Arkansas metallers Evanescence have been enjoying huge successes with their first 2 albums, 2003′s 17 million selling album Fallen, and 2006′s The Open Door, 5 years away from the public eye, or in this case the public ear, with so many bands in their genre during those 5 long years have come up through the ranks and have gained huge attention and popularity around the globe to the point that people have started to forget who Evanescence were.
So here they are in 2011 with a new album, an album which will make or break the band. The question is: Has Amy Lee and co. pulled out all the stops and created a masterpiece or will it be 3rd album unlucky. The answer is the former, this album is astonishing in every way, the band sounds reborn and Amy Lee’s voice is better than ever. The best example here is opener and first single ‘What You Want’, from the off you could hear Lee’s amazing vocal range alongside former Black Label Society drummer Will Hunt’s pounding beats and guitarists Troy McLawhorn and Terry Balsamo’s grooving riffery, the first line of the chorus: ‘Hello, hello, remember me, I am everything you can’t control’ suggests the fact that the band are intending to blow the competition out of the water, and what a way they’re doing it, a perfect album opener.
There are many highlights on this album, most notably ‘The Change’ and ‘My Heart Is Broken’, the former starts off with a gentle palm-muted riff with the orchestral arrangements heard in the background which leads on to a nice Piano melody which then goes on to the chorus of all choruses, put it this way, its impossible not to sing along to all the amazing melodies at any of the bands live shows. The latter starts off gently with Lee’s voice and piano skills really come into full effect, the whole song is probably the best the band have ever written, and most likely the most upbeat sounding too, its one of those songs where you’ll probably want to hear over and over again.
The second half of the albums starts off calmly, on ‘Lost In Paradise’ the first 2 minutes is focused on Lee’s almost operatic vocals and her amazing piano playing which then carries on to more orchestra sounds in the background which stays prominent throughout the song even during when the rest of the band kick in which adds a very nice touch to the song itself. ‘Sick’ starts off with a heavy palm muted riff carrying through to another infectious chorus with will no doubt be another live favourite amongst fans.
A sinister keyboard sound is making its presence known on ‘Oceans’, after that its sounds like the Evanescence that we all fell in love with in the first place, wouldn’t have been out of place on the Fallen album. ’Never Go Back’ begins with a heavy-as-hell guitar intro, it’s one of the bands heaviest songs to date, not to mention one of the most epic sounding. Final track ‘Swimming Home’ gently draws the album to a close, there’s very little guitars and no drums featured on this track, all that’s there is Amy Lee’s gentle vocal work, swirling synths and programmed drums, which sounds beautiful, in a way its almost ambient sounding which is definately a highlight.
With a band who have been away for a long time, no-one would blame you if you thought they’d dramatically altered their sound just to keep up with their peers, but no, the only slight alteration that the band have made to this album is that theyve gone a little bit heavier and more melodic in places, pretty much staying true to the distinctive sound that has what made the band so huge in the first place, fans of the 1st 2 albums will no doubt love this, a truly remarkable album from start to finish.
Best Songs: What You Want, My Heart Is Broken, Sick.
For Fans Of: Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation
words by Graeme Williams
