Rock Band Evanescence

Is rock dead? No way. Here is five-member rock band Evanescence from the U.S. combining the hybrid music of new metal and Goth rock (the genre that combines Middle Age European Music and rock) and the pure voice of female singer Amy Lee which creates a picture of a black rose in the dark. More than six million copies of their 2003 debut album “Fallen” were sold in the U.S. alone, and they were awarded the Best New Artist Grammy award in 2004.

Three years later, they return wearing black dress and black mascara. As if they are delivering an uppercut to those who claim that “rock has lost its appeal,” they sold 447,000 copies of their new album “The Open Door” in its first week of release and were listed on the top of the Billboard Chart on October 20. The paper had an email interview with Amy Lee, the only female member of the group, to see how different their second “Hybrid Rock” is compared to that of three years ago.

Title: Black vs. Blue-

“Last year, guitarist Ben Moody left the team and bassist Will Boyd followed. Despite such difficulties, we had to go forward. The second album is a flower of hope blooming in the pain and hardship, can we say?”

The title of the album “The Open Door” seems to imply changes. Instead of the obsession with the dark, they focused on grand scale, free from extreme depression. Evanescence’s major label single “Bring Me to Life” describes a deep and dark world while the “Call Me When You Are Sober,” which has already ranked 10th in the Billboard single chart, seems to show European relics in the Middle Age.

Voice: Gloomy vs. Powerful-

“We try to listen to as much music as possible and try to absorb the strengths of each type of music. We try to become a band which is fan of itself.”

The essence of Evanescence is singer Amy Lee’s voice. Her voice that goes beyond folk music and opera has created the band’s own characteristic.

Her voice felt gloomy and sad in their debut album but shows a stronger nature in “Sweet Sacrifice” and “Weight of the World.” Her voice in gloomy “Lithium” is grotesque as if a witch is singing.

“I think we get complete freedom in the second album. All members participated in writing songs and lyrics and arranging. Nobody said ‘no.’ This is what Evanescence is now.”

bsism@donga.com