Evanescence is one of the most famous bands of our time. Over the years of its existence, the team has managed to sell more than 20 million copies of albums. In the hands of musicians, the Grammy award has repeatedly appeared.
In more than 30 countries, the group's compilations have "gold" and "platinum" statuses. Over the years of the "life" of the Evanescence group, the soloists have created their own characteristic style of performing musical compositions. Individual style combines several musical directions, namely nu-metal, gothic and alternative rock. The tracks of the Evanescence group cannot be confused with the work of other bands.
Evanescence became famous immediately after the release of their debut album. The first collection hit the top ten, so the tracks of the album Fallen, which was released in 2003, should definitely be listened to by fans of heavy music.
The history of the creation and composition of the group Evanescence
The history of the cult band Evanescence began in 1994. At the origins of the group are two people - vocalist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. The young people met at a Christian youth summer camp.
At the time of their acquaintance, Amy Lee and Ben Moody were no more than 14 years old. Teenagers lived in Little Rock (Arkansas, USA), both wanted to create.
The young man drew attention to the girl after she played Meat Loaf's song on the piano. Moody preferred 1980s heavy metal, while Lee listened to Tory Amos and Björk. Young people quickly found a common language. Although teenagers pursued common goals, they did not dream of becoming world famous.
The official source indicates that the team began its activities in 1995. However, the first joint recordings appeared three years later. In 1999, musician David Hodges joined the young people. He took the place of backing vocalist and keyboardist.
After the release of the Origin compilation, the musicians began to search for new members. Soon, new musicians joined the band - Rocky Gray and guitarist John Lecompte.
At first, the tracks of the new band sounded only on Christian radio stations. Hodges did not want to deviate from the chosen concept. The rest of the participants wanted to develop further. There were tensions in the team, and soon Hodges left the Evanescence group.
The Evanescence band performed in the Little Rock counties. The musicians did not have the opportunity to develop, as they worked without the support of a producer.
Signing with Dave Fortman and leaving Ben Moody
To "promote" the team, Amy Lee and Moody decided to move to Los Angeles. Upon arrival in the metropolis, the musicians sent demos to various recording studios. They hoped to find a worthy label. Fortune smiled at the new group. Producer Dave Fortman undertook their "promotion".
In 2003, the line-up of the Evanescence group expanded again. The talented bassist Will Boyd joined the band. But it was not without losses - Ben Moody announced that he intended to leave the team. Fans didn't expect this turn of events.
Ben Moody and Amy Lee initially positioned themselves not only as colleagues, but also as best friends.
After some time, the vocalist clarified the situation a little. She talked about how Ben wanted to make commercial music, while the singer was all about quality. In addition, colleagues could not agree on the artistic direction of the genre. As a result, Ben left and announced that he intended to do a solo project.
Ben's departure did not upset either the fans or the soloists of the group. Some of the musicians even said that after the departure of Ben, the group became "easier to breathe." Soon Moody's place was taken by Terry Balsamo.
New changes in the composition of the group Evanescence
In 2006, the line-up changed again, with bassist Boyd "squeezed out like a lemon" due to frequent tours. He talked about the fact that his family needs him, so he donates a place in the team in the name of saving the family. Boyd's place was taken by the talented guitarist Tim McChord.
In 2007, Lee's record label dispute led to John Lecompt being fired. Rocky Gray decided to support his friend. He followed John. Later it became known that the musicians joined the Moody project.
Will Hunt and Troy McLawhorn soon joined Evanescence. Initially, the musicians did not plan to stay in the group for a long time, but in the end they remained there on a permanent basis.
In 2011, Troy McLawhorn returned to the group. Three years later, another change took place. This year, Terry Balsamo left the team, and Jen Majura took his place.
The current composition of the group:
- Amy Lynn Harzler;
- Terry Balsamo;
- Tim McChord;
- Troy McLawhorn;
- Will Hunt.
Music by Evanescence
Until 1998, almost nothing was heard about the team. The musicians were known in close circles. The picture changed dramatically after the release of the Sound Asleep compilation.
Several musical compositions from the mini-album got into rotation on the local radio, then these were less "heavy" tracks with the addition of gothic elements.
When Hodges joined the group, the discography was finally replenished with the full-length album Origin, which included new and old compositions of the band.
Thanks to this album, the band gained the first "portion" of popularity. The Evanescence band was on everyone's lips. The only thing that prevented the distribution of the band's tracks was the insignificant circulation of the Origin album. The musicians released 2 copies, and they all sold out at the performances.
For many years this collection was in considerable demand due to the limited edition. The record has become literally a rarity. Later, the musicians allowed the distribution of the album on the Internet, designating the work as a demo collection.
