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Evanescence

The Open Door  Hear it Now

RS: 3.5of 5 Stars Average User Rating: 4of 5 Stars

2006

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A few years ago, when Evanescence got off the bus from Arkansas and sold 7 million copies of their debut album, Fallen, they were the only Evanescence around. As soon as you saw the video for "My Immortal," you knew you were in the presence of a teen-misery titan, as Amy Lee tiptoed through a marble castle of pain, in a Victorian white dress she could have borrowed from Stevie Nicks, and a voice that came from you and me. But these days there are scads of Evanescences: young bands searching for the right combo of goth eyeliner, deader-than-death skin tone and morbid alterna-teen melodrama. Without Evanescence, could there be a My Chemical Romance or Panic! at the Disco? Evanescence's goth-metal bombast got its impact from Lee's spirituality, as she played her piano and sang about her haunted romances with both boys and God. In the process, she became America's favorite Christian zombie-vampire girl. Did that make her happy? One listen to The Open Door should let you know: Amy Lee is still extremely sad about boys, God and much, much more.

In the three years since Fallen, Lee has gone through a few major lifestyle changes. For one thing, she is now a rock star, which is why she now writes songs about the pressures of fame ("Weight of the World") and psycho fans ("Snow White Queen"). She also split with guitarist Ben Moody, whom she met at Christian summer camp while she was singing a Meat Loaf ballad. But, really, Lee could replace the boys in the band mid-song and nobody would notice. When the pain takes over her corseted soul, as in practically every song on The Open Door, she just overdubs her big bodice-ripping voice into a choir. Her vocals are over the top, in the mode of Eighties shoulder-pad belters like Pat Benatar or Heart's Ann Wilson, which suits breakup songs like "Sweet Sacrifice" and "Call Me When You're Sober."

But Lee's greatness is her ordinariness. She still sounds like a very average Middle American girl who yearns to be "Good Enough" but who suffers from an above-average attraction to magnetic and destructive dudes. One of these dudes seems to be the Lord Himself ("Your Star"), and at least one other seems to be her ex-boyfriend from Seether. "Call Me When You're Sober" appears to be about the latter; "Sweet Sacrifice" is clearly aimed at Moody ("One day I'm gonna forget your name/And one sweet day, you're gonna drown in my lost pain"); and "Lithium" is her ode to Kurt Cobain. How does one girl collect so many dangerous boys? Every time she leaves the house, she seems to run into some messianic skater dude who puts her on "Cloud 9" and makes her "Lose Control," until she ends up as "Lacrymosa," sobbing hysterically over a grand piano. But if Lee sometimes can't tell the difference between the Holy Spirit and the cute guy at the next locker, how does that make her different from any other high school girl? Or you, for that matter?

It definitely says something that the best songs on The Open Door are the creepiest. She identifies with a fan who's stalking her, in the seriously disturbed "Snow White Queen." She out-"Helena" 's "Helena" in the teen-death trip "Like You," where she eulogizes her dead sister: "I long to be like you/Lie cold in the ground like you." Obviously, Lee has got a touch of the magnetic and destructive herself. But that's what makes the breakup songs on The Open Door feel mighty real.

ROB SHEFFIELD

(Posted: Oct 5, 2006)

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Review 1 of 25

raist316 writes:

5of 5 Stars


I was a little surprised as I read the other reviews. I agree that Lee has a voice for the ages. But I think the music on this album is a definite step-up from 'Fallen'. It can be very difficult to make a good follow-up album. Labels fear to go astray of the sound or formula that made the first album a hit. That often makes the second album sound like a rehash of the first. In this case, the drumming is more detailed, the guitar work less chugging and more intricate. Lee's voice is, of course, at the apex. This is a grown up, more interesting album than the last, which was certainly among the best out there.

Mar 5, 2008 09:27:57

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Review 2 of 25

McrMama writes:

3of 5 Stars


when i first heard about evanescence i was just a little lost 9 year old girl and its been 4 years now and im still a fan but i have to say I think this album isn't as good as Fallen. Song by song it just doesn't compare. So i was alittle dessapointed about this album.

