In Love with Evanescence - I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!
Written: Mar 07 '03 (Updated Jan 12 '05)
Product Rating:
Pros: Captivating lyrics meet heavy guitars, piano, electronica, choral arrangements, and Amy Lee's delicious vocals.
Cons: I don't want to hear the term "nu-metal" ever again!
The Bottom Line: Evanescence could be a little more daring with their arrangements, but Fallen is still a chilling, inspiring tapestry of spirit and sound. Possibly the best new band of 2003.
evanescence: n. The process of dissipating like vapor. See also vanish.
Allow me to introduce you to my new obsession - a chick-fronted, Goth-influenced rock band from Arkansas called Evanescence. Poised to take the general market by storm before their major label debut even released, it would seem that they are here to avenge the demise of excellent bands like Chasing Furies and Aleixa - former obsessions of mine whose music never had a fair chance to see the light of day outside of a narrow-minded Christian music industry. Thanks to some creative, eerie but unabashedly spiritual songwriting, and the intoxicating vocals of lead singer Amy Lee, these guys have exactly what it takes to become huge in no time flat.
Thank God Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody crossed paths all those years ago and stumbled across a common passion for music and songwriting. This led to the formation of an impromptu band (largely an electronic outfit in those early days) and the release of a few EP's that were nothing more than glorified CDR's as the group played at local venues and honed their skills until they were ready to churn out a full-length release. The release, entitled Origin, came some time in 2000, and let me tell you, it was a tasty one. Though it still showed lighter production and a slight uncertainty about what type of band Evanescence was to become, it's no mystery why a major label would want to snatch them up after hearing it. It's that good, and I don't say that about indies very often.
Of course, scoring a deal with Wind-Up was only half the battle. Plenty of Christian (or at least Christian-themed) bands are getting mainstream deals these days, and it takes more than playing a popular style and throwing in a few vague references to God to make you popular these days. Wind-Up is certainly no stranger to that concept, having Creed as their flagship band and more recently picking up 12 Stones. God seems to be a hot topic in rock music these days. A wise man named Bono once said that the best music is made by those who are either running towards God or running away from Him. And I'd say Evanescence shows us a bit of both in their new album, Fallen.
Now I'd be misleading you if I tried to pass off this band's music as something mind-blowingly original. While the electronics, the spiritual references, the sweet vocals (I'd swear Amy was classically trained), the piano, etc. add a lot of color to the songs on Fallen, the underlying musical framework seems content to borrow from just about every nu-metal band out there. Rather than being ashamed of that component of their style, the label practically exploited it by placing their song "Bring Me to Life" as the lead single, and a prominent track on the Daredevil soundtrack. Everybody and their brother's probably heard it by now, and for obvious reasons, many of them are getting hooked. The prospect of a female driven rap/rock act is obviously something that people have been interested in hearing for a while. And ironically, therein lies the problem. With this CD flying off the shelves and a number of people discovering that the band's usual style isn't exactly what they might have been expecting, the label seems to have run the risk of making the band's name a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I'm glad I had the fortune of being told about this band and getting a sneak peek at their indie material before Fallen released, instead of just letting the hype be my primary motivation to check them out. Origin showed a more delicate touch than Fallen does, and I assumed their major label debut would rock out a bit more, but man, was I enchanted by the album's beauty and versatility. I became obsessed with the band, mentioning them constantly in Emails and conversations with fellow music lovers, checking almost daily to see if any reviews of Fallen had been written online, even replacing the avatar people on one message board had come to know me by with the unsettling but oh-so-cool picture of Amy Lee's blue face that adorns the album cover. I realized I was probably setting myself up for disappointment. But what the heck, it was fun to have a new musical addiction. And now that I've got Fallen in my CD player and I can't get it out, I'd have to say that it's still just as fun.
Going Under Don't want your hand, this time I'll save myself
Maybe I'll wake up for once...
I'll admit I was expecting some sort of drawn-out, ghostly intro, but instead Amy decides to jump right into the mix with an unusually low and bitter vocal on this opening number. "Now I will tell you what I've done for you", she moans. "Fifty thousand tears I've cried". Ben's guitars chug along beneath her, and the two build tension wonderfully, showing a good mix of modern rock edge and pop sensibility as they build to the chorus and Amy laments letting herself drown in sorrow due to the pain caused by a former lover. No bones about it - this is a total hit-making formula, with most of the album following this mold, the lyrics exploring a dark, haunting place, and the music packing one heck of a strong melodic punch. If this sounds incredibly familiar, it's because you've heard it in pretty much every song Linkin Park has ever released to radio. However, unlike most of Linkin Park's work so far ,the scales are tipped a little more towards the dim hope of healing than towards outright fear and paranoia.
Bring Me to Life Without a soul, my spirit sleeping somewhere cold
Until you find it there and bring it back home...
