Evanescence (Evanescence album)
Encyclopedia
Evanescence is the self-titled third studio album by American rock
band Evanescence
. The album was released on October 11, 2011, through Wind-up Records
. The band started the writing process for the album in June 2009. The release of the album was changed several times. First, on February 22, 2010 the band entered the studio with producer Steve Lillywhite
, but later they stopped recording the album with him because he "wasn't the right fit". During that time the album was scheduled for an August or September 2010 release, but Lee later announced that Evanescence had left the studio to write more material. On April 11, 2011, the band went back into the studio with a new producer, Nick Raskulinecz
, and tracking was completed in July, 2011.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
chart with 127,000 copies in sales. It also debuted at number one on four other different Billboard
charts including the Rock Albums, Digital Albums, Alternative Albums, and the Hard Rock Albums charts. Upon its release, the album received mostly positive reviews from music critics who generally praised the new musical elements in the sound of the songs. The first single from the album, "What You Want
", was released on August 9, 2011. "My Heart Is Broken", the second single of the album was sent to Hot/Mod/AC radio on October 31, 2011 and to pop radio on November 1, 2011.
wrote that the band was in the process of writing new material for a new album proposed for release in 2010. She stated that the music would be an evolution of previous works and be "better, stronger, and more interesting". Lee further described the music on Evanescence as epic, dark, big, beautiful and desperate. During an interview with Spin magazine
, Lee called the record fun which according to her was a totally new thing for the band. Lee revealed, "When I listen to our old music I see that's where I was in my life at that time. This has been a long trip and parts have been hard. But it's about not taking everything so seriously this time."
In an interview with Billboard
Lee said, "After finishing touring [behind 2006 album The Open Door
], I just sort of took off and didn't know what I was going to do next and wasn't sure if the Evanescence thing would happen again or when it would." She took a break from music for 18 months and in the end she decided she "wanted to work with the guys, and it became more of a group project". Lee also admitted that she had an identity crisis
saying, "[The success with] Fallen
happened really fast, and it was just go, go, go for a couple years, and we went right into writing and wrote the next record. By the time we finished touring with The Open Door, I just needed to go, 'Who am I as an adult?'" During that time, she started spending a lot of time painting and appreciating other people's work, going to concerts and museums and listening to folk and indie music.
The writing process for the album started in 2009 when Lee wrote a song for the album, which was an electronic-driven song, a different direction from her usual style. Lee said, "I remember listening to it over and over, just obsessing over it the way I used to obsess over Evanescence music. That was the spark for me — and the spark to go in the electronic direction and bring some of that into what Evanescence is doing." She said that everyone in the band was involved in the writing of the songs, "Usually it's me and one main co-writer.[...] This time everybody had something to do with it from the ground up." She revealed, "[...] we had a lot of sessions where everybody was at their instruments spitting out ideas. That was scary to me in the past. You have to be fast to keep up and I didn't have that confidence, which is funny, because I've played music all my life. Plus, everybody hasn’t always agreed on what they wanted the band to sound like. But now, we're all on the same page and everybody brings something good to the table, so working like that made for special moments I couldn’t have come up with myself."
. Lee later said that "Steve wasn't the right fit" and added that the band was on an experimental trip, trying different things and seeing what was right but when they tried to record the songs which Lee wrote without the band, "it wasn't working." She also revealed that the songs which were written with Lillywhite were of a slow tempo and acoustic and didn't flow with Evanescence's sound.
At the time the band began recording with Lillywhite, the album was intended for an August or September 2010 release. However, on June 21, 2010, Lee announced on EvThreads.com that Evanescence had temporarily left the studio to work further on the album and "get our heads into the right creative space". Lee also indicated that record label Wind-up was going through "uncertain times", which would further delay the release of the album. Wind-up Records president Ed Vetri supported Lee's decision to start recording all over again: "One thing we do at Wind-up is, we're patient. I[f] it's not right, it's not coming out. If it takes a year or four years, [we're] going to take the time it needs to write the right record." Having visited the studio several times to witness the album progressing, he stated that "her core fans will be really happy."
The band re-entered the studio in early April with nineteen songs and new producer Nick Raskulinecz
, who has produced music for Alice in Chains
and Foo Fighters
, to continue work on their third album, which was recorded in Blackbird Studio in Nashville
. The mixing of Evanescence was done by Randy Staub
. After an initial denial by band management, on June 12, Lee confirmed that Troy McLawhorn
had rejoined the band as a guitarist. At the same time, Lee announced that the album would be released on October 4, 2011, which was later pushed back to October 11 by Wind-up Records. Lee explained that after the band got into the studio, she wanted the album to come out as soon as possible because it had been a long time since their last album. During the sessions, the instruments by the other members of Evanescence were recorded first, the pianos second and Lee's vocals were recorded at the end for a longer time because the songs were very hard according to Lee and she had to "push" herself vocally. During the recording, producer Nick Raskulinecz helped her to work out when the album was finished. Lee revealed that the recording with Raskulinecz made the album a rock record. She stated:
, Lee revealed that the new album's title would be Evanescence. She explained that she realized how much she loved the band and got back in a "real, fuller way", realizing that the band is a "true part of me" and "makes me really, really happy to be here." Lee also revealed the reasoning behind the title of the album. "It's about the band; it's more of a band record. But I started thinking about it, and it's also that this whole record and the lyrical content and a lot of the things that it's about to me is about falling back in love with this thing, with Evanescence, with what I've obsessed over for a decade, longer than that." She also revealed, "I had a lot of album title ideas. But as it became more and more about the band...the more collaborative it became, it just felt like this is who we are, it's a band. And to have that feeling in the music where the band is so pumped up, it was just the only title that felt right. It's about falling back in love with this thing in a major way." During an interview with MTV News, Lee said that 16 songs had been recorded for the album, but that not all of them would be included on the album. Later it was revealed that all of the songs would be placed in a deluxe edition of the album and the standard edition would contain 12 songs.
