Captaind and Slarter are hosting the “Excellent and Excruciating W/O”, where one must review two products – one that warrants a five star rating and one that warrants a one-star rating. The W/O officially starts on August second, so for once I’m not late, I’m early. However, I may make up for that with my “Excruciating” entry – I don’t even know what I’m writing that on yet. The trick is both reviews must be in the same category. For more details, check either profile page for the links.
I have a friend who was so into hip-hop last year she barely gave any other genre of music a chance. However, there was one song she absolutely loved - Evanescence’s “Going Under”. That should have been my first clue the band was something special.
My second clue came in the form of the shit movie Daredevil, where two songs from Evanescence were featured, and along with the stellar acting of Colin Farrel, they were the only good things about the film.
My third and final clue was when I was this book, and I came to section discussing death. At the same time, another song from Evanescence – “My Immortal” came on radio, and the power of the song, combined with what I was reading brought a small tear to my eye and a lump to my throat. I didn’t cry or anything, but the emotion was there.
I wish I could say after that I rushed out to but the album. I wish I could but I can’t. That was in December, and I only bought the album a few days ago. I guess I held off because I’ve been fooled by hype before. You hear a lot of rave reviews about a CD or a movie so I would see it or buy it and then think ”what the fuck is so great about this?”
With Evanescence, it was ”Why didn’t I get this sooner?!”
A quick check of the tracklisting will tell you two things – 1) the first four songs are the first four singles, but 2) the order is a bit different. So chances are you’ve heard Going Under, Bring Me To Life, Everybody’s Fool and My Immortal, or you’ve at least heard of them. Let me just say this now though – they’re completely different songs on the album.
Well, not exactly. They’re still the same basic song but they sound better than on radio / TV. Stronger, more powerful. As if they needed it.
The basic Evanescence sound is rock, as the first few of songs, Going Under,Bring Me To Life and Everybody’s Fool, reflect. The thing with Evanescence, however, is that the songs are also filled with meaning. Being ignored, realization, having to be fake. Evanescence takes us through it all on the back some amazing guitar / piano action, and one of the most beautiful voices in music today, hands down.
Speaking of Amy Lee’s voice, it’s the main vehicle for the album’s first ballad, the soothing, emotional, deep, touching, My Immortal. It’s quite possible you’ve heard it many times before, but when I heard it on CD I was just like “WOW!”. That song just touched me so deeply, with those haunting piano chords and Amy’s perfectly pitched voice. The album’s worth the buy for this song alone.
Now we get into the songs that perhaps aren’t so familiar, but are certainly worth rambling about. Haunted is a powerful rock ballad with an amazing sense of timing from Amy Lee, while Tourniquet seems a little like a gospel song (”My God, My Tourniquet”) but the music is so dark, slow and moody that I think people at church would freak if I tried to introduce it to them. Ah well, their loss.
Imaginary has one of the best intros on the album, with a build-up that includes a lot of guitar and piano leading to Amy’s voice. Taking Over Me is a lot quieter to start with, which makes Amy’s voice seem clearer, but there’s also an air of desparation to it. Both songs really rock through the chorus, especially in Imaginary, while Talking Over Me rocks right throughout the latter half, with extremely powerful guitars and drums.
Fifth single Hello (according to my very reliable sources) is another ballad, the first on the album since My Immortal. The guitar seems to be omitted here in favour of the simple, effective combination of Amy’s voice and piano, with a little bit of violin thrown in. My Last Breath kicks the tempo up again and almost whispers to me, but only when I listen really carefully. It’s a little spooky to be honest. It also demonstrates Amy’s amazing ability to change the strength and timing of voice just like that.
Final track Whisper is a bit of a haunting song to leave us with. It’s another rock track, but this one deceives us by seeming slower than it really is. Amy almost gives us a slight hint of rapping at the start of one verse, but it’s more just the timing of the delivery.
Once that final track finishes, I’m left with a feeling of utter amazement and shock. The album sends a shiver down my spine and a sense of wonderment to my heart. It’s the most brilliant, emotional, and yes, excellent album I’ve ever heard. Yes, there’s been a lot of hype about Evanescence ever since they appeared in Daredevil, but for once, the hype should be believed. Upon the release of this album, Evanescence were one of the best rock bands in the world. Since it’s release, a couple of members have left and I’m not exactly sure if they’ve been replaced, or if album number two (should it ever be made) will be as good as Fallen. For that reason alone, this album should be cherished. Forget Avril Lavigne. Forget Pink. Forget Red Hot Chili Peppers. Evanescence are THE BEST band in my CD collection, and quite possibly the world. If you’re not willing to take my word for it, take my word for this: you need to own this album. No question.
Although the band s name may suggest a sudden vanishing, the music of Evanescence is poised for longevity. Fallen, the Wind-up Records debut of this t...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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