Hear Evanescence’s Operatic New Song, ‘Imperfection’

September 15, 2017 By Justin No Comments

Evanescence achieve electronic-symphonic symmetry on their lush new single, “Imperfection.” Singer Amy Lee commands the track with a swaggering cadence along with her signature belting. “You know you can’t deny it,” she sings. “The world’s a little more fucked up every day.”
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“Imperfection” is one of two newly written songs on Evanescence’s upcoming LP, Synthesis, out November 10th. Lee recruited producer Will Hunt and composer David Campbell to revamp older songs (including breakout hit “Bring Me to Life”) with an orchestra.

In a statement, Lee felt “Imperfection” was the most important song on the new album. The lyrics, she said, were written from the perspective of someone “left behind” after a suicide or loss.

“I struggled with the lyrics for a long time because there was a lifetime of work to live up to and I wasn’t sure what to say or how to be good enough,” Lee said. “When it finally started pouring out of me, it was undeniable. I had no choice. It’s for all the people we’ve lost, all the people who we could lose, to suicide and depression. I’m singing from the perspective of the person left behind, the person in the waiting room. It’s a plea to fight for your life, to stay. Don’t give into the fear – I have to tell myself that every day. Nobody is perfect. We are all imperfect, and it’s precisely those imperfections that make us who we are, and we have to embrace them because there’s so much beauty in those differences. Life is worth fighting for. You are worth fighting for.”

Lee will perform the retooled Evanescence tracks with a full orchestra on the Synthesis tour, which launches October 14th in Las Vegas.

“This will be our first time touring with an orchestra, and I’m so excited to perform this way – really focus on the vocals, and the emotion and the story we’ve built over the years,” Lee said.

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Hear Evanescence’s Orchestral Reworking of ‘Bring Me to Life’

August 18, 2017 By Justin No Comments

This fall, Evanescence will release their fourth full-length album, Synthesis. The album features orchestral reworkings of various tracks from their back catalog, as well as two new songs, one of which will debut next month. Ahead of the release, the band is streaming a cinematic take on their biggest hit, “Bring Me to Life,” premiering here.

Singer Amy Lee soars above an arrangement by composer (and Beck’s father) David Campbell. The big, dramatic track feels a bit more stripped down without the heavy guitars and drums it famously featured in its original version, released on Evanescence’s 2003 debut, Fallen.

“‘Bring Me to Life’ is new to me again after 15 years,” Lee tells Rolling Stone of the orchestral version, which is now available for download and streaming. “It’s difficult to explain how good that makes me feel. Having the chance to incorporate things I’ve heard in my head throughout that long period of time, nuances from the way I sing it live, just pouring the weight and perspective of the life I’ve lived now back into that root – it’s pure satisfaction.”

Following the release of their self-titled 2011 album, Evanescence went on hiatus. The band re-emerged in 2015 and slowly began performing live and touring internationally; Synthesis is the band’s first full-length album since their return. The Synthesis Live tour will take the group around North American theaters from October through December of this year.

[Source]

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Evanescence Announce Orchestral New LP ‘Synthesis,’ Fall Tour

August 14, 2017 By Justin No Comments

Evanescence will re-imagine some of their best-known songs with a full orchestra on the band’s upcoming new album Synthesis, due out this fall. The album is Evanescence’s first since their 2011 self-titled LP.

For the project, Amy Lee teamed with producer Will Hunt and composer David Campbell – Beck’s father – to re-record songs like “Bring Me to Life” as well as two new tracks.

“This is a total passion project for me. There are so many layers in our music underneath the huge drums and guitars,” Lee said in a statement.

“I’ve always wanted to shine a light on some of the gorgeous David Campbell arrangements and programming elements in our songs, and that idea snowballed into completely re-doing them with full orchestra, not just strings, elaborate programming and experimentation,” Lee said.

Lee and a full orchestra will bring the reworked versions on the road this fall on the Synthesis Live tour, which kicks off October 14th in Las Vegas.

