Evanescence
The Bitter Truth
Genre: Hard Rock, Alternative Rock.
Released: 26/03/2021
Via Sony Music
Album Review: Evanescence – The Bitter Truth
It’s been 10 long years since Evanescence dropped their last album of original music, however, the wait is finally over! ‘The Bitter Truth’ marks the band’s return and fans haven’t kept their excitement for the new album secret. Releasing via Sony Music, the album takes a look at the band’s personal experience in the music industry thus far as well as exploring the “bitter truths” of our 21st-century world. So without further adieu here are my thoughts on Evanescence’s ‘The Bitter Truth’.
The album starts with a mellow symphonic song titled ‘Artifact/The Turn’. Amy Lee can be heard singing softly over the sci-fi esc synth dominating the instrumental. The song is a short taster that serves as more of a prolonged intro for the much heavier ‘Broken Pieces Shine’. From the get-go, Wil Hunt’s Dominant drumming captures your attention as the band follow his lead. A heavy-hitting track that is helped by a combination of Amy’s beautiful vocal presence and the band’s ability to create memorable instrumentals. A really strong start to the new record!
Keeping the moment going is ‘The Game Is Over’. The intro of Amy singing over Will’s beat allows the introduction of the distorted riffs to feel that much more impactful. The song flows well between style changes, and the use of each instrument coming in and out of the track creates a more unprecedented style that Evanescence pulls of exceptionally well. Speaking of styles changing, ‘Yeah Right’ takes on a much more Electro-Rock feel and I’m here for it. The use of the more modern-sounding electronic drums and melodic phrases that use the synth to add an extra bit of oomph makes this song stand out from the pack. Sometimes a change like this can feel out of place however this creates the complete opposite effect. I highly recommend you give this one a spin!
‘Feeding the Dark’ encompasses a bit of everything that has come before it. A hint of the electric style mixed with the heavier punch from ‘Broken Pieces Shine’ just shouldn’t work! However, Evanescence has managed to pull it off in a truly remarkable way. The song contains an infectious beat that will have any music lover banging their head to the rhythm, while Amy demonstrates her incredible vocal range throughout this ambitious song. The album takes a more melodic turn with ‘Wasted On You’. This was the first taste of new music from Evanescence when they dropped this back in 2020, and it left fans split on the new style. I personally think this is one of the strongest songs from the rockers, as it demonstrates the band’s ability to channel a more stylistic approach to their music that hasn’t been seen before. The angelic sounding backing track getting interrupted by the distorted riffs of Jen Majura and Troy Mclawhorns’s guitars, creates the most satisfying contrast that culminates in both joining forces for the song’s outro. A truly wonderful piece of music from Evanescence.
The album returns to a heavier mature with ‘Better Without You’. I like this song however I can’t help but feel that it pails in comparison to the rest of the record. The song sound’s a little generic and lacks the ambition that is persistent through the album. I think the song does its job well but doesn’t quite live up to the rest of the record. Luckily ‘Use My Voice’ manages to get it right once again. This song is carried by Amy’s vocal performance which is probably fitting considering the song’s title. It’s safe to say that Amy has one of the best voices in rock and metal regardless of your preference and this song is a great example of just how good she really is. The band behind her do an amazing job of creating instrumentals that compliment her vocals and allows them to feel that much more impactful.
‘Take Cover’ really feels like album filler to me. The song is ok and has it’s moments to shine however I can’t help but feel that the song feels very unmemorable and lacks charisma. Everything feels toned down and uninspired which leaves the song in a constant state of dullness. An unfortunate turn of events on what has been one hell of an album up to this point. Thankfully ‘Far From Heaven’ puts the album back on track just not in the way you’d expect. A nice piece of music composed of a delicate string section, Piano, Synth and Amy’s vocals. The song is a drastic change to everything that has come before it however it manages to capture your attention well and will have you wanting to listen to it again and again. It’s an unexpected highlight for me but I can’t not recommend this one.
The penultimate song is ‘Part Of Me’ and I have to admit. This song bloody slaps. It’s more melodic nature matched with the heavy instrumental captures the Evanescence feel in a more modern way. It’s clear that the band have grown a lot in the 10 years between albums so it’s only natural their music changes with them and I can’t think of a better example of that than the final song of the record ‘Blind Belief’. The song feels like a modern-day ‘Bring Me To Life’ in the scene of how the song is structured and it’s progression. A mix of melodic and impactful sections fill the song with excitement which is unrivalled by most. An amazing way to end an album.
The wait for the new album has been long however I can safely say it was more than worth the wait. Evanescence has outdone themselves with this release and has shown that they still have what it takes to release new music that is to the calibre of what fans expect of them. I cannot wait to hear some of these songs live, and luckily the band will be touring later this year around Europe with Within Temptation. Tickets are limited so grab them here while you still can (Affiliate Link)!
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