The Open Door [Digipak] * by Evanescence

Pros: Like You and Lacrymosa are stunning, stunning, stunning...
Cons: For the most part, the vocals are unremarkable and the lyrics are terrible

It's been a little over three years since Arkansas-based rock band Evanescence released its major-label debut F allen, a magnificent album that continues to astound me to this day. With ...

Pros: Occasional impressive vocal work and a little experimentation that hearkens back to Origin.
Cons: Criticisms that applied to Fallen apply moreso here. Easy to tune out during the back half.

Evanescence. Y'all remember them. The female-fronted, "goth" rock band was pretty much haunting everyone back in 2003 - like them or not. I rather enjoyed their music, though I understood the criticism that it wasn't really "goth", it was just a ...

Pros: Some gorgeous music, Lee's vocals are often beautiful, powerful at its best
Cons: One big, black brooding pity party. Not a very rewarding listen, not very consistent.

The first time I heard Fallen back in 2003 I was floored by the gorgeous confessional of pain and loss reflected in the thundering guitars, swirling vortex of pianos and strings and Amy Lee's tortured wail. "Bring Me to Life" was an anthem for ...

Pros: The three songs Amy penned by herself - Lithium, Like You, Good Enough
Cons: The denial. The lack of continuity. The voids.

Dear Amy, Three and one half years ago, I was sitting in the movie theater, watching Ben and Jen and their wonderful chemistry in Daredevil, when I first heard My Immortal. The wind was knocked out of me. I quivered. My eyes ...

Pros: one or two worthwhile tracks
Cons: Lee's vocals/lyrics, ZERO musical originality, droning, boring, unmemorable

Few bands have sparked such a personal connection amongst listeners in recent years as Evanescence did with their 2003 debut, Fallen. Led by singer Amy Lee's deeply personal lyrics and a pair of couldn't escape them if you tried hit ...

Pros: Excellent voice, defined sense of musical niche, generally good lyrics
Cons: Nothing terribly new, Holistic view of the album is rather average

It is a rare thing that I will go back to one of my prior reviews and reread it before reviewing something new. In some cases, I suppose this leads to an inconsistency in the way I rate things. For example, I'm not truly sure The White Stripes's album ...

Pros: At least the band experimented more with their sound musical instruments.
Cons: Amy's voice is utterly a mess this time around and makes songs not enjoyable.

Amy Lee, what the hell have you done? If you haven't heard, Evanescence is a rock group, but not just any rock group that can create gritty guitar licks and "gothic" sound, Evanescence has something any rock band would die to have--Amy Lee. Indeed, Amy ...

Pros: EV has learned some new chords and interesting progressions, but...
Cons: Amy Lee's self-indulgent, woe-is-ME lyrics betray everything I loved about her work in Fallen

The centerpiece of Mozart's mass for the dead, Requiem (KV626) is Lacrymosa; it also happens to be used as the basis of Lacrymosa, the centerpiece of Evanescence's new album The Open Door. But while Mozart's ...

Pros: It continues everything we love about Evanescence... plaintive rock with breath-taking vocals
Cons: Some of the time, replete with shocking lyrics and tuneless rasping

Come on now, out with it... How do you know Amy Lee is the defining element of The Open Door? Well, the cover art... again. Little girl stands tentatively in front of big door, or apprehensive girl takes steps into a new life... ...

Pros: Amy still manages to impress occasionally with glimpses of emotional vocals and sparkling lyricism
Cons: Everything here seems like such a massive downgrade from their past musical attempts at perfection

By definition, I wouldn't consider myself an Evanescence fan. That's not to say I don't respect or wholly enjoy the band, it's just a disclaimer statement so as not to pretend that I wholly adore the band on a personal level. I don't. But I do know that ...

Pros: Solid first half, the band experiments a little.
Cons: Tedious second half, trite lyrics, dearth of memorable melodies.

I'm a casual Evanescence fan, in spite of the nagging feeling that I should have already outgrown their goth-lite shtick when the gajillion selling Fallen first put them on the pop music map. (Not to mention their awful band name, the ...

