Pros: Occasional impressive vocal work and a little experimentation that hearkens back to Origin.
Cons: Criticisms that applied to Fallen apply moreso here. Easy to tune out during the back half.
The Bottom Line: 3 1/2 stars, rounded up, because while I'm not thrilled with this development, I'm still intrigued, and they did try a few new things.
divad23's Full Review: The Open Door [Digipak] * by Evanescence
Evanescence. Y'all remember them. The female-fronted, "goth" rock band was pretty much haunting everyone back in 2003 - like them or not. I rather enjoyed their music, though I understood the criticism that it wasn't really "goth", it was just a few Halloween-ish and fantasy influences married to chugga-chugga guitar rock with strings and choirs. They were a zombie pop band, but I was okay with that. I thought they made their music with a great mix of aggression and finesse, and the glossed-up sound of it made sense given their image and lyrics. I wouldn't say that they were the most brilliant new artist to debut that year, but they were one of the most addictive. Fallen probably didn't leave my CD player for long enough for the surface of the disc to completely cool off until some time in mid-2004. You could say that their second record was among my most anticipated follow-ups of 2005... and 2006, since it took a while to actually materialize.
Part of the problem was that, perhaps due to their very nature, Evanescence was a band bound for an inevitable meltdown. There was controversy from Christian fans who once claimed the band as one of their own, only to disown them over some marketing confusion and an f-word or two. That was all pretty silly - I can see the influence of Amy Lee's personal beliefs on her songwriting, but there's no agenda here, as most of their songs are concerned with dark melodrama, and as a fan who is a Christian, I don't mind this at all. The band lost a founding member when Ben Moody suddenly departed near the end of 2003, and then there was some sort of parent-fueled controversy with their live album not being properly labeled in Wal-Mart stores or something (forget that, where was the warning label that told us how awful they sounded in concert?), and then Amy had that tumultuous relationship with Shaun Morgan of Seether. I guess these are fairly normal occurrences in the land of mainstream rock, and the press has been a bit unforgiving regarding all of this, but at the same time, Amy brought some of it on herself with her antics and hysterics. I guess you could say that enjoying Evanescence's music hasn't always meant that I've respected everything that they've done. But at the same time, they attained fame when Amy was like twenty. Who wouldn't do a few childish and stupid things in front of an audience if given that much exposure and scorn at such a young age?
But anyway, it's 2006 now. We've forgotten about most of the controversies (well, aside from many of the still-disgruntled Christian fans, I guess). The only reason for scorn now would be if the band delivered a follow-up that failed to improve on Fallen's formula. Oh wait... whoops, they kind of did. For all of the talk about how it was Ben Moody who kept the band formulaic with his unimaginative guitar riffs and insistence on cranking out obvious hits, and how Amy was the creative one who would take the band in a less predictable direction apart from him (or maybe it was just me who thought that?), I can't say that the addition of Terry Balsamo to the lineup, nor the fact that this is their first album recorded with the entire "real" band in the studio, a lot of The Open Door sure feels like more of the same, with less of the unique stuff that made Fallen so striking. True, you'll hear some arrangements that aren't just the expected "take the formula of a past single and work it into another one" type of thing, and shoot, sometimes doing the same thing can produce similarly memorable results, as the beginning of this record attests. But once we get past that, and some interesting electronic/orchestral diversions here and there that hearken back to the more diverse independent release Origin, this record falls into a frustrating mid-tempo slump in its back half. It's not enough of a slump to make it a horrible, unlistenable experience, but it's enough to place the album in a low "B" range (meaning teetering on the edge of B- and threatening to spill over into C territory - which still translates to four stars due to Epinions' lack of half-stars, but it's a far cry from the B I gave Fallen). They're just not doing very much of the branching out that I really hoped to hear them do here.
