New Evanescence CD

If there’s one rule in music, it’s to always be wary of a group’s sophomore release. Why? Most groups who find themselves a heap of success with their first CD will choke under the pressure of fans and their record company and release a terrible follow up.
Off of the top of my head, I can think of a handful of groups — Gin Blossoms, Living Colour, The Presidents of the United States, Christina Aguilera, Nelly Furtado — who have fallen prey to the sophomore slump.
This week, two sophomore releases are hitting the street — The Killers’ Sam’s Town and Evanescence’s The Open Door. While I have only heard one song off of The Killers’ new CD (which wasn’t bad) I have heard Evanescence’s entire disc, and I’m happy to say they will not be making the list of Sophomore Slumpers.
Evanescence doesn’t hold back any punches with The Open Door, delivering a disc packed with energetically angry guitars and Amy Lee's passionate vocals. Tracks like Sweet Sacrifice and Weight of the World, have music infused with Middle Eastern influences, and while most of the disc is pretty heavy, much of the background music is classical.
When The Open Door is at its height, it’s an amazing disc.
But there are times when the disc slows down enough where it starts to collapse under its lofty expectations. Two songs, Like You and The Only One, are probably diamonds in the rough. By themselves they are fairly strong, but being buried between the loving Lithium and fervent Your Star makes them feel like dead weight.
None of the disc’s 13 tracks can compare to Lacrymosa, which features music from Mozart’s “Requiem in D Minor.” This is where Evanescence shines — combining pain and beauty in one, vigorous composition. It’s amazing. Check it out by clicking HERE.
Evanescence’s return is definitely a triumphant one. They turned what could have easily been another sophomore slump into a musical victory.