:: Evanescence :: Celebrating 20 Years of Fallen

 

Evanescence is an American rock band formed in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer and musician Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording independent EPs as a duo in the late 90s, and a demo CD, Evanescence released their debut studio album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Propelled by the success of hit singles like “Bring Me to Life” and “My Immortal”, Fallen sold more than four million copies in the US by January 2004, garnering the band two Grammy Awards out of six nominations. The band released their first live album and concert DVD, Anywhere but Home, in 2004, which sold over one million copies worldwide.

Evanescence released their second studio album, The Open Door, in 2006, co-composed by Lee and guitarist Terry Balsamo. It received a Grammy nomination and has sold more than six million copies worldwide. They reconvened in June 2009 to work on music for their next album, with touring guitarist Troy McLawhorn, bassist Tim McCord and drummer Will Hunt becoming full-time members. The band’s third studio album, Evanescence, was released in 2011. It debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 as well as the Billboard Rock Albums, Digital Albums, Alternative Albums, and Hard Rock Albums charts. Following the end of the album’s tour cycle, the band entered a hiatus.

In 2014, Lee and Evanescence left their record label and became independent artists. The band emerged from hiatus in 2015 and resumed touring, while new music was not yet created as Lee was also focusing on a solo project. In late 2016, Lee stated that Evanescence was working on a fourth album, Synthesis (2017), composed of orchestral and electronica arrangements of the band’s previous material with two new songs. The album’s release was followed by the Synthesis Live concert tour, during which the band performed with live orchestras for the first time. In 2021, Evanescence released their fifth studio album, The Bitter Truth.

Generally classified as a gothic alternative metal and hard rock band, Evanescence have a diverse sound containing various musical styles including classical music, alternative music, heavy metal, symphonic rock, industrial music, and electronica, driven by Lee’s contrasting musical pursuits and introspective songwriting. Evanescence’s lineup changed several times over the years, with Lee as the sole constant member since its inception. The band comprises Lee, guitarist Tim McCord since 2006, guitarist Troy McLawhorn and drummer Will Hunt since 2007, and bassist Emma Anzai since 2022. Among other accolades, Evanescence has received two Grammy Awards, three Loudwire Music Awards, a Kerrang! Award, a Revolver Golden Gods Music Award, a Brit Award nomination, three American Music Award nominations, and five MTV Video Music Award nominations.