Evanescence – Fallen

Evanaes…Evansces… Evenesce…HUH?!

Women in heavy music was once a statement considered to be an oxy-moron. Though there have been a few successful female-fronted groups in the genre, the majority blandly fizzled out as being some sort of novelty act, especially in the rock vein, where the women would put their ‘screams’ up against any male vocalist, again with sparsely limited success. But every now and then a group beautifully mixes styles together, creating something truly unique, without making things too complicated. Such is the case of Little Rock, Arkansas’ Evanescence and their new album “Fallen,” led by Amy Lee’s beautiful and pristine vocal abilities. Musically, the band succeeds at setting moods effectively, creating a dark and intriguing setup to each of their songs, making Amy Lee’s impressive vocals truly standout. The guitar work present on the album is typical of the nu-metal genre, nothing new, but it does make its presence felt. You won’t hear death-metal or hair-raising screams on “Fallen,” however, and perhaps most importantly, you don’t get the feeling that Evanescence is in competition or trying to prove themselves to the rock genre. No, it seems they’ve created a sound that puts them in a league of their own.