The cover artwork for the album was revealed on August 30, 2011 on Evanescence's official website. It showed the name of the band written on a black background. It is the first album cover by the band that does not show Lee. During an interview Lee talked about the cover artwork saying, "Well, both of our other records are me on the cover, and I think it's cool to have that photo, you know, that people can look at and go, 'OK, that's who that is.' But I feel like, by now, they know who we are, and I wanted something really different. I didn't feel like we had to put a photo on the cover, I wanted it to be more mysterious and more about Evanescence itself, not just me." She added, "The idea to not have any photos on the outside I thought was really cool," she said. "And all the images and the artwork is a play on the meaning of the word 'Evanescence.' It means 'to dissipate like vapor,' so I decided to go with light and vapor ... it's really about Evanescence, not just me."
influences and a lot of drum programming. Later during the sessions with Nick Raskulincecz, Lee talked about the theme of the album saying, "I get inspired by nature. The ocean
's been a theme. Brokenness has become a little bit of theme, without necessarily offering a solution." She added that the band used a lot of new instruments such as harp, synthesizer
s and vintage keyboards like the Moog Taurus Pedal. In an interview with Kerrang!
Lee said that she was inspired by life adding, "The music is about me [and] my relationships. The music and the lyrics have gone more aggressive than they ever have before too."
In an interview with MTV News she said that the new album was fun but not in a "poppy way". She added that the band had fun during the recording of the songs. The themes were about "brokenness, the quest for freedom, and then there's songs that are just about falling in love". Another inspiration came from her relationship with Evanescence's fans. Lee revealed, "I can really hear myself singing about my relationship with Evanescence and with the fans. There's always one big relationship on a record that I sing about the most. I feel like my big relationship on this album [is] with Evanescence itself, and with the fans. I think lyrically you're hearing a lot about a relationship, a struggle with a relationship or love in a relationship, and mostly I'm singing about that." In an interview with Spin
magazine, Amy Lee said that she wrote some songs on harp including the ballads "Secret Door" and "My Heart Is Broken". According to a Rolling Stone
interview, her husband bought her a harp as a gift.
Lee told Billboard
and Rolling Stone
that the new album was influenced by Björk
, Depeche Mode
, Massive Attack
, MGMT
and Portishead. She added, "I remember when I first heard MGMT, their first record – I loved it, loved it. And I actually started getting inspired around that time with synthesizers and stuff. I have always loved Portishead, Massive Attack, those electro things.[...] Some of that has made it here. But I think when I finally found the sweet spot was combining the two things, combining Evanescence with some new elements."
, "What You Want
", was described as being one of the band's most different and heaviest songs with heavy guitar melodies, loud drums
, and a freedom theme. It opens with drums and a synchronized synthesizer
whilst Lee sings "Do what you, what you want / If you have a dream for better / Do what you, what you want / 'Til you don't want it anymore" before transferring into danceable guitar-driven beat. Lyrically, the song is filled with the angst of a relationship that just is not quite working out despite the presence of love binding the pair together. "Made of Stone" is one of the oldest songs on the album, and has influences of heavy metal
. Lyrically, Lee is confronting a former lover. "The Change", originally titled "Purple", begins with a gentle vibe that grows more insistent and has been compared to "Digital Bath
" by the American alternative metal
band Deftones
. The fourth track and second single
from the album, "My Heart Is Broken", is a ballad
that was originally written with a harp
in stead of a piano
before the final recording. It begins with a piano
and Lee's vocals before transferring to a drum beat accompanied by guitars and strings
. During the chorus
, Lee sings "I will never find a way to heal my soul/ And I will wander 'til the end of time/ Torn away from you/ My heart is broken".
The fifth track, "The Other Side", has churning, chunky guitars, double-bass drum and Lee's "ethereal, widescreen" vocals, and has elements of R&B
. Lyrically, the main theme of the song is death
. "Lost in Paradise
" is a rock ballad that begins with piano
, strings
, and Lee's unlayered vocals before the band kicks in during the song's climax
. Lyrically, it reflects Lee's past struggles. It was also written as an apology to her fans for the band's five-year absence. The musical structure of the song was compared to "Jóga
" by Iceland
ic recording artist Björk
. "Sick" has a loose and lazy melody and a chanted chorus. It was one of the first songs written for the album and "set[s] a heavy direction for the rest of the record." "End of the Dream" contains "full bore with chunky guitar, then falls into a brooding grove with piano underpinning Lee's unmistakable vocals." In the chorus Lee sings "Follow your heart 'til it bleeds," evincing the track's "seize the day" message. Talking about the song, Lee said "It's about understanding that this life isn't forever, and how you have to live it, embrace even the pain, before it's all over. As much as it hurts, it just means you're alive. So don't be so afraid to get hurt that you miss out on living." Another song, "Oceans", "starts with a big, low synth and a vocal, then the band kicks in", says Lee. "It's big and lush. We've been having a lot of fun playing that one especially." Another track, originally called "Orange", but later renamed to "Never Go Back" talked about "loss from the perspective of someone losing someone in a tragedy". Lee later revealed that the song was inspired by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
, which is also showcased in the lyrics "It's all gone, the only world I've ever known". "Swimming Home" is an electro-pop
song with "grinding guitars and weeping piano."
. Snippets of the songs "What You Want", "The Other Side" and "Lost in Paradise" were shown on MTV News
on July 11, 13, and 15, respectively. Several songs from the album were made available online including "The Other Side" which premiered on September 21 at Hot Topic
, "My Heart Is Broken" on September 27, and "End of the Dream" on October 4, 2011 on Spin; all of the songs were made available on Spin on October 7.
On August 8, Evanescence appeared on MTV to premiere their first single "What You Want" with a live performance and later an extended interview. The entire event was called "MTV First: Evanescence". Lee went to Toronto
's Liberty Studios
on August 22, to preview five mastered songs from the new album to a selected crowd of thirty people. She previewed "What You Want", "The Change", "The Other Side", "My Heart Is Broken" and "Lost in Paradise". Evanescence appeared on the Rock in Rio
festival on October 2, 2011 and performed "What You Want", "Made of Stone", "The Change", "The Other Side", "My Heart Is Broken", "Sick", and several songs from their previous two albums. Prior to the release of the album in the United States, Amy Lee appeared on Billboard on October 11, 2011 to promote Evanescence. On October 15, 2011, Evanescence appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and performed their songs "What You Want" and "Going Under
".