After a successful release, Evanescence in full force began to prepare material for the new album. However, all attempts to release the disc were not successful. Then the musicians have already collaborated with the recording studio Wind-up Records.
Gaining popularity
Due to the thoughtful work of the company, the musical composition Tourniquet immediately got into the charts of radio stations. Subsequently, the track became not only a hit, but also the hallmark of the band.
A little later, KLAL-FM began broadcasting a video clip for the song Bring Me To Life. Upon arrival in Los Angeles (with the support of producer Dave Fortman), the band recorded several more tracks, which were later included in the Fallen album.
Thanks to this album, the musicians enjoyed great popularity. Almost immediately after the release of the collection, he took pride of place in the British charts. The album stayed on the chart for 60 weeks and took 1st position, and debuted at 200th position in the United States of America on the Billboard Top 7.
At the same time, the team was nominated for five Grammy nominations at once. The lead singer of the group, Amy Lee, was named Person of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine. It was during this period that the peak of the popularity of the Evanescence group was.
In support of the new album, the musicians went on tour. When the band returned to their homeland, they learned that Fallen's album had been certified gold in the US. Six months later, the collection went platinum. In Europe and the UK, the album also went gold.
Soon the musicians released new singles, which fans also appreciated. We are talking about My Immortal, Going Under and Everybody's Fool records. For each of these tracks, video clips were released, which took the lead on the US TV charts.
Release of the band's new album
It took a long time before the group's discography was replenished with a new album. Only in 2006 the musicians presented the collection The Open Door.
It is obvious that Li responsibly approached the preparation and recording of the material. The compilation topped the music charts in Germany, Australia, England and the United States of America. According to the old tradition, the team went on a European tour. The tour continued until 2007. And then there was a break that lasted 2 years.
In 2009, the vocalist announced that the presentation of the album would soon take place. According to Amy Lee's plans, this event was supposed to happen in 2010. However, the guys failed to realize their plans. Fans saw the collection only in 2011. After the presentation of the album, the band went on an annual tour.
The next few years for each musician passed in a nervous tension. The fact is, Lee filed a lawsuit against the Wind-up Records label for the recovery of $ 1,5 million from the company. Amy calculated that this was the fee the company owed the Evanescence group for the performance. For three years, the musicians sought justice in court.
Only in 2015 did the band return to the stage. As it turned out, they managed to break the contract with Wind-up Records. Now the Evanescence group is a "free bird". The guys performed as an independent musical project. The musicians began their return to the stage with a performance in their hometown, then performed at a festival in Tokyo.
Interesting facts about the group Evanescence
- But the group Evanescence could become Childish Intentions and Striken. The vocalist Amy Lee insisted on a well-known creative pseudonym. Today Evanescence is one of the most recognizable bands in the world.
- In 2010, after the release of the musical composition Together Again, which became the official b-side of The Open Door's second compilation, the band donated all the proceeds from the sale of the record to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
- During their creative career, the Evanescence group has repeatedly received prestigious nominations and tops. At the moment, the team has 20 awards and 58 nominations.
- In many of the lyrics written by Amy, there is a longing for her dead sister Bonnie. The sister of a celebrity died at the age of three. Must-listen songs: Hell and Like You.
- Amy took up a pen for the first time at the age of 11. Then the girl wrote the songs Eternity of the Remorse and A Single Tear.
- Before the Voronezh concert, which took place in 2019, the band had a force majeure - a vehicle with equipment was detained at the border. But the Evanescence group was not taken aback and wrote an acoustic program "on the knee".
- Amy Lee does charity work. The performer is a spokesperson for the National Epilepsy Center and supports Out of the Shadows. A personal tragedy prompted Amy Lee to take this step. The fact is that her brother suffers from epilepsy.
Evanescence today
The Evanescence group continues to be active in creative activities. Already in 2018, information appeared that the group was working on a new album, which should be released in 2020.
In 2019, the band had a concert tour of the United States. The group informed fans about past events through social networks. It is there that you can see the poster, see photos and videos from the concerts.
On April 18, 2020, the band announced the release of their new album. The collection will be called The Bitter Truth. Music lovers saw the first single of the album Wasted on You on April 24th.
The musicians announced that the first fifty people who order the single will be able to take part in listening to the collection along with soloist Amy Lee on the Zoom video platform.
Evanescence in 2021
On March 26, 2021, the presentation of one of the most anticipated LPs of the Evanescence band took place. The record was called The Bitter Truth. The album was topped by 12 tracks. The LP will be available on physical discs only in mid-April.