You see, a lot of folks criticized Fallen for being too much. Too much intensity right off the bat with all of the lyrical melodrama and the riffs and hooks smacking you in the face every single time. Too much sex without the foreplay, to crib an analogy from a review I read somewhere. That was a minor criticism for me, and I expected to be making the same one on The Open Door. Instead, despite its 13 tracks, I find myself criticizing it for being not enough. A few of 'em feel really phoned in. Others which feel genuine seem like the band couldn't quite come up with the right riffs or tempos to match Amy's words. Thematically, the record feels a bit more narrow too, preoccupied in the lead singer's most recent breakup, which is a trap far too many modern rock records fall into. The departure of Ben seems to have, surprisingly, reduced the "eerie fantasy" quotient in Amy's lyrics, causing her to revert to more generic terms when describing the pain and fury of a woman scorned. She's no Alanis Morissette in the scorn department, thankfully, but she could stand to be more imaginative and descriptive. Her voice still sounds as great as ever, and there are moments when she does reap the awards from pushing the limits of that voice, or when the band takes a more subversive approach to come up with something genuinely creepy. But I wouldn't say that any of this elevates a single song on The Open Door to the level of my favorites on Fallen. That album had its lesser tracks, but there was never a point where I was tempted to tune out.
Sweet Sacrifice Do you wonder why you hate?
Are you still too weak to survive your mistakes?
Try not to pay too much attention to the fact that this song's abrupt beginning reminds you of "Going Under". Yeah, I know it's all about the release of telling an ex-lover that you're gonna scorn them by getting over them. (So's most of the album. Get used to it.) What's great about this track, aside from the hammering, percussive guitar attack, is the range that Amy's voice displays. Much has been made of the operatic beauty that she's capable of, but this is tempered by the knowledge that she's often reduced to a lot of awkward grunting due to all of the running around and fist-pumping that she does in concert. It's sad, because as we can hear on this track, she's got unbelievable control over it when standing still. From the quiet, strained beginning, to the gutsy way that she puts fear in its place in the pre-chorus, to the thrilling high notes that show up just moments later, this one is a tour de force for Ms. Lee. It's all vindictive melodrama, really (and I even thought for a second that we were about to stumble across another f-word controversy, since the way she enunciates "forget" sounds an awful lot like "f*ck it"), but I've fallen for it hook, line, and sinker, from that first muffled second to the sudden ending where you'd expect a final repetition of the chorus.
Call Me When You're Sober Selfishly hated, no wonder you're jaded
You can't play the victim this time, and you're too late...
The albums first single, where Amy comes busting out of the gate with a rather transparent opening line ("Don't cry to me, if you loved me, you would be here with me" - it's not exactly "How can you see through my eyes like open doors", but it'll do), is probably one of the best illustrations of how Evanescence's approach is less fantasy-oriented this time. Every aspect of this song leaves nothing to hide, from the obvious guitar riff that sweeps in after the introductory chorus, to the melody that closely mimics their breakout hit "Bring Me to Life" (just insert some rap parts into the gaps in the chorus and you'd have a dead ringer), to the lyrics which obviously deride ex-boyfriend Shaun Morgan for not being able to kick whatever addiction it was that proved to be their undoing. The "It's all your fault" approach seems a bit immature, though it's not as bothersome as it was on, say, The Juliana Theory's last album, because I can at least get a good glimpse into an on-again, off-again relationship that she just plain got sick and tired of. The ultimatum "Make up your mind" which finishes off the chorus finally becomes, in a brief flourish of piano, the declaration that she's taken matters into her own hands: "Just get your things; I've made up your mind."
Weight of the World If you love me, then let go of me
I won't be held down by who I used to be
She's nothing to me...
This one's a little bit of ex-boyfriend-loathing, a little bit of self-loathing, and a whole lot of chugga-chugga. Whatever originality Terry Balsamo is bringing to this band's game, I can only hear it during a brief wailing solo in this song's bridge - most of the riffage is fairly routine, and it's hard to tell where Terry starts and John LeCompt ends. (Maybe John's the one who kept the candle burning at the old power chord altar after Ben Moody left. I don't know.) There's some fun stuff in this one - most notably a toy piano during the verses, and some sort of choral/operatic wailing near the song's close. The song appears to be about a relationship where the guy wanted to "freefall" through life, and Amy ended up playing God and making all the decisions, and it wore her out and turned her into someone she hated. That's pretty much it - thus far the album is following the pattern of Fallen, in that this song feels a little more fluid in its movement, like "Everybody's Fool" did after the more jerky motion of "Going Under" and "Bridge Me to Life". So I guess that means we get a soft piano ballad next.
