After recording private albums, the band signed to Wind-up Records and released their first full-length album, Fallen, in 2003, which sold more than 15 million copies worldwide and helped the band win two Grammy Awards. A year later, they released their first live album, Anywhere But Home, which sold more than one million copies worldwide. In 2006, they then released their second studio album, The Open Door, which sold more than five million copies. They released their third and latest studio album, Evanescence in 2011.
The band currently consists of Amy Lee (lead vocals, piano, keyboards), Terry Balsamo (guitars), and Tim McCord (bass). Former members include David Hodges (piano, keyboards, backing vocals; left in 2002), Ben Moody (guitars; left in 2003), William Boyd (bass; left in 2006), John LeCompt (guitars, backing vocals; fired in 2007), and Rocky Gray (drums; left in 2007). Session members include Troy McLawhorn (guitars) and Will Hunt (drums), both are from Dark New Day, they were "borrowed" to replace LeCompt and Gray during 2007 tours.
Amy Lee and Ben Moody met in 1994 at a youth camp in Little Rock, where Moody heard Lee playing I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) by Meat Loaf on the piano. Their first songs were Solitude and Give Unto Me, written by Lee, and Understanding and My Immortal, written by Moody.
Two of Lee and Moody's songs found playtime on local radio stations, raising local awareness of the group and demand for a show. The band eventually appeared live, and became one of the most popular acts in the area. After experimenting with band names, such as Childish Intentions and Stricken, they decided on Evanescence, which means "disappearance" or "fading away" (from the word evanesce, which means "to disappear"). Lee has stated she loves the name because "it is mysterious and dark, and places a picture in the listeners' mind.".
Their first full-length demo CD, Origin (released in 2000), is relatively unknown. The band also released two EPs. First, the self-titled Evanescence EP (1998) of which about 100 copies were made, and second the Sound Asleep EP, also known as the Whisper EP (1999), limited to 50 copies. Origin and the EPs contain demo versions of some of the songs on their debut album, Fallen. For example, the recording of My Immortal found on Fallen can also be found on Origin, minus a handful of additional string accompaniments. Only 2,500 copies of this record were produced; in response, Lee and Moody encouraged fans to download the band's older songs from the Internet.
In several interviews Amy has said that 'Origin' was not an album, it was merely meant to be a demo. While appearing to be an official CD, it was never meant to be officially released. According to Amy Lee "Origin is not an album. Should I say that clearer? 'Origin' is not an album. We recorded its demos, we recorded it a long time ago, in Ben's apartment or in my parent's attic with an 8-track recorder that cost $300. It sounds like crap. Don't feel bad that you don't have it, just download it. It looks kind of like an album because we had an artist make us this cool album cover because we were shopping it to record labels. We put everything we had on there, and some songs that are on there are on 'Fallen', just done right". The video of this interview can be seen here.
The band sent 'Origin' to several record labels, and eventually Wind-Up Records signed them. The band then recorded a large collection of demos throughout 2001 and 2002. Afterwards, the band began work on their second full-length album. However, after the album had been finished, Hodges left the band in December of 2002.
The album, entitled 'Fallen', was then released in March 2003. It brought the band international fame, selling 14 millions of copies worldwide. 'Fallen' has since gone 6 times platinum in the United States and has sold more than 15 million copies altogether worldwide.
However, shortly after, Moody left the band on October 22 of 2003 due to internal struggles with the band members. He was then replaced by guitarist Terry Balsamo from the band Cold. Before Moody's departure, Gray, LeCompt, and Boyd had been session members, but afterwards they became full-time members.
At the 2004 Grammy Awards, Evanescence won Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance for their single Bring Me to Life, known worldwide from the Daredevil soundtrack. That same year, the band released a live CD/DVD entitled 'Anywhere But Home', which also sold 1 million of copies worldwide and has since gone platinum in the United States.
Afterwards, the band began work on their next release. Many things set the release back, including the health problems of Terry. He was unfortunately affected by a stroke, but is recovering successfully. Amy also fired their old manager which they had relations with during 'Fallen', and brought him to court. In 2006, they finished recording their second album, titled 'The Open Door', as well as shooting a video for the single Call Me When You're Sober. On July 13th, 2006, Lee announced through Evanescence's online message board that bassist Boyd has decided to leave the band in order to make time for his personal life and family. Tim McCord was announced as Will Boyd's replacement in August 2006.
'The Open Door' debuted at number 1 in Australia, United States, Greece, Germany, and Switzerland. It sold over 1 million copies worldwide within the first week of its release.
The second single of 'The Open Door' was Lithium. A video was shot for the single - directed by Paul Fedor (who has worked with Marilyn Manson, Seether, and Deftones). It took 2 days to film, October 31 and November 1, 2006.
