The self-titled third studio album scheduled for release on October 11, 2011, through Wind-up Records comes after a five years gap and after the critically acclaimed and commercial success of the album “The Open Door” which was certified platinum in the United States just over a month after its release, and has since sold more than six million copies worldwide. Although, their debut album, “Fallen”, spent 43 weeks on the Billboard Top 10, was certified 7x Platinum in the United States, sold more than 15 million copies worldwide, including 7 million in the US.
Formed by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody back in 1995 in Little Rock, Arkansas, Evanescence is about Amy Lee, she’s the only former member of the group while Ben Moody left the band during the European tour for Fallen in 2003, reportedly because of creative differences.
The band started the writing process for the album on June 2009, but the release of the album was changed several times. Lee stated that the music would be an evolution of previous works and be “better, stronger, and more interesting”.
The new collection of 12 songs are definitively not heavier, not darker and perhaps not stronger than the songs of their debut material. Evanescence tried to be more successful, more widely accepted and appreciated, eventually radio (and Billboard) friendly, but not better and more interesting. Still, the album contains several cutting edge riffs, few darker passages, Evanescence kept their dark/goth rock and metal roots, but they struggling to conquer, be pleasant for a larger audience, and obviously, sell more records. Juggling between epic and progressive metal sounds and subtle constructions and metal and rock patterns and cliches, “Evanescence” failed to bring something new, something surprising to the surface. The album sounds great, both David Campbell who handle string arrangements and producer Nick Raskulinecz who has produced music for Alice in Chains and Foo Fighters and replaced during the recording session producer Steve Lillywhite, did a great job. I’m not so convinced by the songs.
Best – or better – moments are the closing “Swimming Home” which is a smooth, simple, but charming song, the more heavier “Made of Stone” and “The Other Side” or the epic “The Change” and the balanced “My Heart is Broken” – perhaps the best moment of the album, a strong, colorful and well build up and tied song.
“Oceans” for instance starts just like Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana”! 😆 😆 😆 Lee said about: “It’s big and lush”
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