Evanescence - Evanescence Review

Posted by Wyatt E. on 10.15.2011

The self-titled third album from Evanescence ends a six year absence from the band. How does the trademark Evanescence sound fare in 2011?

Please note: This review was based off of the Deluxe edition of the album, which includes four extra tracks. Yeah, I'm a completist even when I really, really don't need to be. I once bought a George Michael compilation that didn't have "I Want Your Sex" on it and I nearly had an aneurysm.


1. What You Want - 3:41
2. Made of Stone - 3:34
3. The Change - 3:42
4. My Heart Is Broken - 4:29
5. The Other Side - 4:05
6. Erase This - 3:55
7. Lost in Paradise - 4:42
8. Sick - 3:30
9. End of the Dream - 3:49
10. Oceans - 3:38
11. Never Go Back - 4:27
12. Swimming Home - 3:43
13. New Way to Bleed - 3:46
14. Say You Will - 3:43
15. Disappear - 3:07
16. Secret Door - 3:53




So what's the point where something goes from being stale and outdated to retro and old school? How long is it? 10 years? 15 years? How about 5 or 6? Blink-182 were gone for about 7 or 8 years, are they retro now that they've come back? Granted, if I spent much time trying to figure out the fickle tastes of mainstream audiences I'd be as messed up as they are. But all that is moot, because the band in question today is Evanescence.

Evanescence, despite being fronted by a female and frequently having a piano as a prominent instrument, is decidedly nu-metal and will probably never escape that tag. As per usual, I must admit I that I don't come down as hard on nu-metal as most people do nowadays. I liked Korn, I liked Slipknot, I liked early Linkin Park, and before my first testicle dropped I loved Coal Chamber. But much as I enjoyed some of the music, there's very little in the way of nu-metal bands now that make me sit up and go "hey, this could be a mover and shaker!"

We all know Evanescence. It's been Amy Lee's project since the beginning despite what conspiracy theorists will tell you about one Ben Moody. Lee's lyrics have always been a muddle of angst, sadness and heartache, wrapped up in lyrics that have always been way too melodramatic for their own good. The music has always been..... not bad, actually, considering what we're going for. At the time, it was a more commercial update of 1990s goth music, and on that level, it certainly sounded decent, in terms of presentation.

Well, actually, it still is, and it still does. From the opening bars of "What You Want," it's blatantly obvious that Amy Lee has done very little tinkering with the sound for this third self-titled record. It all sounds polished, and even professional. So professional, in fact, that's one of the things that undercuts the record. Lee may wallow heavily in melodrama (in fact, sometimes it seems she'd be nowhere without it) but she definitely aims straight for catharsis, catharsis that's gradually diminishing with each successive record because the big budget sound doesn't really mesh well with the massive amounts of theatrical doom and gloom.

As always, the band behind Amy - whoever it is this time - sounds tight and seasoned in delivering the usual stuff. There's actually quite an assortment of good riffs and pretty solid melodies to be found if you're already a fan, even if its post-grunge leanings might be a turn-off. Notably, it was emphasized by Amy leading up to the release that this was to embody Evanescence as a band, and not the Guns N' Roses of neo-goth. Admirable intent, and to that end, each song goes straight for the gut, when not gliding along on power ballads that often wind up giving way to crunchy guitars anyway. There aren't as many standouts on the record aside from singles "What You Want" and the generically titled "My Heart Is Broken," plus a few solid album tracks like "The Change" and "Oceans," the latter of which employs some slightly out-of-place synth sound on the verses (by the way, there's hints here and there of electronic flirtations, and they come off so arbitrary that it winds up more befuddling than a noticeable improvement). The up side is that it retains a pretty damn good consistency, right up until the very end, "Secret Door." This is one notable moment where the full band concept goes out the window, and strings & piano take over, putting Amy's ceaseless dramatics back at the forefront.

And let's face it, they never really left the forefront. In the end, there's been little forward movement with the band's sound despite what Amy will tell you. This shines a light back on her lyrics, which are still mired down in enough adolescent angst to make Trent Reznor blush. "Soul," "heal," and allusions to heaven make up the key phrases here, and since each song follows similar tactics in approach, this winds up making the band feel more stagnant than ever before. If there's any band that doesn't need to sound like they don't know where to go next, it's Evanescence. Amy's vocals at least make this palatable, with high notes and power to spare. But what seemed like a powerful presence in 2003 (high school) has become awfully juvenile in the proceeding years (college, minimum wage, broken dreams).

The 411: In the end, summing up Evanescence in 2011 is really simple. If you're still up for the kind of brooding that leads to lyrics like "'Cause I've been screaming on the inside, and I know you feel the pain; can you heal me?" well then there's a hell of a lot more of where that came from. If you never really left this sort of metal sound behind, you'll love it. The rest of you who were never converted to begin with, go back to dealing with your grown-up problems.

Final Score:  5.0   [ Not So Good ]