But first, the next review in the CD Odyssey.
Disc 277 is...Fallen
Artist: EvanescenceYear of Release: 2003
What’s Up With The Cover?: A close up of lead singer Amy Lee looking as vampish as possible (this will be a theme). I don't like this cover all that much, but the font for the text is pretty cool, so I'll give it that.
How I Came To Know It: I can't remember. This album was a really big deal back in 2003, so you pretty much couldn't avoid it. I believe my friend Kelly brought it over one night and I liked it, so I went out and bought it. That's my recollection anyway.
How It Stacks Up: I only have this one Evanescence album, and likely won't get their second, so this can't really stack up. So it goes.
Rating: 2 stars.
As noted above, Evanescence's debut, "Fallen" was a massive commercial success - selling over 17 Million copies worldwide, including going many times platinum in Canada.
Although Windows Media Player insists this is 'metal', Evanescence is better classified as hard rock. More specifically, it is hard rock for people who wish they were vampires. This is generally not a stamp of approval for music these days, but Evanescence does a fair job with the subject matter.
If nothing else, they capture the dark elements of vampirism, and the innate sense of loss and detachment the living dead should have. This is in marked contrast to more recent vampire reboots, that essentially make vampires into gothic superheroes, who enjoy lots of superpowers, but don't sacrifice any part of their humanity in the process. Evanescence skirts on the edge of this mistake, but manages to avoid making their subject matter sparkle in the sunlight and play baseball. Generally they get that vampires can only be cool if they are also tragic.
Musically, lead singer Amy Lee has a great set of rock and roll pipes, and the songs are written to showcase her talent. Although there is liberal usage of piano and strings, the album is essentially guitar driven and has an anthemic quality that makes it easy to listen to, but that doesn't make it stand out. In many places the production is busy and noisome, and generally has a lot of extra content that detracts from the songs themselves.
There are also places where the album reminded me of a lesser version of Alice Cooper, particularly the careful use of haunting piano pieces that are used to break up the hard rock sound with a more theatrical sound. Of note, some of the songs are published by "Dwight Frye Music Inc.", although I have no idea whether this company is referencing the Alice Cooper song from "Love It To Death" or the original screen actor from the 30s and 40s. Both seem equally probable.
Anyway, I like the decision to have this light and heavy contrast in the sound, and when they do this is when the songs are at their best. Not surprisingly, emulating Alice Cooper is a plus with me.
As a biographical side note, guitarist and song co-writer Ben Moody left the band in acrimonious fashion shortly after this album came out, which I found funny when reading the liner notes, where in his thank you's Ben thanks Amy, closing his acknowledgments with, "and finally, Amy, my best friend, you will always have 'all of me'. I guess now we see why we put that in quotation marks.
Anyway, this album is OK, and a bit of a guilty pleasure, but it has not aged particularly well. I'd still give it a thumbs up, and I'll be keeping it for a few songs that tickle my fancy. If nothing else, Amy Lee sings the hell out of it, and makes you believe the overwrought lyrics are sincere. I wouldn't say you should rush out and buy it, though.
Best tracks: Going Under, My Immortal, Tourniquet
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