Lithium Come to bed, don't make me sleep alone
Couldn't hide the emptiness you let it show
Never wanted it to be so cold
Just didn't drink enough to say you love me...
Bingo! Sometimes predictability can be so achingly beautiful. That's certainly the case with this sad ballad, which wants you to believe it's the next "My Immortal" with its gentle piano and quiet opening chorus, where Amy laments her dependence on an element of the periodic table (which hasn't received much attention since Nirvana a good 15 years ago) to keep her moods stabilized. I used to know someone who was bi-polar and needed said treatment, so it's extra spooky for me. But... fooled you! This one's actually a slow rocker, where Amy gets to turn that quiet chorus into another powerhouse vocal performance. You might think it's forced, but I think it works. It's just that it seems to obvious to immediately jump from the first chorus into more of the dark chug-chug stuff - you just want the guitars to knock it off a bit and maybe come in later, like they did in the video mix for "My Immortal". The verses allow some neat acoustics to be sprinkled in (think "Field of Innocence"), so the delicate nature of the song isn't totally overpowered by the need to rawk. I suppose the mood swings make sense in the context, since she's a person who is struggling not to be "in love with my sorrow". I feel something when she practically whispers, "But God, I want to let it go". It's just that the approach seems to obvious, like something was compromised to make a fragile, beautiful song more single-worthy, and it kind of dulled the impact in the process.
Cloud Nine If I fall and all is lost, no light to lead the way
Remember that all alone is where I belong...
I actually referenced a song from Origin when discussing the previous song, and delightfully, that's a trend that will continue for the next few tracks. The acidic beats and the ghostly "oh-whoa-oh-whoa"s from Amy that open the song, which sound off-key but aren't, really remind me of the beginning of "Away from Me", which was a fine slab of electronic rock. This being newer Evanescence, it's obviously more gritty - this time around I actually appreciate how Terry's guitar smears its black grime all over Amy's attitude-filled verse. In saying, "If you want to live, let live; if you want to go, let go", she seems to be telling this guy, "You go your way, I'll go mine, and I don't plan on us meeting up again". She may state it somewhat plainly, but you can feel the sting of a lost dream in this one. I do feel like the interesting intro and verses lead up to a bit ob an "obvious" chorus, musically speaking (another problem which plagues much of this album), but I still remember this one as a standout due to it having a stronger riff, a sexy intro, and ending in a logical but abrupt spot.
Snow White Queen I can't save your life
Though nothing I bleed for is more tormenting
I'm losing my mind
And you just stand there and stare as my world divides...
Now here's a really creepy one. Seriously, the way that this song opens with the skittering electronics and no chords at first to provide any sort of reference point for whatever key Amy's low voice is singing in will make your skin crawl. That doesn't mean it's annoying - it's just extremely unsettling, as if the oldie-but-goodie "Even in Death" got an upgrade. (Weren't they originally planning to re-record that one for this album? Ah well.) It eventually settles into a more conventional melody (and perhaps another chorus that is guilty of taking the obvious approach instead of working with the unorthodox instrumentation that set up the song), but the lyrics remain rather tortured, as Amy replays some sort of sick mental conversation between herself and a stalker or obsessed fan. It takes a page from "Haunted", and perhaps even from "Possession", in terms of how well she's able to get inside this pervert's head. Thankfully there's enough of the "dark fantasy" language at work here that it feels more like an honest glimpse into an emotionally trying event, and less like cheap voyeurism.
Lacrymosa I can't change who I am
Not this time, I wont lie to keep you near me
And in this short life, there's no time to waste on giving up
My love wasn't enough...
Here's an idea which sounded awesome on paper, and in reality, it turned out to be merely "pretty good". I mean, taking a classical composition by Mozart and beefing it up with dark guitars and drum programming and a huge choir... it doesn't get more "goth" than that, right? The instrumentation has me sold here, from the wisps of stringed instruments that float throughout the song, to the slick key change from 3/4 to 4/4 and then back again mid-song, to the critical mass of voices that finishes it off, giving "Whisper" a run for its money. The problem is that this modern treatment of a classical piece deserved more timeless lyrics. Is this really the best forum for yet another tirade about how you're better off without some guy, Amy? I mean, you've written about "paper flowers and candy clouds of lullaby" and things like that, and you can't offer us a good, macabre slice of escapism to match the darkly delicious instrumentation? It's still a pretty good performance, but Amy, shame on you. I actually think this song might have worked better as the final, or perhaps penultimate, track on the album (maybe with more of an extended ending before that last glorious note from the choir silences everything else).
