Debuting with its album “Fallen” in March of 2003, Evanescence was off to what seemed like a strong start. Containing songs such as the hit “Bring Me To Life” the album was sure to set the band skyrocketing to success in the world of rock music. However, since 2006, the group has not released any new studio albums – until now.
The band’s newly released self-titled album is exactly what listeners expect to hear. The band prides itself on its rock and metal sound, and that is exactly what listeners are given with this album.
The album opens with the new popular single “What You Want.” The song is an instant blast into the band’s hopes for the future of the album and opens with a bang. Fans will surely be happy to hear singer Amy Lee and her vocals back in action, especially with alleged rumors of the band having a new lead singer. No need to fear, Lee is still Evanescence’s main woman. Carly Smithson, who was thought to be the new lead singer of the band, replacing Lee, is in fact in a band of her own. The confusion between the two was due not only to their similar looks, but also to the fact that Smithson’s band mates are actually former members of Evanescence as well.
Overall, Evanescence has stayed true to its originally intended style of a mix of rock metal and pop. This album, however, differs from the band’s first, in the sense that the album is actually a little more upbeat and “fun,” as Lee stated in an interview with Spin Magazine. If audiences can recall, the band’s first album – “Fallen” – can be described as anything but fun, filled with depressing, emotional lyrics and hard rock melodies, with a few melodramatic piano ballads tossed in between. As much as fans seemed to have enjoyed the past album, the band has seemed to want to take a new spin on things. Unlike “Fallen,” this self-titled album is what seems to be the band’s way of starting new, while keeping a little bit of what made the group what it is. The album does not have as many piano ballads as the band’s debut – one of the only ones being “Lost in Paradise,” which seems to be a growing favorite among listeners. Most of the songs are fast tempo and stick mainly to the rock style. In a way, the band’s sound seems to have changed its style, in the sense that the music is more of fast-paced rock songs rather than the typical piano ballad by Lee – always dealing with love, death or some other emotional issue. The lyrics and song titles are less gothic than previously and while the lyrics still tend to deal mostly with the darker side of love and life in general, the album’s overall tone is much less depressing than “Fallen.”
The new self-titled album can be described mostly as an explosion of emotion, possibly a reaction of the band’s pent up energy from its break in productivity. The album is nothing short of 12 songs, (16 in the deluxe version) filled with Lee’s vocals pounding away with the strong guitars and drumming. Possibly what made the band so highly noted upon its first debut, Lee’s vocals are most definitely one of the most known and favored aspects of the band. This being one of the reasons this new album will have so much success with its fans. Lee is possibly one of the defining aspects of this album – her vocals powering through each and every song, evoking deep emotion while providing great amounts of entertainment to listeners. Her voice matches the mood and feel of the band’s style perfectly. Low and rich, Lee’s vocals are really what make Evanescence such a distinguishable band, and there is no doubt it will do the same on this new album.
Evanescence fans everywhere finally have something to be excited about with the new release of the self-titled album. Released on Oct. 11, 2011, the album can be purchased on iTunes in two versions: original and deluxe. For fans that just can’t get enough, the deluxe version contains four bonus tracks, giving a total of 16 tracks altogether. Unlike some bonus tracks, which may stray from the album’s overall collective sound, the bonus tracks featured on the deluxe version will not disappoint fans who may be looking for a little something extra. “Secret Door,” already growing in popularity, gives fans a taste of Lee’s slower piano ballad, which they proved to love upon the band’s release of “Immortal” from its first album. Other bonus tracks include “New Way To Bleed,” “Say You Will” and “Disappear,” which all flow with the album’s overall theme of faster-paced rock songs. The comeback album is sure to please fans who have been patiently waiting for the band’s return.
Jess Troland can be reached at [email protected].
