Evanescence - Evanescence
Evanescence and Amy Lee are in an interesting, albeit odd, place in their careers.
Their new self-titled album is only their third in eight years, and fans have been waiting for five years for the follow-up to 2006's The Open Door.
After the departure of Ben Moody following their 2003 debut Fallen, it seemed that people's love for Amy Lee and the band had dropped.
However, The Open Door was a commercial and critical success, seeing the band avoid the trap of a tough second album.
From there, they've moved ahead to album number three, one that looks set to send them back to the top of the rock world.
Listening to the self-titled record, it's clear the band are back and ready to make themselves known again.
Kicking off with 'What You Want', Amy sings "Hello, hello, remember me," and the listener is constantly reminded why Evanescence are one of the bigger names in rock.
It's powerful, riff-heavy and Amy Lee is vocally back to her best.
For fans of the band, this will no doubt be a hit, with songs like 'Erase This' and 'Never Go Back' being notable highlights.
Ultimately, it does feel a little one-dimensional though, following a predictable formula for most tracks.
Admittedly, some of the riffs are huge, and Amy's vocals are as stunning and brilliant as ever, but the heavy, haunting sound grows tired without much of a change of pace.
The album is almost crying out of a "My Immortal" type track: something stripped down and utterly raw to break the record up and keep it engaging.
In reality, it relies on Amy Lee's soaring vocal style to add a sometimes softer side to a metal-influenced sound, which can become slightly repetitive.
As it stands, the self-titled record is full of good, powerful tracks that work well as a collection, in spite of struggling to stand out on their own.
Female First - Alistair McGeorge
Tagged in Evanescence