, which assigns a weighted mean
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 63, based on 8 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Before its release, the album was placed on several lists including Spin
s "26 Fall Albums That Matter Most", Entertainment Weekly
s "Fall Albums We Can't Wait to Hear", and Rolling Stone
s "Fall Music Preview: The Season's Hottest Albums". Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine
praised Raskulinecz's production and added that the band sounded "less tortured tonally even if it remains quite dramatic." He further praised Lee's vocals and the "fair share of crossover hooks." Steve Beebee
of rock magazine Kerrang!
gave the album five stars out of five, claiming the album is "easily their most cohesive and confident work" and their "best album to date". Entertainment Weekly
said "when she [Lee] uses baroque orchestral accoutrements to wage an air assault on her demons (as she does on the blistering 'Oceans'), she's more than just the token girl in the pit." Lewis Corner of the website Digital Spy
gave the album four stars out of five, stating, "Evanescence's trademark rumbling guitars and dainty strings creep in; and truth be told, we wouldn't want it any other way." He added, "Amy Lee declares over roaring guitars and classical strings, reinforcing their medieval influences as opposed to the electronic sound they've been purporting."
Rick Florino of Artistdirect
wrote that the album was "their best album to date and a new classic" and added, "Evanescence represent modern rock at its finest, and this album is further proof. They manage to experiment while staying unshakably infectious. That's not an easy feat, and few acts manage to do that. Evanescence is spacey, soaring, strong, and utterly alive." In another review, he called the album "mind-blowing", saying that Lee's vocal range "remains beyond impressive as she carries immortal melodies to the heavens and back." Nick Catucci of Rolling Stone
said that the album consists mostly of "syrupy mix of piano, guitar and strings" which according to him, weren't as "saucy" as the band's other material. Chris Willman of Reuters
said that "every interchangeable tune on the new album also sounds designed to play over the end credits of an action blockbuster that takes itself too seriously". Mark Lepage of The Gazette
concluded that the album was "so solid that it begins to sound like one rolling, chugging, plangent epic." Chad Grischow of IGN
wrote that Evanescence was a "great album that delivers the familiar while keeping an eye on the future." Rob Williams of Winnipeg Free Press
classified the album as gothic nu-metal and hard rock with dramatic orchestration that makes everything sound "big and alive" and concluded, "With so many extra bells and whistles, despair has never sounded so epic." Marc Hirsh of The Boston Globe
concluded that the album captures "each party elevating the other far above where their proclivities would get them on their own."
Theon Weber of Spin
gave a mixed review of the album, saying that the band was holding Lee from making good music and added that "Evanescence get lost in the cavernous spaces carved out by their unsecret weapon." Edna Gundersen of USA Today
criticized Raskulineczs production and the electronic sound of the album, saying "Tempered, her [Lee's] emotional wail enhances the hypnotic medieval magic of signature Evanescence tunes. Some electronics slip into the mix, but the band's rock essence and penchant for weepy strings remain prominent, as does its flair for conveying wretched despair." PopMatters
Dane Prokofiev gave a mixed review about the decision of making a self-titled album saying that it was a step for a newly-created band. However, he praised the "noticeable increase in the prominence of choir singing, tinkling piano motifs, and the silky sound of string instruments." He also concluded that the songs on the deluxe edition were the best ones and that they sounded more memorable than any of the songs on the standard edition. Steven Hyden of The A.V. Club gave a negative review for the album writing: "Maniacally narcissistic, Evanescence is corny in the way only music so grim and humorless—and yet irredeemably stupid—can be."
on October 16, 2011 selling more than 110,000 copies in the United States. On October 19, 2011, the album topped the Billboard 200 selling more than 127,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan
and it became Evanescence's second album to debut at number one on the same chart. However, the first week of sales were lower than the band's last album The Open Door which sold more than 447,000 copies in its first week. It also managed to top the Digital Albums, Top Rock Albums, Alternative Albums and the Hard Rock Albums chart in the same country. It declined to number 4 the following week, selling more than 40,000 copies.
", the first single of the album was released digitally
on August 9, 2011. The song, which was written by Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo and Tim McCord, talks about freedom which is a constant theme on the whole album. The song was well received by fans, and by music critics who praised Amy Lees vocals. The single debuted at number one on the UK Rock Chart
, making Evanescence the artist with the most number-one singles on the chart for 2011. It also peaked at number 68 and 72 on the Billboard Hot 100
and UK Singles Chart
respectively. The video for "What You Want" was filmed on July 30, 2011 in a warehouse in Brooklyn
, New York
, and was directed by Meiert Avis
. It was released on September 13, 2011 and it showed the band performing the song live. Critics praised the video for its "crystal clear" shots and the live performance of the song. Evanescence premiered the song live on MTV on August 8 during a special show called "MTV First: Evanescence", which was also the first performance of the song. "My Heart Is Broken" was released to Hot/Mod/AC radio on October 31, 2011 and to pop stations November 1, 2011 as the first mainstream single, and the second single from the album overall.
in Nashville, Tennessee
, on August 17, 2011. This was followed by performances at Rock on the Range
in Winnipeg on August 20, Rock in Rio
on October 2, and José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum
, Puerto Rico
on October 6. The band will kick off the tour in the United States on October 10 in Oakland, California, and finish in New York City. They also announced a tour of the United Kingdom which will kick off at London
's Hammersmith Apollo
on November 4, 2011 and run until November 13, when the band close the tour at O2 Academy Birmingham. Their performances were supported by The Pretty Reckless
, Fair to Midland
and Rival Sons
. Lee further revealed that the band will play songs from all three albums and stated, "We're definitely focusing mainly on the new material. We're really excited about that music the most — obviously it's the newest — but of course we'll be playing some from both of our other albums too. I guess I'd say in general, our show's on the heavy-energy side, so we'll be running around singing a lot of fast songs." The tour for Evanescence will also continue with concerts in the United States, Asia and Europe.
.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
. The album was released on October 11, 2011, through Wind-up Records
Wind-Up Records
Wind-up Entertainment, Inc. is a record label based in New York City. It was formed in 1997 by Alan Meltzer, former owner of CD One Stop, following his 1996 purchase of Grass Records. Wind-up is currently the largest independently-owned record label in the world...
