Going Under: One of the best songs on the album without a doubt. Surprising and interesting at every turn. Very Original. 5/5

Bring Me To Life: The song most people know them by. Maybe a little over played on the radio, but a great song none-the-less. And the song that got me interested in them to begin with. 4.5/5

Everybody's Fool: A solid song that expands you a little deeper into the sound of the band. 4/5

My Immortal: A haunting and beautiful song. Amy's voice sends chills up my spine. 4.5/5

Haunted: A great song. Dark and eerie, may incite thought and contemplation. 4.5/5

Tourniquet: Awesome song. (Though the lyrics are a little on the strange side) Great Melody. 4/5

Imaginary: This song has a great transfer from the previous song and is a solid effort as well. Both these songs together make for a great 8 minute excursion. 4/5

Taking Over Me: Best Song on the Disc (in my opinion). Played this one over and over again. All around great melody, chorus and the music is outstanding. 5/5

Hello: A little strange on this one, but another solid effort. Amy's voice once again, shines on this one. 4/5

My Last Breath: A Good song. Probably the "average song" of the record, if that makes any sense. 4/5

Whisper: Now, surprisingly this was my least favorite song on the album. The end of the song is a little out there and while I like the music and the vocals, it seemed to lose me towards the end and seemed a little lacking in the melodies and lyrics. 3.5/5

Overall, a solid 4/5. While I do see the validity of a comparison to Linkin Park and bands of the like, I must express that I feel this band still manages to have a unique sound that I really enjoyed. Simply, a breath of fresh air.


wow...this was suprising...   October 17, 2003
 366 out of 425 found this review helpful

While I'll admit that I have one of the most eclectic CD collections of anyone I know (Live, Dave Matthews and Enya all live happily next to each other in one section of the rack), I've always steered clear of the stuff that usually gets lumped together with the "goth" stamp on it. So you'd think that a group like Evanescence wouldn't have much of a chance of getting into the collection. However, what I've found here is nothing short of the most addicting sound I've run across in a long time. I expected a Linkin Park-style album with a bunch of tracks like "Bring Me To Life" - the catchy, albeit overplayed first single. What I found, though, was an album with more depth, emotion, and haunting sound than has hit rock in a long time. The first 3 tracks were as advertized: heavy, minor-chord, guitar-riff driven anthems with Amy Lee's powerful voice soaring over the top of them. When I got to "My Immortal," however, I had to pull the car over. I don't know when the last time was that a song made YOU tear, but the unbelievably haunting and angelic sound of Amy and those strings struck a chord in me that I didn't even know was there. Needless to say, I was hooked, and Fallen has been the shower music of choice every morning since. Ok ok, so the group is basically Moody, Lee, and a bunch of hired-gun studio musicians. And yes, the themes explored are dark, painful and at times almost disturbing. But prepackaged teen-angst it is not. What it IS, is an enchanting melodic ride through the more painful parts of life, centered around a voice that could sing the "Hokey Pokey" and give me chills. Or maybe I'm just a goth in a yuppie's body after all...


And the award for "Most Overrated Band of 2003" goes to...   March 22, 2004
 148 out of 475 found this review helpful

...Evanescence!

This "band" (using the term loosely - it's clearly The Amy Lee Show) is obviously the beneficiary of this whole "alternative to teen pop" wave that's going on, along with the likes of Avril Lavigne. "Wow, they play their own instruments and write their own songs - how amazing!"

People, don't let the whole wave of bubblegum pop distort your view of this incredibly average band. Evanescence can be described as a hybrid of Lacuna Coil (only far more commercial and not nearly as artistic), Linkin Park and Sarah McLachlan - they're desperately shooting for across-the-board mass appeal as well as incredibly image-conscious. They seem to be going for a pseudo-goth look, yet they have these wholesome saccharine lyrics that are in stark contrast to their appearance.

