Album A Day: Evanescence – Fallen

Artist: Evanescence
Album: Fallen
Release Date: March 4, 2003

You know, I try to avoid judging a book (or album, in this case) by its cover, but knowing what we know now about how the band known as Evanescence turned out, I think its safe to say that we all should have seen Evanescence’s, and specifically Amy Lee’s, troubles coming. Look at that album cover; just a close-up of Amy Lee’s face. Should we have been that surprised that Ben Moody left mere months after Fallen’s release and all original members of the band are now involved in other projects? I’m not so sure. To that end…

New Rule: “The Axl Rose Rule”. Axl Rose must either a) reunite with the original members of Guns N Roses, b) relinquish the Guns N Roses moniker to Slash and continue making music as a solo artist, or c) retire. This rule also applies to Billy Corgan and Amy Lee

Fallen isn’t really that bad an album. Actually, as much as it sounds like a relic from the angst fueled rap-rock era that was 2003, I still kinda like it. Lee and Moody were a pretty damn good songwriting duo, and there’s more heart and passion in this batch of songs than anything that Lee released post-Moody and more than I expect from We Are The Fallen. It’s a bit ham-handed at times (“Tourniquet”, anyone?), and certainly the band’s Grammy wins from that year feel even more awkward and out-of-touch now that we’ve seen the band’s deconstruction, but the orchestral elements and classical influence were a refreshing touch for a genre that barely managed to come into this world stillborn, and after three years had more than outstayed its welcome. This certainly doesn’t absolve Lee of her egomania and subpar follow-up records, but give credit where credit is due, I suppose.

Evanescence – Bring Me To Life [iTunes] (YSI)

==TJ==