Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Evanescence - Fallen - 2004 Reviewed by: Ken Pierce

Track Listing1. Going Under 2. Bring Me To Life 3. Everybody’s Fool 4. My Immortal 5. Haunted 6. Tourniquet 7. Imaginary 8. Taking Over Me 9. Hello 10. My Last Breath 11. Whisper

The first time I heard Evanesence was while watching the movie “Daredevil”. The song was “Bring Me To Life” and I felt this song had an energy that was missing from a lot of the newer bands that were making appearances most recently. Someone had described them to me as a “Linkin Park with a girl singer” but that is a wrong assumption. Singer Amy Lee is a far cry from some demure waif as she belts out the numbers on this CD. Her voice packs a punch like some of the great rockers of our time. I immediately think of Pat Benetar and Lita Ford. Yet she is also capable of delivering a sensual ballad which you will hear in “My Immortal”.

My favorite tracks on the disk are “Going Under”, “Bring Me To Life” and “My Immortal”, so I guess the consistent radio play is keeping those numbers in my head. The remainder is good enough to merit purchasing this item, but Listeners should be aware that many songs have a similar feel and sound. I don't think that this is bad as it might be what they were trying to lay down as their unique sound.

Overall the production is solid and the CD booklet is nice. It includes lyrics (my personal favorite thing) and a couple of pictures.

Since this CD was released, the group lost core contributor Ben Moody. All songs on the disk were written by Lee and him. Reports have said that he walked offstage in the middle of a show on the European tour and went home. While I don’t know what led to that, it will be interesting to see if Evenescence will suffer the Sophomore Curse in the absence of a key writer when the new album is released.

In keeping with the goal to prevent people from illegally downloading music, there is the chance to download a different version of “My Immortal” if you own the CD. A file can be downloaded from the site and it checks your copy of the CD for authenticity.

Rating: 7/10

Website: www.evanescence.com

--Ken Pierce 06.11.04
Evanescence Fallen Wind-Up 2003 Reviewed by: Nailer

Track Listing1. Going Under 2. Bring Me To Life 3. Everybody's Fool 4. My Immortal 5. Haunted 6. Tourniquet 7. Imaginary 8. Taking Over Me 9. Hello 10. My Last Breath 11. Whisper

I have to give these guys credit for doing something right. There's tons of bands out there playing this guitar-based, Gothic rock, but only a couple have managed to really make inroads into the American market. Italian-bred Lacuna Coil is getting some play, but it sure ain't near six million in sales which is a hell of a lot for any band.

The band were apparently known for openly being a Christian rock act prior to the release of the current album ‘Fallen’. But now they seem keen to distance themselves from their past. It is evident on songs like "Tourniquet", but not overt.

Singer Amy Lee has said that "I don't think metal fits us. I don't think nu-metal fits us. I don't think anything fits us...it would take, like, 10 words for me to give a name for it. I think we're something completely new." Well, I think I can describe it and it's not at all new. It's female-fronted rock with gothic overtones. Musically, there's nothing special--rock chords over standard rhythms with some string/keyboard arrangements. The gothic part comes in with the lyrics which are over-the-top, melodrama. I'd swear that every Evanescence song is a mini-opera of some near-death, depressed character and their loving savior come to pull them out of misery. I'm not knocking it; I'm just pointing out the overdramatics that it contains.

Amy Lee is the real key to this mass appeal--she can seriously wail. The choruses of "Going Under" and "Bring Me to Life" are evidence enough. She just belts the words out with the major-league lung capacity that you don't hear from all of the other homogenous rock groups out there.

I'm not such a closed-minded a metalhead that I can't enjoy something so mindlessly commercial, but for all it's sales, there isn't a lot of staying power for me. Let's see if this band can grow with their second CD or implode in the fires of mass marketing.


--Nailer 05.25.04