Amy Lee spoke to Billboard about her beginnings in the music industry, saying that “it was sometimes difficult to distinguish the difference between just being treated like a young idiot — you know, ‘You’re just a kid, everybody knows better than you’ — and being treated that way because I was female. I learned as I got more experienced, and a lot of it was because I’m a female,” she said. “People naturally see us as the softer sex that’s going to step aside and let the men do the real work, so there’ve been plenty of times when I’ve had to look at that, recognize it, and go, ‘No, this is what’s going to happen, because I’m positive that I’m right, and it’s my art and you’re not going to change it.'”

One compromise that Lee had to make along the way was including a rap verse in EVANESCENCE’s original 2003 breakout hit “Bring Me To Life”. The song was recently re-recorded in a more stripped-down format — without the rapping — on the “Synthesis” album. Lee explained to News.com.au: “God bless the rap, it’s part of what got us on the radio, I guess. At least according to all the rules of radio that I don’t agree with or understand. The rap wasn’t part of our original idea or sound, it was a compromise in many ways. So to be able to go back to the original vision for the song was great.”

Lee added that she had made her peace with the original version of the song, saying: “That’s a struggle you always fight as an artist. If we only had the one hit, if no one ever heard from us again, then nobody would understand who we were. We’ve made it past that point, so the rap doesn’t make me angry anymore. I’m so glad to put a new version out there without the rap, though.” The rap on the original version of “Bring Me To Life” was performed by singer Paul McCoy of the band 12 STONES.

“Synthesis” was released on November 10. The disc sees many of EVANESCENCE’s songs reworked in new ways, incorporating orchestral and electronic elements into the original compositions. The “Synthesis Live” tour launched in October and like the album, it features a full orchestra and electronics. [Source]