The strength of TOD is Amy's performances. Yes the instrumentation is still pleasing to the ear, but Amy really brings that album to another level.
I find it sad sometimes (as in unfortunate) that Evanescence's lineup has had so much trouble. I really do consider The Open Door lineup to be their best lineup they've ever had, and I do think Rocky and John were two really good assets to the group that shouldn't have been lost. Hopefully this new album proves me wrong though. What You Want is good, but whether or not this new CD will hold up to old Evanescence remains to be seen.
Finally! Great to see some people giving "The Open Door" the love it deserves. Brilliant, brilliant album. But why do the majority of listeners hate it? It isn't a watered down album with poor lyrics, generic guitar and obvious overproduction like some sophomore albums we know xD. I've always thought it was alot deeper than that. In fact the "fallen" to my hears was always more the more radio friendly of the too. I hope the new album follows this evolution in sound.
You're actually not incorrect, Bennington_Hahn about Fallen being more mainstream because that's actually the rumored reason Ben Moody left. Ben wanted to craft a sound that was radio friendly (which judging by how radio friendly We Are The Fallen are, it seems true), and Amy wanted to go experimental. That's why TOD is such a weird sounding album, cause it's deliberately meant to be 'different'.
I don't. I'm sure he's a good guy but had he stayed with the group TOD would've been Evanescence's "Meteora", and I'd rather have the band evolve instead of fall flat.
Are we seriously comparing Evanescene's albums to Linkin Parks? I dont think TOD was that far of a cry from Fallen. That being said, if their new single is any indication of how their new album is going to be, it's going to sound like an Evanescence album. They have their established sound. I don't see a drastic overhaul of their music like Linkin Park did. The changes on TOD were not as drastic or as ambitious as MTM or ATS. They still sound like Evanescence. The fact that they kept their sound without Moody is a feather in their cap. I look at TOD as an album of a band trying to recover and get back on it's feet. Not a change in direction. Edit*I'm going to have to listen to TOD again to make sure my thoughts here about how I look at the album are right.
After about 10 listens I think that's my view on it too. It's not the most groundbreaking or musically challenging work they've ever written, but it's easy on the ears and a safe choice for a lead single to reintroduce them to the world after being gone for almost 5 years. I do hope the rest of the album is a little more complex though. The producer they worked with is an excellent producer and Amy is a very gifted songwriter. This album has the potential to really be a strong release for them if they do it right.
Yeah, I actually think that's a very fair comparison to make. I think he drove the sound that really attracted people while Amy (Chester) had the voice to run it.
I'm looking forward to Lost in Paradise most. Though...I was also looking forward to this album more when it was going to be a lot more electronica-based.
A little bit OT: I'm glad Wind Up forced Evanescence to use the "Origin" version of My Immortal for Fallen. I know it's not the band's favorite version, but the label knew what they were doing. The demo is far better than the version they did for Fallen and is way more emotional.
See that's why I'm glad in a way that Ben Moody left. As talented as he was, he'd have forced Amy and the rest of the band to be as mainstream as possible (if "we are the fallen" is anything to go by). Sure, he could have made them tons more successful & popular but their music could have become boring and predictable. Perhaps it was for the best. I just hope after all that, Amy doesn't decide to go down the 'pop' route herself
Ben was around before they were mainstream and before they were making mainstream music. That was their best music. They had so many demos and EP songs that were awesome.
Good point actually. "origin" was a killer demo/EP. Some really experimental & dark stuff on that album. Which proves that Ben Moody wasn't necessarily the one who made the band mainstream.
[video=youtube;FkRE9oC-c-A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkRE9oC-c-A[/video] I like. I pretty much forgot about Evanescence after I lost my copy of Fallen in a move years ago so I'm in a nicely timed rediscovering spell.
That performance really didn't impress me. That said Call Me When You're Sober was by far the worst song on The Open Door.