by Jesus Ibarra

Evanescence comes roaring back after a near six-year break with their self-titled record that sees them move into a more cohesive direction. Following the end of their last tour, Evanescence went into hiatus in 2007 with no indication when they would be back. What followed were dabbles out of Evanescence until, in 2009, front woman Amy Lee announced the new lineup of the band with the only other constant Terry Balsamo, and had gotten together to begin writing new material for an album. Since the hiatus was so long, I was afraid Evanescence would never release a new album, but when I heard this news, I was ecstatic. The band that I grew up with, through middle and high school, was coming back. Moreover, Amy Lee was coming back to the rock scene and I could not be more excited; she is one of the only women in the scene who deserve to be there and is sorely needed. In October of this year, the new self-titled album came out.

I already loved the album, but after seeing them live, I got a better sense of the album and new love for it. The album for me as a fan of the band, and this genre in general, is a perfect continuation of the band’s growth. It’s still dark, Amy is still using her incredible voice to scream those lyrics out, and the rock music is still as strong as the first two albums. This album however is definitely more rock oriented, and it feels like a much more cohesive effort than the first two albums, even when it’s Amy on the piano the band comes in to make it a symphony of noise to accentuate her voice. It has a sort of energy that makes you want to move (in my case mosh). It sounds fresh, grander, and more mature than their first two albums.

The fan anticipation for this album was palpable, and I experienced it when I went to go see them live in Hollywood. The second the drums started banging, and Amy came out singing their new single, “What You Want,” everyone rushed the stage, me included, singing along, clamoring to get to the stage and near Amy. The band sounded amazing live, like they have been doing this forever. But the live show confirmed for me what I get most from this record: the band is back better than ever, and are enjoying themselves artistically and just in general, which for any fan bodes well, because it means we get to have more Evanescence for years to come.

Jesus Ibarra is 19 years old and an ongoing contributor to our Teen Talk section; with a love of all media, he’s always on the lookout for the best finds.