. The band started the writing process for the album in June 2009. The release of the album was changed several times. First, on February 22, 2010 the band entered the studio with producer Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...
, but later they stopped recording the album with him because he "wasn't the right fit". During that time the album was scheduled for an August or September 2010 release, but Lee later announced that Evanescence had left the studio to write more material. On April 11, 2011, the band went back into the studio with a new producer, Nick Raskulinecz
Nick Raskulinecz
Nick Raskulinecz is a Grammy-winning American record producer. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee.-Production career:Raskulinecz is from the Bearden area of Knoxville, Tennessee. He first produced and recorded bands in Knoxville on a 8-track recorder that his grandfather bought for him...
, and tracking was completed in July, 2011.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart with 127,000 copies in sales. It also debuted at number one on four other different Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts including the Rock Albums, Digital Albums, Alternative Albums, and the Hard Rock Albums charts. Upon its release, the album received mostly positive reviews from music critics who generally praised the new musical elements in the sound of the songs. The first single from the album, "What You Want
What You Want (Evanescence song)
"What You Want" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. The freedom-themed song was written by Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo and Tim McCord and was included on their self-titled third studio album Evanescence...
", was released on August 9, 2011. "My Heart Is Broken", the second single of the album was sent to Hot/Mod/AC radio on October 31, 2011 and to pop radio on November 1, 2011.
Background and writing
In a news posting to the Evanescence website during June 2009, Amy LeeAmy Lee
Amy Lynn Hartzler , best known as Amy Lee, is an American singer-songwriter and classically trained pianist. She is co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Evanescence. She cites influences ranging from classical musicians such as Mozart to modern artists Björk, Tori Amos, Danny Elfman and...
wrote that the band was in the process of writing new material for a new album proposed for release in 2010. She stated that the music would be an evolution of previous works and be "better, stronger, and more interesting". Lee further described the music on Evanescence as epic, dark, big, beautiful and desperate. During an interview with Spin magazine
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
, Lee called the record fun which according to her was a totally new thing for the band. Lee revealed, "When I listen to our old music I see that's where I was in my life at that time. This has been a long trip and parts have been hard. But it's about not taking everything so seriously this time."
In an interview with Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Lee said, "After finishing touring [behind 2006 album The Open Door
The Open Door
The Open Door is the second studio album by the American rock band Evanescence. It was first released in Poland on September 25, 2006, through Wind-up Records and subsequently in more than 20 other countries worldwide...
], I just sort of took off and didn't know what I was going to do next and wasn't sure if the Evanescence thing would happen again or when it would." She took a break from music for 18 months and in the end she decided she "wanted to work with the guys, and it became more of a group project". Lee also admitted that she had an identity crisis
Identity crisis
Identity crisis is an internal conflict of and search for identity.Identity crisis may also refer to:In comics:* Identity Crisis , DC Comics seven-issue limited series...
saying, "[The success with] Fallen
Fallen (Evanescence album)
-Critical response:Fallen has received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Johnny Loftus of Allmusic scored the album three and a half stars out of five, and named it an AMG Album Pick, saying, "The album does include flashes of the single's PG-rated nu-metal...
happened really fast, and it was just go, go, go for a couple years, and we went right into writing and wrote the next record. By the time we finished touring with The Open Door, I just needed to go, 'Who am I as an adult?'" During that time, she started spending a lot of time painting and appreciating other people's work, going to concerts and museums and listening to folk and indie music.
The writing process for the album started in 2009 when Lee wrote a song for the album, which was an electronic-driven song, a different direction from her usual style. Lee said, "I remember listening to it over and over, just obsessing over it the way I used to obsess over Evanescence music. That was the spark for me — and the spark to go in the electronic direction and bring some of that into what Evanescence is doing." She said that everyone in the band was involved in the writing of the songs, "Usually it's me and one main co-writer.[...] This time everybody had something to do with it from the ground up." She revealed, "[...] we had a lot of sessions where everybody was at their instruments spitting out ideas. That was scary to me in the past. You have to be fast to keep up and I didn't have that confidence, which is funny, because I've played music all my life. Plus, everybody hasn’t always agreed on what they wanted the band to sound like. But now, we're all on the same page and everybody brings something good to the table, so working like that made for special moments I couldn’t have come up with myself."
Recording and development
Evanescence entered the studio on February 22 to begin recording for the album. Will Hunt returned as drummer while a second drummer and programmer, Will "Science" Hunt, was brought in to assist in writing but ultimately did not join the band. David Campbell, who previously worked with the band on their second album The Open Door, was brought back to handle string arrangements, and the album was scheduled for release by the producer Steve LillywhiteSteve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...
. Lee later said that "Steve wasn't the right fit" and added that the band was on an experimental trip, trying different things and seeing what was right but when they tried to record the songs which Lee wrote without the band, "it wasn't working." She also revealed that the songs which were written with Lillywhite were of a slow tempo and acoustic and didn't flow with Evanescence's sound.
At the time the band began recording with Lillywhite, the album was intended for an August or September 2010 release. However, on June 21, 2010, Lee announced on EvThreads.com that Evanescence had temporarily left the studio to work further on the album and "get our heads into the right creative space". Lee also indicated that record label Wind-up was going through "uncertain times", which would further delay the release of the album. Wind-up Records president Ed Vetri supported Lee's decision to start recording all over again: "One thing we do at Wind-up is, we're patient. I[f] it's not right, it's not coming out. If it takes a year or four years, [we're] going to take the time it needs to write the right record." Having visited the studio several times to witness the album progressing, he stated that "her core fans will be really happy."
The band re-entered the studio in early April with nineteen songs and new producer Nick Raskulinecz
Nick Raskulinecz
Nick Raskulinecz is a Grammy-winning American record producer. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee.-Production career:Raskulinecz is from the Bearden area of Knoxville, Tennessee. He first produced and recorded bands in Knoxville on a 8-track recorder that his grandfather bought for him...
