Get the eyeliner, Evanescence is back! Complete with album-art that suspiciously resembles your computer’s ‘Gothic EP’ template! Adjectives like operatic, classical, melodramatic and, uh, evanescent come cheap with Evanescence albums, and Evanescence is no exception: the Amy Lee Show is anything if not consistent. Of course, it is still all about Lee – her voice dominates every track, and not without good reason: she’s a powerhouse, the generator that keeps this band running, and the reason they have a tough time writing a bad album.
Evanescence’s problems don’t stem from a lack of talent, but of progression. The replacement of every original member (save Lee) means that Moody remains gone, resulting in another hour of samey songs about sadness (“My Heart is Broken”, “New Way to Bleed”), chalk-full of power-chords and (occasionally fantastic) twinkling piano keys and strings, but devoid of the collaborative creative energy that once resulted in sevenfold-platinum status and two Grammys. “What You Want” is an impressive bit of pop (with a jogging-themed video), and Evanescence has again triangulated their target audience, but there’s nothing particularly surprising here. Get a new band, Amy.
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Man am I tired of typing Evanescence over and over.
Originally published right here, November 2011.
Transylvanilla 