Evanescence - The Open Door
The Open Door, the new album from Evanescence, had a worldwide release on 3 October. It debuted at #1 in the U.S., Australia, Germany, Greece, Japan, and Switzerland and was in the Top 5 in Austria, Canada, France, Holland, Hong Kong, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, UK, Ireland, Korea, Norway, and Denmark!
I don’t know what the figures in South Africa are, but Fallen, the band’s debut album, is the biggest selling alternative rock album in the country’s history.
But the big question is, even with all this success, is The Open Door any good?
The album is definitely more experimental / unconventional than Fallen. It requires repeat listening to really begin to appreciate it, particularly the second half of the album, which is less heavy, and veers almost into Tori Amos territory at times. This said, my first few listenings of Fallen were exactly the same, as I struggled to differentiate among tracks that just seem to blend one into the other.
The Open Door has a fantastic beginning with 4 punchy, powerful songs following one after the other. The rocking second track Call Me When You’re Sober is getting extensive radio play at the moment, and Track 4, Lithium is this album’s My Immortal – A haunting, tragic rock melody (complete with piano accompaniment) that showcases Amy Lee’s classical style vocal range.
The Open Door isn’t Evanescence becoming Nightwish, or even Evanescence being more Lacuna Coil. The music has Evanescence’s trademark gothy sound, but at first listen the subject matter seems to be, on the whole, more conventional – ended relationships, the pressures of celebrity etc, etc.
The gothiness is there, however. Lithium is about choosing to wallow in or escape depression. The last track, Good Enough is an unusually ‘happy’ Evanescence track, although there is a wonderful strain of over-dramatic, gothic obsession running through it, with lyrics like, ‘Under your spell again / I can't say no to you / Crave my heart and it's bleeding in your hand / I can't say no to you.’
Good Enough is a fantastic, memorable way to end the album, and its dark theatricality is matched earlier in the album with All That I’m Living For and Track 8, Like You which are death-obsessed and suicide-focused - I long to be like you / Lie cold in the ground like you / There's room inside for two and I'm not grieving for you / I'm coming for you.
If it was Fallen’s musical heaviness that you really enjoyed, you may not respond as favourably to The Open Door, which very often only brings guitar and bass into tracks about halfway through. However, in terms of striking a balance between personal expression, fan pleasing and trying something a little different, but unique to the band’s sound, Evanescence’s The Open Door is a perfect sophomore album. Now if only the band would come and tour South Africa!
Anyway, here’s a great Rolling Stone Magazine review of The Open Door, as well. Well worth a read!
The Open Door Track Listing
Sweet Sacrifice
Call Me When You're Sober
Weight Of The World
Lithium
Cloud Nine
Snow White Queen
Lacrymosa
Like You
Lose Control
The Only One
Your Star
All That I'm Living For
Good Enough
The Last Song I'm Wasting On You [Bonus Track if album bought on iTunes]
I don’t know what the figures in South Africa are, but Fallen, the band’s debut album, is the biggest selling alternative rock album in the country’s history.
But the big question is, even with all this success, is The Open Door any good?
The album is definitely more experimental / unconventional than Fallen. It requires repeat listening to really begin to appreciate it, particularly the second half of the album, which is less heavy, and veers almost into Tori Amos territory at times. This said, my first few listenings of Fallen were exactly the same, as I struggled to differentiate among tracks that just seem to blend one into the other.
The Open Door has a fantastic beginning with 4 punchy, powerful songs following one after the other. The rocking second track Call Me When You’re Sober is getting extensive radio play at the moment, and Track 4, Lithium is this album’s My Immortal – A haunting, tragic rock melody (complete with piano accompaniment) that showcases Amy Lee’s classical style vocal range.
The Open Door isn’t Evanescence becoming Nightwish, or even Evanescence being more Lacuna Coil. The music has Evanescence’s trademark gothy sound, but at first listen the subject matter seems to be, on the whole, more conventional – ended relationships, the pressures of celebrity etc, etc.
The gothiness is there, however. Lithium is about choosing to wallow in or escape depression. The last track, Good Enough is an unusually ‘happy’ Evanescence track, although there is a wonderful strain of over-dramatic, gothic obsession running through it, with lyrics like, ‘Under your spell again / I can't say no to you / Crave my heart and it's bleeding in your hand / I can't say no to you.’
Good Enough is a fantastic, memorable way to end the album, and its dark theatricality is matched earlier in the album with All That I’m Living For and Track 8, Like You which are death-obsessed and suicide-focused - I long to be like you / Lie cold in the ground like you / There's room inside for two and I'm not grieving for you / I'm coming for you.
If it was Fallen’s musical heaviness that you really enjoyed, you may not respond as favourably to The Open Door, which very often only brings guitar and bass into tracks about halfway through. However, in terms of striking a balance between personal expression, fan pleasing and trying something a little different, but unique to the band’s sound, Evanescence’s The Open Door is a perfect sophomore album. Now if only the band would come and tour South Africa!
Anyway, here’s a great Rolling Stone Magazine review of The Open Door, as well. Well worth a read!
The Open Door Track Listing
Sweet Sacrifice
Call Me When You're Sober
Weight Of The World
Lithium
Cloud Nine
Snow White Queen
Lacrymosa
Like You
Lose Control
The Only One
Your Star
All That I'm Living For
Good Enough
The Last Song I'm Wasting On You [Bonus Track if album bought on iTunes]
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