, who has produced music for Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
and Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, to continue work on their third album, which was recorded in Blackbird Studio in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. The mixing of Evanescence was done by Randy Staub
Randy Staub
Randy Staub is a Canadian recording engineer. He has been nominated for the Juno Awards' "Recording Engineer of the Year" award nine times. He won in 2002 for the songs "How You Remind Me" and "Too Bad" by Nickelback. Staub also mixed Alice in Chains' fourth studio album, Black Gives Way to...
. After an initial denial by band management, on June 12, Lee confirmed that Troy McLawhorn
Troy McLawhorn
William Troy McLawhorn is an American musician who is a guitarist of the band Evanescence.-Early carrer:He was formerly of the bands Seether, Dark New Day, doubleDrive and Still Rain. After the demise of his first band, Still Rain, McLawhorn helped form Dark New Day in 1995, although they were...
had rejoined the band as a guitarist. At the same time, Lee announced that the album would be released on October 4, 2011, which was later pushed back to October 11 by Wind-up Records. Lee explained that after the band got into the studio, she wanted the album to come out as soon as possible because it had been a long time since their last album. During the sessions, the instruments by the other members of Evanescence were recorded first, the pianos second and Lee's vocals were recorded at the end for a longer time because the songs were very hard according to Lee and she had to "push" herself vocally. During the recording, producer Nick Raskulinecz helped her to work out when the album was finished. Lee revealed that the recording with Raskulinecz made the album a rock record. She stated:
"Nick is an awesome producer. He really helped me get the plan and have confidence in the decisions that we made. For me, I have a lot of ideas and sometimes it just comes down to 'OK, everything that I'm doing I have two options!' He's awesome, because as I'm doing these things I'm asking him from the vocal booth or the piano room or whatever, 'Which one of these should I do?' He's good at helping me make a quick decision. I really trust his opinion because he makes great records."
Title and concept
During an interview with Kerrang!Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
, Lee revealed that the new album's title would be Evanescence. She explained that she realized how much she loved the band and got back in a "real, fuller way", realizing that the band is a "true part of me" and "makes me really, really happy to be here." Lee also revealed the reasoning behind the title of the album. "It's about the band; it's more of a band record. But I started thinking about it, and it's also that this whole record and the lyrical content and a lot of the things that it's about to me is about falling back in love with this thing, with Evanescence, with what I've obsessed over for a decade, longer than that." She also revealed, "I had a lot of album title ideas. But as it became more and more about the band...the more collaborative it became, it just felt like this is who we are, it's a band. And to have that feeling in the music where the band is so pumped up, it was just the only title that felt right. It's about falling back in love with this thing in a major way." During an interview with MTV News, Lee said that 16 songs had been recorded for the album, but that not all of them would be included on the album. Later it was revealed that all of the songs would be placed in a deluxe edition of the album and the standard edition would contain 12 songs.
The cover artwork for the album was revealed on August 30, 2011 on Evanescence's official website. It showed the name of the band written on a black background. It is the first album cover by the band that does not show Lee. During an interview Lee talked about the cover artwork saying, "Well, both of our other records are me on the cover, and I think it's cool to have that photo, you know, that people can look at and go, 'OK, that's who that is.' But I feel like, by now, they know who we are, and I wanted something really different. I didn't feel like we had to put a photo on the cover, I wanted it to be more mysterious and more about Evanescence itself, not just me." She added, "The idea to not have any photos on the outside I thought was really cool," she said. "And all the images and the artwork is a play on the meaning of the word 'Evanescence.' It means 'to dissipate like vapor,' so I decided to go with light and vapor ... it's really about Evanescence, not just me."
Musical style and inspiration
During the sessions that the band had with Steve Lillywhite, Lee described the album as a "rainbow of sounds" with heavy songs and stripped out songs. She added that the album had electroElectro (music)
Electro is a genre of electronic dance music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, Moog keytar synthesizers and funk sampling...
influences and a lot of drum programming. Later during the sessions with Nick Raskulincecz, Lee talked about the theme of the album saying, "I get inspired by nature. The ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
's been a theme. Brokenness has become a little bit of theme, without necessarily offering a solution." She added that the band used a lot of new instruments such as harp, synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s and vintage keyboards like the Moog Taurus Pedal. In an interview with Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
Lee said that she was inspired by life adding, "The music is about me [and] my relationships. The music and the lyrics have gone more aggressive than they ever have before too."
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine, Amy Lee said that she wrote some songs on harp including the ballads "Secret Door" and "My Heart Is Broken". According to a Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
interview, her husband bought her a harp as a gift.
Lee told Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
that the new album was influenced by Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
, Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
, MGMT
MGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
and Portishead. She added, "I remember when I first heard MGMT, their first record – I loved it, loved it. And I actually started getting inspired around that time with synthesizers and stuff. I have always loved Portishead, Massive Attack, those electro things.[...] Some of that has made it here. But I think when I finally found the sweet spot was combining the two things, combining Evanescence with some new elements."
Songs and lyrics
Amy Lee shares writing credits with other members of the band on 11 of the 12 songs. The album's first track and lead singleLead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
, "What You Want
What You Want (Evanescence song)
"What You Want" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. The freedom-themed song was written by Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo and Tim McCord and was included on their self-titled third studio album Evanescence...
", was described as being one of the band's most different and heaviest songs with heavy guitar melodies, loud drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, and a freedom theme. It opens with drums and a synchronized synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
whilst Lee sings "Do what you, what you want / If you have a dream for better / Do what you, what you want / 'Til you don't want it anymore" before transferring into danceable guitar-driven beat. Lyrically, the song is filled with the angst of a relationship that just is not quite working out despite the presence of love binding the pair together. "Made of Stone" is one of the oldest songs on the album, and has influences of heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
. Lyrically, Lee is confronting a former lover. "The Change", originally titled "Purple", begins with a gentle vibe that grows more insistent and has been compared to "Digital Bath
Digital Bath
"Digital Bath" is a song by alternative metal band Deftones and the third single from their third album, White Pony. It features a variety of effects and sampling. The verse of "Digital Bath" is composed of echoed guitar chords and soothing, whispered vocals...
" by the American alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
band Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
. The fourth track and second single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album, "My Heart Is Broken", is a ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
that was originally written with a harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
in stead of a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
before the final recording. It begins with a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and Lee's vocals before transferring to a drum beat accompanied by guitars and strings
Strings (music)
A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
. During the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
, Lee sings "I will never find a way to heal my soul/ And I will wander 'til the end of time/ Torn away from you/ My heart is broken".