“This will be our first time touring with an orchestra and I’m so excited to perform this way – really focus on the vocals, and the emotion and the story we’ve built over the years,” Lee said. “I’m also really excited about the new material on the album. Besides the two new songs, there are some really beautiful instrumental in-between moments. The whole thing flows like a big, dynamic soundtrack.”

Tickets for the Synthesis Live tour go on sale to the general public on Friday, with each ticket accompanied by a free download of Synthesis. Additionally, each ticket buyer will also receive an instant download of the Synthesis version of “Bring Me to Life.”

Evanescence Tour Dates

October 14 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl Concert Theater
October 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
October 17 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
October 20 – Houston, TX @ Revention Music Center
October 22 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Irving Music Factory
October 23 – New Orleans, LA @ Mahalia Jackson Theater
October 25 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
October 27 – Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre
October 28 – Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
October 30 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts
October 31 – Oxon Hill, MD @ MGM National Harbor
November 2 – Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theater
November 3 – Mashantucket, CT @ Foxwoods Resort Casino
November 5 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
November 7 – Bethlehem, PA @ Sands Bethlehem Event Center
November 8 – Baltimore, MD @ Hippodrome Theatre
November 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
November 30 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
December 2 – Carmel, IN @ The Palladium
December 5 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
December 6 – Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theatre
December 8 – Toronto, ON @ Canada Sony Centre for Performing Arts
December 9 – Windsor, ON @ Canada Caesar’s Windsor
December 11 – Kansas City, MO @ Kansas City Music Hall
December 13 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
December 15 – Reno, NV @ Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort
December 16 – San Francisco, CA @ Masonic Auditorium
December 19 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

[Source]

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Evanescence Perform At Czech Republic’s Rock for People Festival

July 25, 2017 By Justin No Comments

Metalshop TV has uploaded video footage of EVANESCENCE‘s July 6 performance at the Rock For People festival in Czech Republic. Check it out below.

EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee recently spoke to Graspop.be about the band’s forthcoming album, “Synthesis”, which will reimagine some of the band’s past catalog with full orchestration and electronic backing.

“It’s different in a way that it’s still coming from the roots of what EVANESCENCE was conceived to be,” she said. “It’s really a beautiful project. A lot of our old songs are getting a whole new life in a way where we’re getting to experience the focus being this beautiful, full orchestra. It’s also a lot of electronic, cool elements — parts that have always been part of our music. It hasn’t been full orchestra before — it’s just been mainly strings — but just taking it to very beautiful, classical and epic and groovy place. Oh, it feels so good. There’s some new stuff on it too, but it’s mostly old stuff [reimagined].”

Lee also talked in more detail about the making of “Synthesis”, explaining: “As far as the conception, basically, you work in demo land first and just create the arrangements of songs. I went through all the master sessions of, say, ‘Bring Me To Life’, and [I would] pull out all the stuff and listen to it and then chop it up and decide, ‘Oh, maybe this part needs to be longer. Maybe this part at the beginning will be just strings and piano.’ Just figure out what you’re gonna do and build a map. And working with David Campbell, who has done all the string arrangements for EVANESCENCE for all three albums now doing full orchestra, just going back and forth with him and our producer Will and then each other, just throwing ideas in a Dropbox and basically just playing tennis back and forth for months. We finally recorded the orchestra right before this tour. It sounds just gorgeous. I can’t wait to finish the thing.”

In support of “Synthesis”, EVANESCENCE will embark on a special tour this fall which will see the band performing with a “full orchestra.”

EVANESCENCE debuted a previously unheard song called “Take Cover” during its North American tour last fall.

Lee also released a solo single called “Love Exists” in February, while a second solo song, “Speak To Me”, appears on the soundtrack for the supernatural thriller “Voice From The Stone”, which came out on April 28.

[Source]

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Splice Provides Editorial, Color & VFX For Amy Lee’s “Speak To Me”

July 19, 2017 By Justin No Comments

The creative team at Splice combined forces with Evanescence’s Amy Lee for her latest music video, “Speak To Me,” the original song written for the “Voice From The Stone” feature film soundtrack. The music video pays homage to the film’s tonality and mood by taking us on an intimate journey around an Italian castle rich with character, eclectic architecture and stunning landscapes.

