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EVANESCENCE
@ Metro Theatre, Sydney
14th November, 2025
(Live Review)

Review by Amelia Torresan

Photos (Perth 30th October) by Pete Gardner (@petegardnerphotography)

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EVANESCENCE / Photo – @petegardnerphotography

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Before a band hits the big time, they play small, intimate venues where their energy and passion for their music really shines through and you can tell that soon enough they will become a household name. Last night at the Metro Theatre felt like a step back in time to 20 years ago, just after Evanescence launched their 2003 debut album, Fallen, in that sweet spot right before they became one of the most well-known, female-fronted, powerhouse rock bands of all time. Treating their fans to an intimate side show, featuring songs they hadn’t played in a while, before they opened for Metallica at Accor Stadium the next night felt like a heartfelt thank you to those who had been fans from their early days for their decades of support. With no opening act, Evanescence was truly the main attraction of the night.

8pm ticked over and Evanescence started out with a bang, performing their track ‘Afterlife’ featured on the soundtrack for the game-adapted Netflix series ‘Devil May Cry’ released this year. Right off the bat, Amy Lee’s vocals were explosive and captivating with their dynamic highs and lows. ‘What You Want’ continued the power and energy and began the mix of older and newer songs on the setlist for the night. ‘Going Under’ the absolute classic of a track was the first peak in the setlist, where everyone in the crowd was singing/screaming alongside Amy Lee’s dominating vocals. She performed like a true rockstar, engaging with the audience and incorporating some dramatic hairography into her performance.

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EVANESCENCE / Photo – @petegardnerphotography

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Delivering immeasurable amounts of sass and attitude, up next was ‘Yeah, Right’ and ‘Call Me When You’re Sober.’ The energy of the crowd didn’t falter once so far, they were at a 10 from the minute the band stepped onstage and kept it at a 10. It was truly a testament of the crowd’s excitement and devotion to the band and their music and the sense of community in the hall was comforting.

‘The Change’ and ‘The Other Side’ showcased the best of Evanescence’s self-titled album from 2011, arguably one of their most underrated albums. The album features soulful vocals and a perfect contrast of edgy and delicate, the most accurate representation of Amy Lee as a musician. Their track ‘Wasted on You’ from The Bitter Truth provided a nice break in the setlist before they moved back into the album with ‘Lost in Paradise,’ a song inspired by Evanescence’s hiatus and the challenges Amy Lee faced during that time. The performance was raw and vulnerable and truly made the concert feel like an intimate show, even though there were thousands of other people in the room. One of my personal favourites, ‘Lithium’ continued to showcase Amy Lee’s piano talent and ability to completely silence a crowd who was hypnotised by her singing as if we were sailors listening to a siren.

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EVANESCENCE / Photo – @petegardnerphotography

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Bursting back to life onstage came ‘Fight Like A Girl,’ another very recent release to accompany the movie ‘Ballerina’ (2025), featuring a tough, don’t-mess-with-me theme, highlighting the power of women and empowering the phrase ‘fight like a girl.’ ‘Take Cover’ was the perfect song to follow, with its badass energy and sass. It was almost like ‘Fight Like A Girl’ and ‘Take Cover’ were written to accompany each other, despite being written 4 years apart. 

Watching ‘The End Of The Dream’ sung live, no effects, no theatrics, just those acapella vocals at the beginning sent goosebumps throughout the crowd. I truly believe that this song showcases Amy Lee’s vocals the best out of their entire discography, it’s raw, unfiltered and packed full of emotion that touched the hearts of the entire crowd. The song sent a wave of emotion over me, bringing me to tears as I watched and listened to my greatest musical inspiration pour her heart and soul out at the piano. ‘Better Without You’ jump-started the energy back into the crowd as the audience sang along to the upbeat, feel-good track and the good vibes continued all the way through ‘Imaginary’ and ‘Use My Voice’ where Amy Lee urged the crowd to ‘use your voice, use it for good.’ In a time where speaking out against injustice is more important than ever, ‘Use My Voice’ held more power than ever before.

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EVANESCENCE / Photo – @petegardnerphotography

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The time had come for the last three songs in the setlist, despite the crowd wishing that there was more to the night. Evanescence finished strong with three of their heaviest hitters, starting with ‘Blind Belief’ then going into arguably their most popular songs of all time: ‘My Immortal’ and the legendary track amongst legendary tracks: ‘Bring Me To Life.’ The emotional rollercoaster of these last three songs was one that the crowd didn’t want to get off. ‘Blind Belief was intense and empowering, urging the crowd to take the future into our own hands, ‘My Immortal’ shed many tears with its vulnerability and haunting sound, and ‘Bring Me To Life’ resurrected the crowd, surpassing emotions with what can only be described as a euphoric energy in the crowd. Witnessing one of the biggest songs of the 21st century live, while the entire crowd is singing alongside Evanescence is an unforgettable experience.

Evanescence is a testament to dedication and putting your entire being into your art, every song is powerful and emotionally driven, the lyrics are comforting in their relatability, with every song able to act as a solace for anyone listening. Amy Lee has inspired many in her two-decade long career to find peace within music, use your voice to speak on what is right, and never give up on yourself. Evanescence will forever be one of the greatest rock bands of our time, and their show at the Metro Theatre was just another display of their formidability as a band.

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EVANESCENCE / Photo – @petegardnerphotography

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Check out the full gallery of EVANESCENCE @ Metro City, Perth 30th October 2025 shot by Pete Gardner (@petegardnerphotography) HERE

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EVANESCENCE / Photo – @petegardnerphotography

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Follow EVANESCENCE
Website – Instagram – Facebook – Twitter

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EVANESCENCE / Photo – @petegardnerphotography

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EVANESCENCE / Photo – @petegardnerphotography

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Press Release 14th September 2025 (below) HERE

Destroy All Lines, TEG and Triple M Presents

EVANESCENCE
sell out three intimate
shows in under 2 minutes!

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AMNPLIFY – DB