Oct 14, 2007 21:13:42

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Review 3 of 25

Megha writes:

Not Rated


I've always considered myself an Evanesence fan and still get goose-flesh everytime I listen to Evanescence, but surprisingly enough, I found myself agreeing with Rob Sheffield. Four years after Fallen, Evanescence's songs are still about horribly twisted relationships and misery. Amy Lee seems to be trying too hard on this album, as opposed to Fallen, where she sounded raw and more meaningful. With The Open Door, it seems to me that Evanescence is merely striving for a hit album and single, unlike Fallen. Their first album was all about "telling it like it is" and fuck you if you don't get it. Unfortunately, that is not the case with their second effort. And to realise that, for a long-time fan, is a dissapointment.

Apr 23, 2007 12:10:02

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Review 4 of 25

BlackInk writes:

5of 5 Stars


The Open Door delivers a beautiful and gripping album. Contray to Fallen, The Open Door sounds more mature and the music is alot more experimental. SOngs such as "Sweet Sacrifice", "Your Star" and "Call me when You're Sober" stand out as pure evanescence genuis while tracks like "Lithium" and "Weight Of world" are strong and powerful. Amy sounds great and the band provide the perfect sound for The Open Door. It is more creative, experimental and simply more evanescence.

Apr 8, 2007 17:25:19

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Review 5 of 25

AmandaCarolan writes:

5of 5 Stars


The Open Door is a haunting, beautiful, and heavy gothic metal album. "Call Me When You're Sober" is the only Z100-friendly track (thank god). Songs like "Sweet Sacrifice" and "Weight of the World" are truly goth-metal, and the haunting ballads "Like You" "Lacrymosa" and "Good Enough" are beautiful. The most individual track on the CD is "Lithium", starting out like a soulful "My Immortal"-esque ballad, and then send in Terry Balsamo's awesome guitar, Rocky Gray's drums, the bass players awesome bass, and Amy's vocals, and it is in a class of it's own. Overall, one of the best albums I've ever heard. In my life.

The end! haha.

Mar 25, 2007 17:52:01

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Review 6 of 25

farhanzafry writes:

5of 5 Stars


THE BEST ALBUM I'VE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE

Mar 17, 2007 11:25:26

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Review 7 of 25

DJRnold writes:

4of 5 Stars


I like all evanescence songs. But there are good songs and
there are great songs, and this album has a lot more great
songs than "Fallen". I still really like Fallen though.
After "Lacrymosa" and before "All That I'm Living For", there is
several good(not great) songs in a row, all of which have a
very similar style. That makes that part of the album carry on
for a long time without doing anything intersting. The album
could have had one or two more piano ballads in the middle,
and some more songs with creative sounds (like the creepy
noises in "Cloud Nine". The first single was "Call Me When
You're Sober", second was "Lithium" and the band has
confirmed that the third is going to be "Sweet Sacrafice". I
think "Weight of the World" should be fourth, and "Cloud
Nine" could be fifth or sixth. But then I'm stuck between
"Good Enogh" and "All That I'm Living For", not to mention
that "Lacrymosa" sounds like it could be a single.
The solution: release seven singles. That doesn't happen very
much, however, and It's probably not going to. We'll see what
happens.

Mar 10, 2007 09:19:07

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Review 8 of 25

captainKirk writes:

5of 5 Stars


The Open Door is one the best albums iv'e heard. ROB SHEFFIELD has NO idea what he is talking about....Evanescence are amazingly mature and while they still sound the same as on Fallen their songs and music is alot more mature. If all the critics are going to keep on comparing Evanescene to Fallen they will never be able to move on....GET OVER IT. Amy sounds amazing with the band. And as for the stupid comment on not knowing if the band would change half way through is sad. Evanescence is evanescence with John, Terry, Rocky and Tim. This album is emotional but it is also pure rock and classical Evanescence...just recarnated in a better more mature way.

Feb 14, 2007 02:53:48

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