The fifth track, "The Other Side", has churning, chunky guitars, double-bass drum and Lee's "ethereal, widescreen" vocals, and has elements of R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
. Lyrically, the main theme of the song is death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
. "Lost in Paradise
Lost in Paradise
Lost in Paradise is the 4th album by German band X-Perience. It was released after a break of six years since their latest album Journey of Life. After touring and promoting the last album, Polydor/Universal released the promotional single "It's a Sin", a cover of the Pet Shop Boys song...
" is a rock ballad that begins with piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, strings
Strings (music)
A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
, and Lee's unlayered vocals before the band kicks in during the song's climax
Climax
- Common general uses :* Climax * Climax * Climax community* Climax vegetation in an ecosystem* Sexual climax, another term for orgasm- Brand names and titles :* The Climax, a 1944 film...
. Lyrically, it reflects Lee's past struggles. It was also written as an apology to her fans for the band's five-year absence. The musical structure of the song was compared to "Jóga
Jóga
"Jóga" is a song by Björk, and the first single from her 1997 album Homogenic. It features a mix of classical string instruments with heavy electronic beats which is present in the whole album.-Background:...
" by Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic recording artist Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
. "Sick" has a loose and lazy melody and a chanted chorus. It was one of the first songs written for the album and "set[s] a heavy direction for the rest of the record." "End of the Dream" contains "full bore with chunky guitar, then falls into a brooding grove with piano underpinning Lee's unmistakable vocals." In the chorus Lee sings "Follow your heart 'til it bleeds," evincing the track's "seize the day" message. Talking about the song, Lee said "It's about understanding that this life isn't forever, and how you have to live it, embrace even the pain, before it's all over. As much as it hurts, it just means you're alive. So don't be so afraid to get hurt that you miss out on living." Another song, "Oceans", "starts with a big, low synth and a vocal, then the band kicks in", says Lee. "It's big and lush. We've been having a lot of fun playing that one especially." Another track, originally called "Orange", but later renamed to "Never Go Back" talked about "loss from the perspective of someone losing someone in a tragedy". Lee later revealed that the song was inspired by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
, which is also showcased in the lyrics "It's all gone, the only world I've ever known". "Swimming Home" is an electro-pop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
song with "grinding guitars and weeping piano."
Release and promotion
First, during the Steve Lillywhite sessions, the album was scheduled for a release in August or September, 2010. Later, during the sessions with Nick Raskulinecz, that date was pushed to October 4, 2011, which was later pushed back to October 11 by Wind-up. However in Germany, the album was released on October 7. The deluxe edition of the album was available for pre-order on the iTunes StoreITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. Snippets of the songs "What You Want", "The Other Side" and "Lost in Paradise" were shown on MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
on July 11, 13, and 15, respectively. Several songs from the album were made available online including "The Other Side" which premiered on September 21 at Hot Topic
Hot Topic
Hot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
, "My Heart Is Broken" on September 27, and "End of the Dream" on October 4, 2011 on Spin; all of the songs were made available on Spin on October 7.
On August 8, Evanescence appeared on MTV to premiere their first single "What You Want" with a live performance and later an extended interview. The entire event was called "MTV First: Evanescence". Lee went to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's Liberty Studios
Liberty Studios
Liberty Studios is the longest-running production house in continuous operation in New York City producing films, video, advertising and e-commerce productions. The studio was founded in 1963 by Anthony Lover. Liberty Studios has received both Emmy and Academy Award nominations.Liberty's most...
on August 22, to preview five mastered songs from the new album to a selected crowd of thirty people. She previewed "What You Want", "The Change", "The Other Side", "My Heart Is Broken" and "Lost in Paradise". Evanescence appeared on the Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio is a series of music festivals held in three cities: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lisbon in Portugal and Madrid in Spain.Four incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, 2001 and 2011, four in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and two in Madrid in 2008 and 2010....
festival on October 2, 2011 and performed "What You Want", "Made of Stone", "The Change", "The Other Side", "My Heart Is Broken", "Sick", and several songs from their previous two albums. Prior to the release of the album in the United States, Amy Lee appeared on Billboard on October 11, 2011 to promote Evanescence. On October 15, 2011, Evanescence appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and performed their songs "What You Want" and "Going Under
Going Under
"Going Under" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. It was released on September 9, 2003, as the second single from their debut album Fallen. It was written by Amy Lee, David Hodges and Ben Moody, while production was handled by Dave Fortman...
".
Critical reception
The album has received generally positive reviews from music critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted mean
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 63, based on 8 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Before its release, the album was placed on several lists including Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
s "26 Fall Albums That Matter Most", Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s "Fall Albums We Can't Wait to Hear", and Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s "Fall Music Preview: The Season's Hottest Albums". Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
praised Raskulinecz's production and added that the band sounded "less tortured tonally even if it remains quite dramatic." He further praised Lee's vocals and the "fair share of crossover hooks." Steve Beebee
Steve Beebee
Steve Beebee is a journalist, author and broadcaster, best known for his work with Kerrang! magazine. Beebee is one of the magazine's longest serving writers. He is known for championing bands for their genuine entertainment qualities as opposed to their tendency to fit in with present fashions and...
of rock magazine Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
gave the album five stars out of five, claiming the album is "easily their most cohesive and confident work" and their "best album to date". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said "when she [Lee] uses baroque orchestral accoutrements to wage an air assault on her demons (as she does on the blistering 'Oceans'), she's more than just the token girl in the pit." Lewis Corner of the website Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
gave the album four stars out of five, stating, "Evanescence's trademark rumbling guitars and dainty strings creep in; and truth be told, we wouldn't want it any other way." He added, "Amy Lee declares over roaring guitars and classical strings, reinforcing their medieval influences as opposed to the electronic sound they've been purporting."
