Italian metal veterans, SWARM describes the opportunity to remix one of their songs as a particularly meaningful collaboration.
“As a long-time fan of Lacuna Coil, I am incredibly honored to have been asked to reimagine a song of theirs. I remember hearing ‘Karmacode’ back in the mid-2000’s and thinking that the melodies sounded so interesting & exotic. That whole album really helped to shape my taste in music, and I have been a fan ever since.”
The producer also emphasized his approach to remixing music by artists he respects, aiming to create something distinctive without losing the spirit of the original composition.
“I’m cautious about agreeing to do remixes, especially when it’s for a band I love. I never ‘remix for the sake of remix’. I want to make it worth the listen; to respect the original while tastefully (and aggressively) turning it upside down and shaking something absolutely crazy out. I’m very proud of how I was able to do that here.”
Together, “Fragile XX” and the SWARM remix of “I Wish You Were Dead” represent two contrasting sides of LACUNA COIL’s musical identity, celebrating the band’s past while embracing its continued evolution.
Two decades of Karmacode
Originally released in 2006, Karmacode marked an important chapter in LACUNA COIL’s career, helping expand their international audience and further establishing their distinctive combination of gothic atmosphere, alternative metal, and melodic songwriting.
The album featured some of the band’s most recognizable material, including “Our Truth,” “Closer,” “Enjoy the Silence,” and “Fragile.”
Its blend of heavy guitar arrangements, atmospheric textures, and the contrasting vocal performances of Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro helped define an era of the band’s sound.
Twenty years later, the anniversary release serves as a reminder of the album’s lasting significance while demonstrating how LACUNA COIL continues to reinterpret its musical history.
Sleepless Empire continues the band’s evolution
LACUNA COIL released their tenth studio album, Sleepless Empire, in 2025, further expanding their modern metal sound with eleven tracks characterized by dark atmospheres, aggressive instrumentation, and cinematic arrangements.
The album features collaborations with LAMB OF GOD vocalist Randy Blythe on “Hosting The Shadow” and NEW YEARS DAY frontwoman Ash Costello on “In The Mean Time.”
Other standout singles include “Oxygen,” “Gravity,” “Never Dawn,” and “I Wish You Were Dead.”
The record followed Comalies XX, the band’s 2022 reinterpretation of their celebrated second studio album, continuing a period in which LACUNA COIL has balanced new material with creative explorations of its extensive catalog.
Stream or purchase Sleepless Empire
European tour with THE HALO EFFECT announced for 2027
Following their anniversary celebrations, LACUNA COIL will return to the road in February and March 2027 for an extensive European tour supporting Swedish melodic death metal supergroup THE HALO EFFECT.
Finnish melodic death metal outfit OMNIUM GATHERUM will also join the tour.
The run begins February 18 in Malmö, Sweden, and concludes March 21 in Stockholm, with performances scheduled throughout Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Finland.
Before the European tour, LACUNA COIL will perform at Hero Rock Festival in Seoul, South Korea, on December 19, 2026. The band is also scheduled to appear at Bangers Open Air in São Paulo, Brazil, on April 24, 2027.
With the release of “Fragile XX” and the SWARM remix of “I Wish You Were Dead,” LACUNA COIL continues celebrating the music that helped define its legacy while demonstrating that its creative ambitions remain firmly focused on the future.
LACUNA COIL lineup
- Cristina Scabbia – Vocals
- Andrea Ferro – Vocals
- Marco Coti Zelati – Bass, Guitars, Synths
- Richard Meiz – Drums
- Daniele Salomone – Guitars