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Review Summary: “It takes less time to do a thing right than to explain why you did it wrong.” - Henry Longfellow A pure and complete band has never been abolished from the public eye if they should look over their content once in a while. If every band in the world could take a look back on their debut success, (if they even had one) than maybe they'd be more capable of taking inspiration, and crafting a greater piece, one that would get them even higher in the popularity polls. Henry Longfellow said it best: “It takes less time to do a thing right than to explain why you did it wrong.” Evanescence takes a giant leap forth through this philosophy, and instead of coming off with "Fallen" Pt. 2, they create an album of much higher standards.
Evanescence has never been the epitome of their genre. But they have taken a huge leap forth in the humdrum that their genre creates after a while. Even in "Fallen", they were able to manifest a style of mainstream rock that was proportional to one of the most influential acts in history. With their sophomore album, "The Open Door", their genius now, can only spread farther, and wider. Granted, this has to be the band's most obscure album, and it is often forgotten because of their shocking debut, and an almost as successful self-titled album only just recently released. As much of a mainstream album this clearly is, it still doesn’t get the publicity it so terribly deserves. As for the members of Evanescence, there isn’t much to say beyond the fact that this is definitely has a much better feel to it.
I’m not saying that "Fallen" was a bad album. I am saying however, that for the standards that the group had set themselves, "Fallen" was a huge downhill experience, no matter how much publicity it got. "Fallen" was an album that, you didn’t take your inspirations from it to create your next album, instead, you used it to learn from your mistakes, and create a better next album. Evanescence spared no expense in revolutionizing their genre in this new experience. "The Open Door" takes a similar route that "Fallen" did, but in a much more mature manner. The mainstream pop culture experience that was seen in many places in "Fallen" has made way to more melodic and even better lyrics, with awesome music.
"The Open Door" kicks off with a soft guitar note repeated over again with Amy Lee's desperate vocal sound she became so famous for in the band's debut. Once you get through the intro to the first track "Sweet Sacrifice", before you even get to the actual verse of the song, you kind of wonder in your head: "is this going to be "Fallen" Pt. 2"? Because it honestly sounds just like the intro to the first track from "Fallen", "Going Under", But now you get to the rest of the song and it becomes immediately apparent that Evanescence is going in a different direction after all. This song, along with the next couple of tracks "Call Me When You're Sober" and "Weight of the World" show Amy in a much more harmonious state. As well with her perfection of the vocals comes a much greater performance by lead guitarist Terry Balsamo, and the new bassist Tim McCord. Between these two men alone, the riffs in nearly of these tracks perfect the mediocre sound from the group's debut.
Some of the tracks in this album also include Amy's awesome piano, which has only gotten even better in this album. The piano cords in here, as well as single note streaks find their way in the most prominent spaces. The drumming for this album is probably the only thing that hasn’t taken a huge leap forward. The standard drum lines remain the same from "Fallen", and from pretty much every other mainstream rock band it was inspired from, including the horror known as Nickelback. But besides average, and sometimes superfluous drumming, comes some other various songs that can override this issue easily. "Cloud Nine" has probably the best example of Evanescence's change in their musical style, and is arguably the best song on this album. There are a lot of areas in this song where the eerie feeling presented here is only perfected, and solidifies my point in how much better they have grown to be. Throughout the rest of this album is even greater examples of their musical perfection and Amy’s awesome voice are even put to a greater use in this album.
There is no doubt that Evanescence has matured quite a bit since their shocking debut, which in my eyes was pretty average, and only just able to be tolerated for extended periods of time. This album puts Evanescence's talents to a better use, and ultimately gives the listener a better experience for this band. Amy's more harmonious entrances in songs like "Lithium" and "Snow White Queen" are absolutely phenomenal. The member’s guitars and bass sounds are purified to perfection for this piece. Overall, the band has crafted a much better landmark to look back on for inspiration, for the next album, and for the band's performance as a whole.
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I enjoyed Fallen in a guilty pleasure sort of way. Thought this album was weak though.
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Oh yeah this was the album you got at FYE that time ( If I remember correctly). Anyways, pos
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"A pure and complete band has never been abolished from the public eye if they should look over their content once
in a while."
what does this mean? it doesn't make any sense.
"If every band in the world could take a look back on their debut success, (if they even had one) than"
if, then.
the phrase "evanescence has" flows so awkwardly that it kills most of the sentences you use it in. maybe this is just
me being nitpicky.
With their sophomore album, "The Open Door", their genius now, can only spread farther, and wider.
we can, rebuild, their genius, make it, smarter. faster. stronger.
"As much of a mainstream album this clearly is, it still doesn’t get the publicity it so terribly deserves."
uh, i believe you must have publicity to be mainstream. could be splitting hairs here.
""Fallen" was an album that, you didn’t take your inspirations from it to create your next album, instead, you used it
to learn from your mistakes, and create a better next album."
Comma use is atrocious all over this review, and this sentence makes Fallen sound like a mistake of sorts, which
almost sounds like it would be bad, which isn't what you're saying, but it is kind of what you're saying, nah'mean?
"between these two men alone, the riffs in nearly of these tracks perfect the mediocre sound from the group's debut.
"
is this a positive? how can something be perfectly mediocre? also fix the "riffs in nearly of these tracks" part.
"The standard drum lines remain the same from "Fallen", and from pretty much every other mainstream rock band it
was inspired from, including the horror known as Nickelback."
It's almost like rock itself is based off of a standard beat...huh. oh, and axe the nickelback joke unless you can make
it good. (you can't, so axe it.)
use phrases other than: shocking debut, mainstream, general genericness.
This could use some work.
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*sigh will will will..
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
You stepped up your vocabulary, but as Tyrannic pointed out you still carry the same reviewing mistakes from your other reviews.
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yawn
poor album
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well there ya go ryan. Finally, after 6 reviews, i fucked one up. happy now?
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and it is often forgotten because of their shocking debut
WTF are you talking about?
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Their first album was a solid effort and their commercial sound, playing off the surge of 'nu-metal' and the rise in female fronted rock bands with 'sexy' lead singers paid off in untold dividends. However, I see no real progression here for them, still the same stale formula of recycled guitar riffs, whiny lyrics, and vocalist that is good, but not great. They are a commodity, not a band that will be remembered for breaking a new boundaries or offering up something new. If I want to hear hard rock or metal, I will listen to a band that does it with some integrity and grit. To any detractors, this is not horrible, but is also not worth my time when there are so many other great bands to listen to.
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