Lacuna Coil have released new video for “Hosting The Shadow,” featuring Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God, and it’s exactly what it should be, a straight-on document of a heavy band playing a heavy song at full volume. The video was filmed during Lacuna Coil’s set at Aftershock Festival in October 2025, capturing a real collaboration in a real setting, rather than something overly staged or conceptual.
“Hosting The Shadow” comes from Sleepless Empire, the band’s tenth studio album, released in February 2025 via Century Media Records. On the record, it stands out as one of the album’s most direct and forceful tracks, built around a thick, grinding groove and the familiar push-and-pull between Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro’s vocals. Randy Blythe’s appearance doesn’t feel like a guest spot for novelty’s sake, his voice slots naturally into the song, sharpening its sense of tension and weight.
The video reflects that same no-frills approach. Shot entirely onstage, it shows Lacuna Coil locked into their performance, with Blythe joining them in front of a massive festival crowd. The focus stays on energy and interaction. Scabbia and Ferro feed off the audience, Blythe matches their intensity, and the band driving the song forward without distraction.
Scabbia described the experience as cathartic, pointing to the emotional connection shared between the band and Blythe, as well as the positive energy of the performance even while she was battling a fever that night. That spirit comes through clearly in the footage.“Hosting The Shadow” works because the video doesn’t try to reinvent the song, it simply shows why it hits as hard as it does when played live.
photo credit: Raymond Flotat
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