Rick Florino of Artistdirect
ARTISTdirect
Founded in 1994, Artistdirect, Inc. is an online digital media entertainment company. It owns several websites including Artistdirect.com, UBL.com and the Artistdirect Network...
wrote that the album was "their best album to date and a new classic" and added, "Evanescence represent modern rock at its finest, and this album is further proof. They manage to experiment while staying unshakably infectious. That's not an easy feat, and few acts manage to do that. Evanescence is spacey, soaring, strong, and utterly alive." In another review, he called the album "mind-blowing", saying that Lee's vocal range "remains beyond impressive as she carries immortal melodies to the heavens and back." Nick Catucci of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said that the album consists mostly of "syrupy mix of piano, guitar and strings" which according to him, weren't as "saucy" as the band's other material. Chris Willman of Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
said that "every interchangeable tune on the new album also sounds designed to play over the end credits of an action blockbuster that takes itself too seriously". Mark Lepage of The Gazette
The Gazette (Montreal)
The Gazette, often called the Montreal Gazette to avoid ambiguity, is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with three other daily English newspapers all having shut down at different times during the second half of the 20th century.-History:In 1778,...
concluded that the album was "so solid that it begins to sound like one rolling, chugging, plangent epic." Chad Grischow of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
wrote that Evanescence was a "great album that delivers the familiar while keeping an eye on the future." Rob Williams of Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
classified the album as gothic nu-metal and hard rock with dramatic orchestration that makes everything sound "big and alive" and concluded, "With so many extra bells and whistles, despair has never sounded so epic." Marc Hirsh of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
concluded that the album captures "each party elevating the other far above where their proclivities would get them on their own."
Theon Weber of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
gave a mixed review of the album, saying that the band was holding Lee from making good music and added that "Evanescence get lost in the cavernous spaces carved out by their unsecret weapon." Edna Gundersen of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
criticized Raskulineczs production and the electronic sound of the album, saying "Tempered, her [Lee's] emotional wail enhances the hypnotic medieval magic of signature Evanescence tunes. Some electronics slip into the mix, but the band's rock essence and penchant for weepy strings remain prominent, as does its flair for conveying wretched despair." PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
Dane Prokofiev gave a mixed review about the decision of making a self-titled album saying that it was a step for a newly-created band. However, he praised the "noticeable increase in the prominence of choir singing, tinkling piano motifs, and the silky sound of string instruments." He also concluded that the songs on the deluxe edition were the best ones and that they sounded more memorable than any of the songs on the standard edition. Steven Hyden of The A.V. Club gave a negative review for the album writing: "Maniacally narcissistic, Evanescence is corny in the way only music so grim and humorless—and yet irredeemably stupid—can be."
Chart performance
Evanescence sold more than 2,000 copies on its first day of sales in the United Kingdom. Later, in its first week of sales, it debuted at number four selling 26,221 copies. On October 12, it was announced that the album will top the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
on October 16, 2011 selling more than 110,000 copies in the United States. On October 19, 2011, the album topped the Billboard 200 selling more than 127,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
and it became Evanescence's second album to debut at number one on the same chart. However, the first week of sales were lower than the band's last album The Open Door which sold more than 447,000 copies in its first week. It also managed to top the Digital Albums, Top Rock Albums, Alternative Albums and the Hard Rock Albums chart in the same country. It declined to number 4 the following week, selling more than 40,000 copies.
Singles
"What You WantWhat You Want (Evanescence song)
"What You Want" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. The freedom-themed song was written by Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo and Tim McCord and was included on their self-titled third studio album Evanescence...
", the first single of the album was released digitally
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on August 9, 2011. The song, which was written by Amy Lee, Terry Balsamo and Tim McCord, talks about freedom which is a constant theme on the whole album. The song was well received by fans, and by music critics who praised Amy Lees vocals. The single debuted at number one on the UK Rock Chart
UK Rock Chart
The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales....
, making Evanescence the artist with the most number-one singles on the chart for 2011. It also peaked at number 68 and 72 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
respectively. The video for "What You Want" was filmed on July 30, 2011 in a warehouse in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and was directed by Meiert Avis
Meiert Avis
Meiert Avis is an Irish music video and commercial director. Avis has directed videos for artists such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Avril Lavigne, Jennifer Lopez, New Found Glory and Josh Groban amongst many others....
. It was released on September 13, 2011 and it showed the band performing the song live. Critics praised the video for its "crystal clear" shots and the live performance of the song. Evanescence premiered the song live on MTV on August 8 during a special show called "MTV First: Evanescence", which was also the first performance of the song. "My Heart Is Broken" was released to Hot/Mod/AC radio on October 31, 2011 and to pop stations November 1, 2011 as the first mainstream single, and the second single from the album overall.
Tour
Evanescence began their tour in promotion of the album with a concert at War Memorial AuditoriumWar Memorial Auditorium
The War Memorial Auditorium is a 1,661-seat performance hall located in Nashville, Tennessee. It is located across the street from, and is governed by, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, and is also adjacent to the Tennessee State Capitol.- History :...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, on August 17, 2011. This was followed by performances at Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range is an annual rock festival featuring mostly mainstream rock bands, with a classic band usually headlining the show. The festival is held at two venues; Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio and Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
in Winnipeg on August 20, Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio is a series of music festivals held in three cities: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lisbon in Portugal and Madrid in Spain.Four incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, 2001 and 2011, four in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and two in Madrid in 2008 and 2010....
on October 2, and José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum
José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum
The José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum, officially named "Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot" , is the biggest indoor arena in Puerto Rico dedicated to entertainment...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
on October 6. The band will kick off the tour in the United States on October 10 in Oakland, California, and finish in New York City. They also announced a tour of the United Kingdom which will kick off at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
on November 4, 2011 and run until November 13, when the band close the tour at O2 Academy Birmingham. Their performances were supported by The Pretty Reckless
The Pretty Reckless
The Pretty Reckless are an American rock band from New York. The current members are Taylor Momsen , Ben Phillips , Mark Damon and Jamie Perkins ....
, Fair to Midland
Fair to Midland
Fair to Midland is an American progressive metal band that formed in 1998 and is based in Dallas, Texas. They are currently signed to E1 Music. According to the band's official website, their name comes from "...an old Texan play on the term 'fair to middling'." The band produced two self-released...
and Rival Sons
Rival Sons
Rival Sons is an American blues-rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band has digitally self-released one album and also digitally released a self-titled EP through Earache Records before marking their full label debut on the label with Pressure & Time in June 2011.- Before the Fire :Formed...