To view the new music video, go here: http://splice.tv/pith/amy-lee-speak-to-me/

Shot on the same location as the film in the Italian region of Tuscany, the piece bodes as an enchanting reflection of the landscapes, ethereal ambience and melancholic themes observed throughout Director Eric D. Howell’s “Voice From The Stone,” starring Emilia Clarke. Splice also contributed editorial, color and VFX to Howell’s film, which was released in select theaters and through streaming services this spring.

“I was very moved by the movie, and after having my first conversation with Eric and composer Michael Wandmacher, I felt a surge of inspiration and immediately began writing,” says Amy Lee. “It was an honor to be able to work with Eric on the music video as well, which was shot outside Sienna, Italy, at the same beautiful location as the film. We conceived the video as a parallel and backstory to the film, which explores the strong bond of love between Malvina and her son, and the belief that love is stronger than death.”

“I’ve been a long-time Evanescence fan, often listening to Amy Lee’s music when editing or rendering late nights throughout my career,” says Editor Clayton Condit. “It was a huge honor to get her talent and musical genius behind the project. ‘Speak to Me’ really sums up the spirit of the film. The opportunity to cut an Amy Lee music video was just one more bonus for the Splice team and for the film.”

“Having a single stop post house that not only handled the film and its promotional needs, but also collaborated wonderfully on the music video was just another example of the professionalism and expertise Splice brought to this project,” concludes Producer Dean Zanuck.

[Source]

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Amy Lee Loves to Sing Her Own Songs at Karaoke

July 10, 2017 By Justin No Comments

Amy Lee became sublime the moment she stepped barefoot out of a window, to precariously scale a tall building as the wind howled. The “Bring Me to Life” video all leads to her, a figure somehow both Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas and goth Ophelia in a nightgown, slipping from the ledge because a man has thrown open a window. Holding on by her fingertips, she hangs there, as he steps out in baggy jeans and not one but two thick chain and padlock necklaces, and delivers the most iconic rock-rap since Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix told us he’d reached his last resort in 2000.

Evanescence is the band everyone in their 20s and 30s remembers for their 2003 debut album, Fallen—the cover was a close-up shot of Lee’s face in electric blue and black. It reached number one in the UK album charts and has sold millions of copies worldwide. Since all their songs are essentially the Swedish songwriter Max Martin pop bangers with disgusting nu-metal riffs, they appealed to every punk kid with access to MTV. While they might have only kept the rock following—I still listen to Evanescence and love doing the previously mentioned man rap at karaoke—after nu-metal and emo fell out of fashion, their later albums have been just as haunting.

Ahead of their double headline show in London recently (which featured Lee wearing a cape of feathers and playing a grand piano), I drank as much of the free coffee as I could, waiting for her at her label’s office and then got jittery when she floated in wearing a huge dress, wearing the same electric blue and black as the Fallen cover.

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Filed under Amy Lee

Upcoming ‘Synthesis’ Album Is ‘A Beautiful Project’

June 20, 2017 By Justin 1 Comment

Amy Lee spoke to Graspop.be about the band’s forthcoming album, “Synthesis”, which will reimagine some of the band’s past catalog with full orchestration and electronic backing.

“It’s different in a way that it’s still coming from the roots of what EVANESCENCE was conceived to be,” Amy explained. “It’s really a beautiful project. A lot of our old songs are getting a whole new life in a way where we’re getting to experience the focus being this beautiful, full orchestra. It’s also a lot of electronic, cool elements — parts that have always been part of our music. It hasn’t been full orchestra before — it’s just been mainly strings — but just taking it to very beautiful, classical and epic and groovy place. Oh, it feels so good. There’s some new stuff on it too, but it’s mostly old stuff [reimagined].”

Lee also talked in more detail about the making of “Synthesis”, explaining: “As far as the conception, basically, you work in demo land first and just create the arrangements of songs. I went through all the master sessions of, say, ‘Bring Me To Life’, and [I would] pull out all the stuff and listen to it and then chop it up and decide, ‘Oh, maybe this part needs to be longer. Maybe this part at the beginning will be just strings and piano.’ Just figure out what you’re gonna do and build a map. And working with David Campbell, who has done all the string arrangements for EVANESCENCE for all three albums now doing full orchestra, just going back and forth with him and our producer Will and then each other, just throwing ideas in a Dropbox and basically just playing tennis back and forth for months. We finally recorded the orchestra right before this tour. It sounds just gorgeous. I can’t wait to finish the thing.”