Let's move on to the actual songs: The guitar parts are as simplistic as your token rap-metal band, the rhythms aren't all that complex, and when Amy Lee sings during the choruses, she sounds like she's auditioning for a Broadway show. "Bring Me To Life" became popular because it sounds just like a Linkin Park song, complete with obligatory nonsense rapping courtesy of Paul McCoy from goody-goody Christian rockers 12 Stones. You also have your overwrought, cloying ballads like "My Immortal", a melodramatic weeper that easily could have been written by the likes of Diane Warren. The other songs on the album sound pretty much like "Bring Me To Life", only thankfully they spared us the hokey rapping.

In summary: Don't believe the hype, this is not the astounding work of art that MTV and radio want you to think it is. But if you're looking for a by-the-numbers collection of pseudo-gothic rap-rock and maudlin power ballads, here you go.


Very Overrated...   October 24, 2003
 133 out of 474 found this review helpful

Cutting to the chase, this album is so overrated, its incredible. Actually the album is ok, even below-average. Some people are even calling this the begining of a new era in metal, Melody Metal? Funny stuff alright, but there are much better albums out there. My first problem with this album is the quality of lyrics (I am not broke, dont try to fix me), then the typically processed sound of each and every song. There is something very artificial, shallow, superfluous, with this album. I guess its the way the band made every song very friendly to listen. Its like people sitting down to make great music not great music just coming out naturally. I always thought the difference between pop and rock music is while pop is music made "for" the masses, rock is music made "by" the masses. Its something natural (rock) versus something fake (pop). nothing wrong or right as such.

Keeping the morals aside for a while, Tourniquet and My Last Breath are good songs and they quite rock. I cant think of any other. The only reason I even got this CD is because everybody and their brother was talking about it. Well, dont buy into such talk any more. Let me tell you, there are some more great releases out there you might want to try, Opeth's Damnation/Deliverence are excellent, now that is what metal is. Queensryches Tribe is good, Anthrax has a brilliant record out We've Come For U All, or get thenew Poison The WEll CD, Porcupine Tree's In Absentia is music and save your hard money for good music such as that. Leave this fallen alone, explore the better ones!


Quit reading this review and BUY THE ALBUM !   March 5, 2003
 109 out of 135 found this review helpful

If you found out about Evanescence through their work on the Daredevil Soundtrack (like I sort of did), you will be amazed by "Fallen."

You will be BLOWN AWAY.
You will be OVERJOYED with your purchase.

Rarely - if ever - does a new artist burst onto the scene with such refined, cultivated, and delicately manipulated talent. Evanescence uses every bit of their signatures from more widely-distributed tracks (including piano breakdowns, crunchy guitar chords, and ethereal female vocals) to enhance every song on their newest CD. The creative use of stereo harmonies and synthcore-style programming lends a depth to their creation unmatched by any band - old or new - that I have ever encountered.

If you have trouble defining Evanescence's proper place in the genres, don't feel ashamed. This CD - if nothing else - completely deconstructs the popular notions of several types of alternative rock. At times Amy's voice and David's keys play off each other in such a way that you might think you're listening to a delicious version of new age. But just when you're settling into total relaxation, Ben's guitar wails in the background or thunders to center stage with staggering fortitude. In fact, Ben's work may lead you to describe this CD as doom metal. Choose to limit Evanescence to that genre, however, and I call your attention to track 10 of "Fallen" ('My Last Breath'). Specifically I point out its synthesizer intro, backing strings, and the lead guitar riffs that could easily fit into a Stabbing Westward or Staind track. Clearly, Evanescence is a band that distorts definitions, upends conventions, and enthralls the listener.

Poetics aside, if I were forced to give Evanescence a single genre (based on "Fallen") it would be Nu Metal. (Feel free to dispute this to your hearts' content.)

Just in case your curiosity hasn't peeked yet, I'll add one last bit of observation: 'Bring Me to Life' (of Daredevil fame) is NOT the best track on this album. It's in the upper half in quality, but there are better things to be had from a tour through "Fallen."

"Fallen" has made a true Evanescence believer out of me, and I am confident it will do the same for you!

So, what are you waiting for? Quit reading this review and BUY YOUR COPY NOW!