Here it is - the big hit that's likely going to haunt the band for the rest of their career, smartly placed at track two. Its calm, pretty piano intro and Amy's ethereal; singing at the beginning might cause you to expect a soft, Sarah MacLachlan type song if you were to hear this one out of context, not knowing who it was. But the hum of electronic noise isn't far behind, and it soon comes to the forefront along with blazing guitars as the band proceeds to turn a corner and pull every nu-metal trick in the book, including pulling in Paul McCoy, the lead singer of 12 Stones, for a guest vocal/rap breakdown. Say what you want about how this makes the band a sellout, but I say, if you're gonna take a style that's been done to death, at least keep it interesting. These guys do - the vocal exchange between Paul and Amy makes for a powerful chorus as they trade off lines - "Break me up! - Wake me up inside - I can't wake up - Wake me up inside - Save me! - Call my name and save me from the dark..." It only gets better when they arrive at the bridge, and Amy's desperate plea for her lover to swoop in and save her is met by a sweet rap interlude (with a few pained screams, but nothing too heavy) to bring things back around for the final chorus. The lyrics sound a lot like what you'd expect a darker-toned Christian band to sound like, avoiding specific references to God but pleading passionately to be saved from inner darkness and turmoil. Normally this would frustrate me, but the brilliant thing is that this song doesn't seem to actually be about God. Take a gander at the music video, which is certain to upset conservative Christian viewers with its depiction of Amy climbing the side of a building in the middle of the night wearing her nightgown and (gasp) showing her bare shoulders! Egad! Clearly she is looking for a person to save her from her fate, and guess what ends up happening? (Go watch it if you can't figure it out.)
Everybody's Fool Look, here she comes now
Bow down and stare in wonder...
A fluttering acoustic guitar intro leads this one off after the chilling piano of the last track fades out - for a moment I was expecting a gentler number akin to "Field of Innocence" from their indie release. The song turns out to be a driven, bitter diatribe against a former lover (or perhaps just a friend) who manages to hide their darker side and fool everyone into trusting them. But not Amy. She sees right through it and she's not pleased. Her indictment is bolstered by an eerie choir that pops up from underneath the heavy guitars every now and then, which really contributes to the "Goth" label that people are starting to put on the band. (I suppose you could call them Goth, in the same way that some people call Blink 182 punk - it's a definite influence but it doesn't accurately define their style) At this point I'm starting to notice a mildly disappointing lack of variation in the guitar playing - Ben gets a solo in here and there, but for the most part he seems content sticking to power chords and typical progressions that keep the song in the same key. That's the one major drawback to this album.
My Immortal You used to captivate me by your resonating light
But now I'm bound by the life you left behind...
Now what would a band like this be without a delicate, haunting, piano-driven ballad? It may be a bit of an unexpected drop in the album's energy level, but this song is a definite classic. It's been around since their Origin days, and while that version was pretty much all piano, the producers decided to go for a little cinematic heartstring-tugging by tossing in some strings. (Big surprise, they tacked this one onto the Daredevil soundtrack as well.) Though I question whether that was necessary, it's still a fine song, and I'll admit it's made me want to cry on a few occasions just because of the heartbreaking ability it possesses. It starts off very quietly, giving me the eerie sense of being alone in a darkened room, and Amy proceeds to say her goodbyes to an insecure lover who just won't seem to finalize the breakup and fully let go. It's heart-wrenching to hear her softly sing the lines "And if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave, because your presence still lingers here and it won't leave me alone." Sometimes the only thing worse than a breakup is a reeeeeeaaaaaaallllly slow breakup that drags out forever. I might be going out on a limb for saying this - and I certainly don't mean to equate the subject matter - but I'd say this song is on an emotional level with Sarah McLachlan's "Angel". A definite must-hear even if the band's heavier stuff doesn't do it for you.
Haunted Hunting you, I can smell you
Alive, your heart pounding in my head...
Slowly getting the album's tempo revved up again, this song feels like a continuation of the themes found in "Going Under" and "My Immortal". Man, whatever Amy had been through with guys in her past must've been rough, but at least she's not as bitter about it as Alanis once was. The song's title is fitting, given the somewhat nightmarish, echoing intro and Amy's distorted vocals, but it soon congeals back into another crunching rock number, complete with another choir of zombies to back her up. I like how the band fools around with a few key changes during the bridge of this one - it definitely adds to the tension and keeps the song from being predictable even though it eventually settles back into its former groove to close out the song. The sudden ending of guitar riffage followed by a single beep and then silence is a little strange - reminds me of how Skillet's "Best Kept Secret" transitioned suddenly into "You Take My Rights Away" on Invincible.
Tourniquet My wounds cry for the grave
My soul cries for deliverance...