Like You I'm not grieving for you
Nothing real love can't undo
And though I may have lost my way
All paths lead straight to you...
OK, we're about halfway through, and here's the part where the tempo falls into a bit of a slump and never recovers. Not that there aren't interesting or even energetic musical bits, but we're at the beginning of a long series of slow-burners. This one has a quiet, damp intro with interesting use of guitar delay (plus some heavier, but muffled, one-chord riffage from the other guitarist), punctuated by atmospheric piano here and there. This one's about survivors' guilt, picking up where "Hello" left off as Amy remembers what it was like to lose her sister at a very young age. The thoughts expressed here, of wanting to be like her dead sister instead of having to live to deal with it, border on suicidal, and I get that these were her thoughts as a child, but the context isn't exactly made clear, so I'm a bit uneasy with it. I guess "Even in Death" explored this topic of loving someone who has passed away without muddying the waters as to the value of one's own life. I can get into a good "dark fantasy", but I get a bit squeamish when suicide appears to be getting an endorsement. It also feels a bit unnecessary when the song explodes with electric fury later on - it's like ever since the "band version" of "My Immortal" became a hit, they've been afraid just to let a subdued ballad be what it is. Then again, it's a guitar solo and we don't get many of those on Evanescence records, so maybe I should just enjoy it for what it is.
Losing Control Mary had a lamb
His eyes black as coals
If we play very quiet, my lamb
Mary never has to know...
Turning in a more experimental direction, Evanescence makes great use of a simple two-chord, minor key sequence by sprinkling in a haunting, glassy piano melody that seems to fall from one chord to the other with a great sense of despair as the sweet wash of Amy's voice is layered several times. It's tough to hear everything that goes on in this song, since she reverts to a strained whisper for much of the verses, but I get the impression that it's the voice of a woman who has had it with the same-old-same-old and is thinking about cheating with someone else's guy. The intentions are nothing but cruel here, as he's pretty much a boy toy who she has no real love for. She's just tired of the everyday, mundane situation that keeps her bound. That's what I get out of it, anyway. I love the way that the song comes unhinged with that single chord from Terry's guitar that ominously bends upward in pitch as the fairly mellow verse comes crashing into a chorus that for once doesn't slam an obvious hook over our heads. I'm not sure what's going on in the relatively tuneless bridge, though - it makes the song feel rather disjointed. But I find a lot of the individual pieces sticking in my head later on, as well as that airy guitar part that echoes as the song fades away.
The Only One Don't look down
Don't look into the eyes of the world beneath you
Don't look down, you'll fall down
You'll become their sacrifice...
Another dark, cold programmed beat (more slow and measured this time) and a looping background vocal part that goes "Ha, ha, hmmm" over and over again characterize this song, which appears to be another one of those celebrity-on-a-pedestal rants. Too bad the rant is set to a fairly relaxed rhythm - I don't mind it during the delicate verses and the pristine bridge, but once again, the electric guitars take over for the chorus and it's just too straightforward of a patch on an otherwise well-constructed song. Either she's calling out a fake leader for being a sham, or she's indicating that she can't be any sort of a spiritual leader for a legion of devoted fans - she deflects that attention and begs, "Heaven shine a light down on me." That's a surprisingly positive statement given Amy's usual obsession with the morose, but it ends with her hitting four very sweet high notes, so I can't complain.
Your Star And I'm alone now, me and all I stood for
We're wandering now
All in parts, in pieces, swim lonely
Find your own way out
This is one of those songs that might have worked as a quiet comedown from something really fast an intense, but following four songs that have similar tempos, about the last thing I want to hear at this point is more sparse piano and Amy trying to wring as much emotion as possible out of the line, "Can't see your... STAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!" Given some context, this line might be powerful, but my reaction to that line coming right out of the gate is, "So what? Get a damn telescope." Except for a conspicuous observation about "the lights of Lisbon", this song plays around in the sandbox of vagueness, encountering no metaphor about loneliness and darkness that it doesn't like. All I really remember when the song's over is that grating intro, though I do suppose it develops into something a little stronger toward the end, with a quick-fingered guitar melody ramping up the intensity a little bit until the song reaches its merciful end.