Pros: If you listen often enough, there are some songs that rock out.
Cons: I didn't find the Shadow World or Julian

My sister emailed me one day, gushing about the newest Evanescence CD, The Open Door, saying it was the “heaven of my story” which makes sense to me, and is a very good thing. She pointed out #2, #3, and #7 before saying they were all ...

Pros: Several strong tracks
Cons: Some of the songs sound pieced together

It looks like I’m going against the grain here by actually liking this album better than the last one. I enjoy Evanescence’s music, despite its slightly manufactured sound. Even though it’s a little more ‘studio’ than my regular tastes, I think their ...

Pros: Some of the experiments work and some conviction is present, particularly on "Lacrymosa."
Cons: Amy Lee's effectiveness as a writer and performer are drowned out by strives for "maturity."

I would be hard-pressed to find a band whose debut album captivated listeners more than Arkansas-based group Evanescence. Led by the womanly, deeply personal touch of vocalist and lyricist Amy Lee, their 2003 major-label debut, ...

Pros: The dreary and darkly beautiful music we've all come to expect from them.
Cons: Some songs that try too hard to live up to "Fallen".

I discovered the first Evanescence album, "Fallen", several months after it came out in 03, and since then I've been chomping at the bit for them to release another album already (there was the live fare, but that didn't quite count). So naturally, I ran ...

Pros: Some nice melodies, good music to be a bitter ex-girlfriend to
Cons: Nothing original, repetitive songs, cliqued lyrics

There's nothing that irritates me more about this band than when I crank out a Lacuna Coil or Within Temptation song for someone and their first reaction is to say, "oh, hey, this sounds like Evanescence!" No. Evanescence ...

Pros: Amy Lee's voice, sections of songs, "Lacrymosa" and "Lithium"
Cons: mediocre, forgettable, a blaspheme

What happened to Evanescence?!

Evanescence (accidentally) speaks of itself in its song "Lithium," one of the best songs on a disappointingly mediocre CD. Peoples' complaints that "it all sounds the same" evidently have some grounds here; I've listened to the CD almost exclusively in ...

Pros: Great vocals and very epic
Cons: some songs aren't as great

This is the album that i've been waiting for, for 3 years I have been waiting and the final product is absolutely beautiful. For starters, some songs are quite breathtaking and others are really kind of a drab. They really did experiment in this album, ...

Pros: Amy's voice is solid, tight band
Cons: Amy's vocals are inconsistent, commercial offering at best

Don't step through this door; they haven't been able to get back up yet. The complexities and depth of the compositions in Fallen are sadly lacking here. The passion so evident in Fallen just doesn't come through here. Fallen set a very high standard ...

Pros: New unique and matured.
Cons: not much of any ,Some songs did take some getting into.

This album i my opion is a def keeper that those who adorded fallen might have trouble understanding. Amy Lee has said she doesnt make the same album twice and she did not, this is a great album filled with emotion, and soul. Its obviously a follow up to ...

Pros: Optimism mixed with darkness, dreary atmosphere, lyrics, soaring vocals
Cons: Nothing, this CD simply took things farther

Amy sat down and made a sensational album with her boys. Yes, to many critics surprise, the rest of the band was involved. Terry was her writing partner. Simply take a glance at the credits of the CD, and Balsamo is on almost all of the songs. "All That I'm Living For" was also the work of John. Anyway, here comes my thoughts.

Sweet Sacrifice opens with the same, gripping method like heard in Going Under. This time, we're drawn into a world full of empowerment, yet plenty of darkness.

The rest of the album continues with catchy tunes, meaningful lyrics, soaring vocals, nice guitar work, and the same dreary melodies we all loved before, they just grew and added some positive aspects to them.

Bottom Line: Amy proved she could do it, without Ben, while still producing "Evanescence."

Pros: Amazing vocals with driving guitars
Cons: Nothing bad to say!

Amy Lee has the biggest voice of female rockers and she proves it on this very high energetic rock album by Evanescence. The highlight of the album is sweet sacrifice. Such a powerful song highlights Lee's vocals to a tee.