In support of “Synthesis”, EVANESCENCE will embark on a special tour this fall which will see the band performing with a “full orchestra.”

EVANESCENCE debuted a previously unheard song called “Take Cover” during its North American tour last fall.

[Source]

Filed under Evanescence

Amy Lee Remembers Chris Cornell

May 23, 2017 By Justin No Comments

Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee has offered a touching and deeply personal tribute to Chris Cornell. Along with calling Cornell’s voice “deeply soulful,” Lee described how Soundgarden “changed what metal was to me.”

Chris Cornell was a talent at the highest level of rock. If you didn’t realize it simply through his music, the flood of tributes alone proves how adored he was amongst his fellow musicians. When it comes to 21st century rock titans, there aren’t many superstars on the level of Amy Lee, who took a moment to write a heartfelt memoriam for Cornell.

Cornell’s influence on Amy runs deeper than one would assume. In fact, when Evanescence was recording their monstrously successful Fallen album, Amy Lee would tap into Soundgarden for inspiration. Lee wrote on Facebook:

Chris Cornell was one of my favorite vocalists of all time. ‪When we were recording Fallen, I would sit in the car in the studio parking lot every morning before going in and warm up my voice to‬ ‘Fell on Black Days.’ I loved how deeply soulful he was- it was such a beautiful and unique combination between his bluesy soulful wailing and the dark, heavy music. It was so much cooler than just screaming, which would have been the more obvious match to the music. That’s what made it special. They changed what metal was to me. Expanded the boundaries… There have been way too many tragic, early deaths in the music industry lately. Why are we so lost? Cornell moved and inspired so many people. SO many…
For now my thoughts are here: No one is immortal. Everyone feels the pain. No one has a perfect life. We have to remember our fragility- that of the people we love, look up to, even our enemies. You never know what people are really going through on the inside, so we must take extreme care. And love the best we can, while there’s still time.

“I’m only faking when I get it right…” Oh, how I’ve always related to that line. Knowing you felt that way made me stronger.

Farewell to another hero. Thank you for sharing your heart, your search light soul with us.

[Source]

Filed under Amy Lee

Evanescence announce new album ‘Synthesis’

May 11, 2017 By Justin No Comments

Evanescence has a number of classic songs in their discography that we could listen to over and over again, but their new album Synthesis will allow us to listen to these classic songs in a whole new way—with full orchestration.

Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee revealed the news of this new album through a video posted on Facebook, along with explaining how there will also be two new songs on this album.

“This album is about orchestra and electronica. We’re taking our music, stripping out the big distorted guitars, stripping out the rock drums and replacing it with full orchestration and a completely synthetic world of beats and sounds,” explains Lee.

While this album will feature songs from Evanescence’s previous albums, Lee explains that these won’t be remixes meaning that we’ll get to hear our favorite songs in an entirely new way. She also explains why they titled the album, Synthesis.

“It is the synthesis, the combination, the contrast, the synergy between the organic and the synthetic, also the past and present.”

As if we couldn’t get any more excited, Lee also revealed the news that Evanescence will be touring with a complete orchestra coming this fall to support the release of the album. [Source]

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Amy Lee Discusses Her Single, “Speak To Me”

April 5, 2017 By Justin No Comments

Musician Amy Lee, from the band “Evanescence,” has a brand new single titled “Speak To Me.” The song is featured in the upcoming film “Voice from the Stone,” in which Emilia Clarke and Marton Csokas star in. She worked closely with the film’s director, Eric Howell, and composer Michael Wandmacher when she developed the song and music video which are a great parallel and backstory to the film. Tune in when Amy Lee discusses the reasons that inspired her to work on this project, her vision for the song and her experience working with the filmmakers. Interview at 692 Broadway in NYC for BUILD Series.