I haven’t reviewed something that isn’t extreme metal in a while and it’s time for something a little different. One of my good friends is a huge Evanescence fan and they told me the new album, The Bitter Truth, was coming out soon - a good reason to check out some new Critical Noise!
I first heard Evanescence when I was younger with the videos for hits like “Bring Me to Life”, “My Immortal”, “Going Under” and “Call Me When You’re Sober” regularly appearing on music TV. Having never followed them since, the band have made their way back to my eardrums with single “Yeah Right” being played a few times a week in my house. I’ve enjoyed Evanescence whenever I’ve heard them and it’s about time I gave their records, starting with The Bitter Truth, a full spin.
The album opens with “Artifact/The Turn”, a dreamy synth piece with some soft, ethereal vocals from frontwoman Amy Lee. Building from the intro track is a series of heavy tracks that give plenty of classic Evanescence vibes. There’s chugging choppy nu metal-style riffing in the first duo of “Broken Pieces Shine” and “The Game is Over” backed with bopping drum grooves that are certain to get heads nodding. Melancholic synth and piano moments along with industrial-esque textures add to the dark, gothic feel in the aforementioned tracks and continues further in heavy numbers like “Feeding the Dark”.
Evanescence bring a little more of their accessible side on The Bitter Truth with pop feel in “Yeah Right”. The track brings a more swinging groove and ups the synths, as well as infectious vocal melodies. The short bluesy guitar solo is also a fun highlight of the album. The swing feel comes again, albeit in a more downtempo fashion, in keys-led ballad “Wasted on You”. The soft vocals and dark synths in the verses give a darkly ethereal feel which blends well with the chorus’ big chords.
The second half of The Bitter Truth is equally as well-paced as before, moving seamlessly between heavy tracks like the anthemic “Better Without You” (a highlight comes in the huge triumphant sound of the chorus) and the groovy industrial-flavoured “Take Cover”, and the other sounds Evanescence have in their repertoire. A big collaboration with many female rock legends like Lzzy Hale, Taylor Momsen and Sharon Den Adel comes in “Use My Voice” - another anthem, though more pop-rock in style with big chords and singalong “whoa-oh”s in the chorus. Lee presents another stunning ballad in the sombre “Far From Heaven”, showcasing her beautiful piano writing, supported by atmospheric synths, melancholic strings and a soft muted drumbeat.
The album ends with a duo of heavy numbers in “Part of Me” and “Blind Belief”. The former brings back the chugging groovy guitars along with some moody symphonic strings, the latter bringing great interplay between the piano and guitars with the main riff. As expected, one of the main highlights of The Bitter Truth is Amy Lee’s stunning, emotive vocals. She brings a nice range from her softer style to her huge moments. The only downside to the album is the production. There’s lots of moments throughout The Bitter Truth that sound big, but should sound huge. The sound has an almost cold darkness that matches the music, though it could use some more power overall; more punch to deliver the impact of the heavy riffs, beats and big choruses.
The Bitter Truth is a solid album from Evanescence that brings a plenty of familiar sounds from throughout the band’s career. The songs are catchy and shows many shades of the band from their heavy gothic nu-metal side, their accessible pop-rock side and their emotional ballads. The production is a little weak and doesn’t do the music justice, however these songs are certain to sound huge when Evanescence can bring The Bitter Truth to the stage. In the end, I really enjoyed the album and would definitely recommend, as well as check out more of their back catalogue.
Critical Hits: "Broken Pieces Shine", "The Game is Over", "Yeah Right", "Feeding the Dark", "Wasted On You", "Better Without You" and "Blind Belief"