All that I'm Living for Piecing every thought together
Find the words to make me better
If I only knew how to pull myself apart...
Ack, now this is horrible. I would say that Amy should know better than to start off with her bludgeoning choruses right at the beginning of a song - but it was actually John LeCompt who wrote this song, and I can clearly see now that he's the guy who loves the chug-a-chug. The song tries to be energetic but comes across as quite lethargic due to its choice of a mid-tempo grind and a two-chord chorus. As much of a triumphant anthem as Amy wants to make the forced yelping of the chorus out to be, you never really get a sense of this big grand thing that she's living for, or why she has to "lock the last open door" to avoid letting ghosts in. You could fanw*nk about the meaning of such things, I guess, but it's another exercise in vaguely spiritual self-empowerment, and those sorts of songs always bore me if they can't be bothered to say anything specific, so I'll just forget that this musical equivalent of a bad hair day exists and move right along to what should have been track 12.
Good Enough Drink up, sweet decadence
I can't say no to you
And I've completely lost myself, and I don't mind
I can't say no to you...
Finally, a piano ballad that is allowed to just be, without needing bombast to justify itself. There are strings and stuff added in, but generally speaking, this is a peaceful moment with Amy and I appreciate it. The lyrics are among Evanescence's strongest, with the line "I can't say no to you" finally helping us to shed some light on the true nature of the abusive relationship(s) that this album has gone to so much trouble in describing. Like with "Hello", the sorrow comes through in the softness of her voice - funny how a mellow lament such as this rings truer than some of the fist-pumping rockers heard earlier, where Amy threw every ounce of force that she could muster into her vocals. She's realizing the folly of trying to please someone to whom she could never be "good enough", and asking him for a little bit of mercy because he's become a bit of a drug to her. Pretty messed up, but it's honest about what co-dependency will really do to you. There's a point near the end where her voice gets a little more powerful and then seems to break and turn raspy during the word "enough" - she seems choked up and it somehow makes it that much more genuine, even if it's not a pitch-perfect performance. As much as it may seem too sudden when the album closes on her final whimper - "Take care what you ask of me, 'cause I can't say no", it's a good thought to end on, considering all of the crap that she's apparently been through.
Needless to say, The Open Door isn't exactly a feel-good record. At its best, it's a feel-honest record that will strike a chord with some downcast or abused listeners seeking solace in music that doesn't put on a pretense of happiness. At its worst, it recycles nu-metal cliches and tries to pass them off as something innovative with a few of Evanescence's standby elements (piano, strings, choir) thrown in. Fans of the first record unfortunately aren't guaranteed to love this one, and from the looks of it, a few critics have already torn it apart, so I guess I'll stand up and defend it for being at least mostly listenable, and in some cases very enjoyable. Just don't expect to be blown away. It's becoming clear now that lightning struck once with Fallen, and it may be difficult for this band to get it to strike again. I'll probably still be interested to hear a third album from them, regardless of whether the rest of the world still cares in another three years, but I definitely won't have huge expectations for them like I did before this album came out. Departing band members can't be blamed any more. Amy's just gonna have to grow up a little more and come up with some expressive language to match the layers of her band's music if she wants to impress us next time out.
ALBUM WORTH:
Sweet Sacrifice $1.50
Call Me When You're Sober $1
Weight of the World $1
Lithium $1
Cloud Nine $1
Snow White Queen $1.50
Lacrymosa $1.50
Like You $.50
Losing Control $1
The Only One $1
Your Star $.50
All that I'm Living for -$.50
Good Enough $1.50 TOTAL: $14
Band Members:
Amy Lee: Lead vocals
Terry Balsamo: Lead guitar
John LeCompt: Rhythm guitar
Rocky Gray: Drums
Tim McCord: Bass
On the band s highly anticipated 2006 album, The Open Door, Evanescence presents the full-length studio debut of its new line-up, after the departure ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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