. Lee further revealed that the band will play songs from all three albums and stated, "We're definitely focusing mainly on the new material. We're really excited about that music the most — obviously it's the newest — but of course we'll be playing some from both of our other albums too. I guess I'd say in general, our show's on the heavy-energy side, so we'll be running around singing a lot of fast songs." The tour for Evanescence will also continue with concerts in the United States, Asia and Europe.
Track listing
- All songs produced by Nick Raskulinecz.
Credits and personnel
Credits are taken from Allmusic and the album's liner notesLiner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
.
- Chapman BaehlerChapman BaehlerChapman Baehler is a photographer and director primarily working with musicians.His photographs have been featured on more than 160 albums since the mid-1990s, covering artists including Brooks & Dunn , Iggy Pop , Nine Inch Nails, Kelly Clarkson, Stone Temple Pilots, John Mayer, Fishbone,...
– photography - Zach Blackstone – mixing assistant
- Claire Bryant – cello
- David Campbell – consultant
- Claire Chan – violin
- Jonathan Dinklage – viola, violin
- Peter Donovan – bass
- Dave EggarDave EggarDave Eggar is an American cellist, pianist and composer.-Early life:Eggar was a musical prodigy as a child, beginning to play the cello and piano at age three and performing on Broadway and at the Metropolitan Opera at age seven...
– cello - Evanescence – composer
- Terry BalsamoTerry BalsamoTerry Balsamo , is an American guitarist. He is the former guitarist of the alternative metal band Cold and the current guitarist of Evanescence.-Early projects and Cold:...
– guitar - Will HuntWill HuntWilliam Martin "Will" Hunt is an American musician who has served as drummer of the band Evanescence, Dark New Day, Skrape , ELI, Static-X and Black Label Society, just to name a few. Hunt was in Skrape until 2004 and Black Label Society until 2011. Both were signed to major record labels...
– drums - Amy LeeAmy LeeAmy Lynn Hartzler , best known as Amy Lee, is an American singer-songwriter and classically trained pianist. She is co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Evanescence. She cites influences ranging from classical musicians such as Mozart to modern artists Björk, Tori Amos, Danny Elfman and...
– vocals, piano, keyboards, harp - Tim McCordTim McCordTimothy McCord was announced as Evanescence's bass player in August 2006. He replaced bassist Will Boyd who left the band in mid-2006...
– bass guitar - Troy McLawhornTroy McLawhornWilliam Troy McLawhorn is an American musician who is a guitarist of the band Evanescence.-Early carrer:He was formerly of the bands Seether, Dark New Day, doubleDrive and Still Rain. After the demise of his first band, Still Rain, McLawhorn helped form Dark New Day in 1995, although they were...
– rhythm guitar
- Terry Balsamo
- Paul Fig – engineer
- William B. Hunt – composer, programming
- Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
– mastering - Michelle Lukianovich – package design
- Andrew Lurie – management
- Mike Mongillo – product manager
- Maxim Moston – violin
- John Nicholson – drum technician
- Suzy Perelman – violin
- Sarah Pratt – violin
- Nick Rakulinecz – producer
- Michael Roth – violin
- Antoine SilvermanAntoine SilvermanAntoine Silverman is a New York violinist, music contractor, and music arranger. The son of folk guitarist, writer and singer Jerry Silverman, Antoine began classical violin lessons at the age of three. By 5, he had discovered bluegrass as well, accompanying his father and playing fiddle contests...
– concert master, contractor - Mike Simmons – bass technician, guitar technician
- Phillis Sparks – instrument technician
- Randy StaubRandy StaubRandy Staub is a Canadian recording engineer. He has been nominated for the Juno Awards' "Recording Engineer of the Year" award nine times. He won in 2002 for the songs "How You Remind Me" and "Too Bad" by Nickelback. Staub also mixed Alice in Chains' fourth studio album, Black Gives Way to...
– mixing - Hiroko Taguchi – viola, violin
- Entcho Todorov – violin
- Chris Vrenna – keyboards, programming
- Gregg WattenbergGregg WattenbergGregg Wattenberg is a Grammy Award nominated songwriter, music producer, and musician residing in New York City, New York.Wattenberg co-produced Train's hit single "Hey, Soul Sister". He also co-wrote and co-produced Train's #1 Hit Single "If It's Love"...
– A&R - Zach Williams – composer
- Anja Wood – cello
- Nathan Yarborough – assistant engineer
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Argentinian Albums Chart Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers The Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers is an Argentine organization member of the IFPI, which represents the music industry in the country. It is a nonprofit organization integrated by multinational and independent record labels.... |
9 |
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
5 |
| Austrian Albums Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
4 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders) |
12 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Wallonia) |
9 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
2 |
| Czech Albums Chart | 3 |
| Danish Albums Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
22 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
14 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 14 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
8 |
| Greek Albums Chart IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
1 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
17 |
| Italian Album Chart | 5 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 17 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
3 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
19 |
| Polish Albums Chart Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
32 |
| Portuguese Albums Chart Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa The Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa is currently the only recording industry association in Portugal. Created in 1989, it succeeded GPPFV and UNEVA .... |
12 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 10 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
16 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
4 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
4 |
| UK Rock Albums Chart UK Rock Chart The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales.... |
1 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| US Top Rock Albums | 1 |
| US Alternative Albums | 1 |
| US Hard Rock Albums | 1 |
Certifications
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | October 7, 2011 | CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Universal Music |
| Germany | Wind-up Wind-Up Records Wind-up Entertainment, Inc. is a record label based in New York City. It was formed in 1997 by Alan Meltzer, former owner of CD One Stop, following his 1996 purchase of Grass Records. Wind-up is currently the largest independently-owned record label in the world... |
||
| Ireland | Virgin Records Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
||
| United Kingdom | October 10, 2011 | ||
| Poland | Wind-up | ||
| United States | October 11, 2011 | ||
| Finland | October 12, 2011 | EMI Music Finland EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... |
|
| Japan | EMI Music Japan | ||
| Sweden | Wind-up | ||
| Mexico | October 25, 2011 | ||
External links
- Evanescence at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...