Conservative Christian leaders who get frustrated when a band doesn't mention Jesus, you may now stop throwing stones. Though I don't think the band really cares to throw a bone to a CCM audience that won't completely get it anyway, this is definitely the one song on the album where the songwriters' religious beliefs come to the forefront. A far cry from some Christian bands' pretty depictions of how God swooped in an took them away to a flowery place free from all their troubles, Amy offers up a rather harrowing depiction here. The idea of God being a "tourniquet" - which is basically a strip of material that is tied very tightly around a badly bleeding limb to decrease the blood flow and keep the patient alive longer - is not exactly a mental picture I'd like to dwell on, but then, the analogy is quite fitting. Amy does a great job of describing herself as a suicidal junkie, almost numb to the pain, barely realizing she's on the brink of death. Clearly Amy, or someone in the band, realizes what it's like to go through dark periods of doubt when you wonder if you've committed some sort of spiritual "suicide" by doing something that would cause God to turn His back on you and leave you dying in your own sin. I must admit, for a song with such dark lyrics, the music doesn't quite seem desperate enough - it's almost too melodic. There's one point during the bridge where I feel that the band flirts with a heavier style and then backs away - when Amy screams, "I WANT TO DIE!!!", it feels like Ben and the band's drummer Rocky Gray could have gone for broke and unleashed a hellish torrent of pounding percussion and bone-crushing riffs. Instead, they take the easy way out and dive back into the chorus. Still, the song ends on a strong and yet unresolved note, as the question "Will I be denied Christ?" hangs in the air and everything gives way to a mournful string interlude.
Imaginary I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge
The nightmare I built my own world to escape...
Flowing beautifully out of the song before it, the strings suddenly launch into a flurry of action before the guitars take control once again. This is the second of three songs from Origin that have been retooled for this album, and this one's probably undergone the most drastic change out of all of them. The clasically-minded piano intro has now been moved to the bridge, placing the plainer verses up-front, and overall the song sounds a bit more tormented than it originally did. I liked the original for its gentle, escapist soundscape, with fitting lyrics about losing onself in a fantasy world. The words "In my field of paper flowers, and candy clouds of lullaby, I lie inside myself for hours, and watch my purple sky fly over me" were perfect being holed up with a good book on a lonely, rainy evening. Perhaps this version captures the intent of the song a little better, but I haven't made up my mind as to whether it's an improvement. I suppose that's the double-edged sword of having liked a band before they could afford a huge production budget. Either way, it's still one of the standout tracks on the album.
Taking Over Me I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you
But who can decide what they dream?
And dream I do...
I feel like I've seen that title somewhere before, but I can't put my finger on it. Anyhow, this one is probably the low point of the album for me. Not that it's a bad song in any away, it's just that we're familiar enough with Evanescence's quintessential sound at this point, and having so many guitar-driven numbers means that naturally, a few them aren't going to stand out as much. Amy still seems haunted by someone in this song, but rather than lamenting it, she seems to long for that person's presence. She makes reference to dreaming, as if this person's love is something she feels is out of reach in reality, and this is the point where I feel that the lyrics are starting to veer away from the destructive practice of seeking salvation in human love, and looking more to God. It's still a little vague at this point, but I feel okay inferring that much since the band has made their inspiration pretty clear in the liner notes.
Hello Playground school bell rings again
Rain clouds come to play again
Has no one told you she's not breathing?
Since it had been a few years since "My Immortal" was written, I'm sure the band had attempted a few others since then. I'm pretty sure that any such song they attempt in the future will be compared to that one, but anyway, this one ain't bad. It seems to deal with the art of deceiving oneself - Amy sounds like she's having a quiet conversation with her own mind, telling herself that she can go back to being a little girl again, when everything was innocent and there was nothing substantial to fear. She turns in a stellar vocal performance here, sounding a little bit like Nichole Nordeman trapped in a parallel universe. My only misgiving is that the lyrics are somewhat minimal, making it tough to figure out exactly what's going on.
My Last Breath I'll miss the winter, a world of fragile things
Look for me in the white forest, hiding in a hollow tree...
Gurgling electronic noises lead us into another song that sounds like it's gonna be about death. Soncially speaking, it's getting very difficult to tell the songs apart at this point, due to the predictable guitar work I mentioned earlier and the fact that Amy's style is just barely starting to sound too familiar for its own good. But lyrically, the band continues to impress with a song that looks death square in the eye and basically says "I'm not afraid". I'm not sure if the song is addressing Christ as someone who died a physical death so that she could have confidence beyond her own death, or whether it's addressing another friend facing death and telling him/her not to be afraid, but I guess that's what keeps things interesting. The song seems to end almost too soon, with the drums just beginning to come to life as they pound away furiously while the song fades out. I would have loved to hear everything else drop out for a drum solo, but I guess they felt that would be a bit too self-indulgent. Anyway, when I hear this one, I tend to think of the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and a certain character who had the longest "last breath" ever allowed a human being!
