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EVANESCENCE
‘THE BITTER TRUTH’
Album Review
(March 26, 2021)

Reviewer – Amy Smith

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The Goth Rock powerhouse, who had a big impact in the early 2000’s, are back! Evanescence have released their first studio album of original material in 10 years!  Album number four, The Bitter Truth, follows their self-titled album which was released in 2011. Since then, the band have faced a myriad of personal and professional challenges, which has resulted in a beautiful collection of songs that old fans, and new, will be quite excited to get their ears around.

The albums strong point is its lyricism, it is highly emotional and relatable. Some songs feel very ‘Amy’ specific, like they have been used as a form of therapy to process challenging events to get them off her chest. For example Better Without You describes her struggles and battles in the music industry, and Take Cover details a strained relationship and wanting to take revenge. Others, which may be inspired by personal events, feel more general. Such as Use My Voice, which describes not succumbing to the pressure of being silenced and finding the strength to speak your truth, and Broken Pieces Shine, a call for all to shamelessly be who you are, warts and all.

Sonically, it is exactly what you would expect from Evanescence; A combination of traditional metal elements mixed in with electronic, industrial sounds. Amy’s voice is a standout feature. While angelic, her powerful voice exudes raw emotion that punches you in the gut as hard as the heavy instrumentals backing her. Unfortunately, her voice often gets lost in the mix, which makes it difficult to discern lyrics (A highlight of this album!) with production focusing too much on instrumentals. While the sound is nothing new, it is somewhat nostalgic, like greeting an old friend.

The overall theme of this album embodies a fighting spirit; that no matter how ugly and difficult the events you experience in life are, you can choose to face the pain and grow stronger as a result. It is timeless message that feels especially poignant at this point in history as we face a global pandemic and all the personal and collective struggle we have sustained as a result. The Bitter Truth is full of truths that you can bang your head along to, releasing that tension!

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THE BITTER TRUTH
Track Listing:

01. Artifact/The Turn  
02. Broken Pieces Shine 
03. The Game Is Over 
04. Yeah Right 
05. Feeding The Dark 
06. Wasted On You 
07. Better Without You 
08. Use My Voice 
09. Take Cover 
10. Far From Heaven 
11. Part Of Me 
12. Blind Belief 

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Follow EVANESCENCE

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About THE BITTER TRUTH:

The Bitter Truth is an epic, band-driven collection inspired by struggle, loss and overcoming within the (often bitter) realities of the 21st century and our world. The band’s first original LP in ten years and since singer Amy Lee began a family, it’s a return-to-force – and one hell of a rock and roll album. The already-released songs have received early accolades from Elle, Billboard, SPIN, American Songwriter, and more, and showcase the “ferocious and hymnal” (The New York Times) sound that made Evanescence a household name, as well as the drama and powerhouse vocals that made Amy Lee “one of rock’s definitive voices” (Rolling Stone).

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About EVANESCENCE:

Two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning Evanescence has made an impact on people around the world. The group’s 2003 landmark debut album Fallen laid the foundation spending 43 weeks on the Billboard Top 10 and selling more than 17 million copies worldwide. Debut single and global hit Bring Me to Life reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and marked their first U.K. #1 hit single. The equally popular My Immortal peaked at #7 in the U.S. and U.K. Following multiple worldwide tours, The Open Door came next, which went on to sell more than five million copies followed by the self-titled Evanescence which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Charts. Evanescence lead singer-songwriter and pianist Amy Lee, bassist Tim McCord, drummer Will Hunt, lead guitarist Troy McLawhorn, and guitarist and backing vocalist Jen Majura went down both very new and familiar paths for their fourth and most ambitious release to date, Synthesis, in 2017 via BMG. The symphonic effort scored four Billboard #1s, debuting atop the Independent, Alternative, Rock, and Classical Album Charts. Evanescence launched their worldwide Synthesis Live tour in October 2017 combining their intense live performances and timeless songwriting with a powerful live orchestra.

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AMNPLIFY – DB