Whisper Don't close your eyes, God knows what lies behind them
Don't turn out the light, never sleep, never die...
This was the first song on Origin, and it shows up here, more heavily produced but essentially the same, to close out Fallen. It does seem a little weird to have this song hit the ground running after "My Last Breath" fades out - just doesn't sound like the sort of thing you expect to be the final song. Nonetheless, it's great to see one of the band's earlier works fit so well into the sonic tapestry of this new album, and the lyrics even go so far as to tie up the theme of the album rather neatly if you're paying attention. "Don't turn away", Amy urges during the song's chorus, "Don't give into the pain". It's almost like she's addressing another wounded soul, giving them the advice she wished she'd listened to when she was wallowing in her own pool of fear and sorrow during many of the album's earlier songs. There is one line that stands out and kind of bothers me - "I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away". Seems like a bit of a naive statement for a group like this to be making. Nonetheless, the bridge fleshes out this hope as Amy vows to leave her misery behind: "Forsaking all I've fallen for, I rise to meet the end." Perhaps that end is physical death, or perhaps it is the death of self that leads to new life in Christ. Certainly everyone will have a different interpretation, but I can definitely see the latter being implied here. The album closes out with another delicious dose of that creepy choir - you can practically picture a massive cathedral lit by black candles with a host of ghostly-faced congregants repeating their Latin mantra (whatever it is that they're saying). It's one of the best uses of chanting in a song ever since Jars of Clay dropped that infamous little sample into "Liquid".
I will admit that despite the dazzling array of sound presented here, there were elements of this album that left me wanting. My biggest disappointment was with the guitars, as I mentioned - Ben Moody is certainly capable, but being one of the musical masterminds behind the band and knowing the versatility that the band is capable of, I have to wince when the guitar parts and the melodic layers above them veer into predictable nu-metal territory, because it means the band is ripe for a good thrashing by critics who are quick to throw around the word "sellout". I think very highly of the band, but in my opinion, they should have continued with even more bold experimentation than what was featured on Origin. Amy is not just a great singer, but she also directed and arranged the choir in their various contributions to this album, and I think a little more could have been done with those voices (then again, maybe they didn't want their music to be a royal pain to reproduce in a live setting - they're already gonna have to figure out what to do with "Bring Me to Life" when Paul McCoy isn't there). You can tell from the photos that Ben and Amy are meant to be the main focus here, as the other players just kind of keep time in the background, and I tend to think that a truly great band would give its drummer and bass player a bit of a chance to shine as well.
With that in mind, I'm going to give this album a hearty - but tempered - recommendation, and a four-star rating (rounded down from 4.5). It pains me to not be able to give it the 5 stars I expected it to be worthy of, though I still have high hopes for the band. My advice to you is to check this out if the band's sonic palette intrigues you in the slightest - go to mp3.com and snatch the band's single while you still can. Unless you're a cynic who expects rock bands to focus on making the weirdest noises that they possibly can and hates absolutely anything associated with the waning nu-metal genre, I'd say you'd probably have a good time with this album. It's a great one to crank up and rock out to in the car, or to fill the silent rooms of your house when you're home alone. It has its more reflective moments, too (and I guess we should be thankful that it doesn't feel the need to be cliche and end with such a moment). Christians who are fans of Plumb and The Benjamin Gate will probably eat this up. I'm willing to bet we'll see a lot of carryover from the Linkin Park crowd on the mainstream side of things - perhaps a few Garbage fans as well.
I'm glad to see a band like Evanescence get a shot at the big time with an album selling like hotcakes - there aren't nearly enough bands at the forefront of the music world who have a good grasp on both the light and the dark. But all the same, I hope they don't get shoved down everyone's throats too much over the next year; otherwise they could very well suffer the same fate as Linkin Park and Creed of being hated by critics just because so many people like them.
Then again, I could think of worse fates. After all, whenever a good chick-rock band becomes an obsession of mine, it tends to spell certain doom.
ALBUM WORTH:
Going Under $2
Bring Me to Life $2
Everybody's Fool $1.50
My Immortal $2
Haunted $1.50
Tourniquet $1.50
Imaginary $2
Taking Over Me $1
Hello $1.50
My Last Breath $1
Whisper $2 TOTAL: $18
Band Members:
Amy Lee: Vocals, choir arrangements
Ben Moody: Guitars, tribal percussion and programming
David Hodges: Piano, keyboards (no longer with the band)
Rocky Gray: Drums
Francesco DiCosmo: Bass
Although the band s name may suggest a sudden vanishing, the music of Evanescence is poised for longevity. Fallen, the Wind-up Records debut of this t...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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