The third single off 'The Open Door' was Sweet Sacrifice. The label, Wind-Up, had originally chosen All That I'm Living For to be the third single, but was met with opposition from the fans. The video was shot on March 9th and 10th, 2007. Directed by Paul Brown.
On May 4, 2007, John LeCompt announced that he had been fired from Evanescence, and also stated that drummer Rocky Gray had decided to quit as well. Both musicians posted on their personal MySpace pages to confirm the news report, however, neither elaborated about the circumstances surrounding their departures, and no official statement has yet been released by the band or label.
On his MySpace blog, LeCompt stated that Lee called his cellphone to fire him, and that no warning had previously been given nor were any negotiations made available. No replacements have been named as of yet, but Evanescence says they will continue touring and producing music.
Lee revealed during the taping of MuchMusic's January 9, 2007 episode of Live @ Much that she had become engaged the previous evening. She later confirmed on EvThreads.com that she was proposed to by Josh Hartzler, a 29-year-old therapist and long time friend. She noted in an interview that the songs Good Enough and Bring Me To Life were inspired by him. The couple were married on May 6, 2007, and honeymooned near The Bahamas. She has posted on EvThreads that she is "now officially Mrs. Amy Hartzler."
Recently Lee and Evanescence (with temporary members) headlined a one off show in Sao Paulo, Brazil for a music festival. A couple of weeks before, Lee posted on her Twitter that the band need to practice and was going to play a secret show in NYC's The Palace.
Lee confirmed that a third album was on the way and was set to release late 2010. A short video surfaced on one members Twitter account showing the band practicing and recording.
On 22 January, 2010, Amy posted on her Twitter that the b-side Together Again would be a gift to all who donate just the minimum amount to the Relief Effort over in Haiti.
In a MTV interview Amy Lee announced that the new album would be named 'Evanescence'. This was released October 11th, 2011. It is the first of their albums to have a deluxe version with 4 extra songs and an accompanying DVD.
Lost Whispers is a compilation album and was released on December 9, 2016, by The Bicycle Music Company. The album is a career-spanning collection of B-sides and two new recordings: "Lost Whispers", the intro from the band's 2009 tour and a new version of "Even in Death", originally on their 2000 demo album, Origin.
Their fourth Studio album, Synthesis, was released in November 2017. The album debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200, and has reached number 23 in the UK, 5 in Germany, and 6 in Australia.
Discography
1998: Evanescence EP
1999: Sound Asleep EP
2000: Origin
2003: Mystary EP and Fallen (first official studio album)
2004: Anywhere But Home
2006: The Open Door
2011: Evanescence
2016: Lost Whispers
2017: Synthesis
2021: The Bitter Truth
Official site: www.evanescence.com
Bleed
Evanescence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So you might earn forgiveness
You know your whole world is waiting
So why can't you speak?
I feel it coming over me
I'm still a slave to these dreams
Is this the end of everything?
So go and tell all your friends
That I'm a failure underneath
If it makes you feel like a bigger man
But it's my, my heart, my life
That you're calling a lie
I've played this game before
And I can't take anymore
I feel it coming over me
I'm still a slave to these dreams
Is this the end of everything?
Or just a new way to bleed?
By drifting far beyond the edge
Freedom, freedom,
Can't you feel the ground caving in?
Freedom,
Give us a reason to believe again
I feel it coming over me
I'm still a slave to these dreams
Is this the end of everything?
Or just a new way to bleed?
The lyrics of Evanescence's song "Bleed" are a powerful and emotional exploration of personal struggle and the pain of feeling trapped in a cycle of self-destruction. The opening lines of "Save your twisted enemy so you might earn forgiveness" suggest a theme of redemption and the need to overcome one's own inner demons in order to move forward. This is echoed in the later line "By drifting far beyond the edge / Freedom, freedom / Can't you feel the ground caving in?," which speaks to the desire to break free from a self-imposed prison of doubt and despair.
The second half of the song is a defiant rejection of those who would tear the singer down, with lines like "So go and tell all your friends / That I'm a failure underneath / If it makes you feel like a bigger man / But it's my, my heart, my life / That you're calling a lie." The repeated refrain of "I'm still a slave to these dreams / Is this the end of everything? / Or just a new way to bleed?" reflects the singer's sense of helplessness and the fear that their struggles will never truly end.
Overall, "Bleed" is a poignant and deeply introspective song that explores the difficult process of facing one's own demons while also resisting the negative judgments of others.
Line by Line Meaning
Save your twisted enemy
Don't give up on someone who has hurt you or who you consider your enemy.
So you might earn forgiveness
By saving your enemy, you may be able to earn their forgiveness.
You know your whole world is waiting
Your entire life and everything you want is waiting for you to take action and make it happen.
So why can't you speak?
Why are you hesitant to speak up and take action when you know what you want?
I feel it coming over me
The feeling of being overwhelmed or consumed by something is taking over.
I'm still a slave to these dreams
Despite trying to move on, you are still a prisoner to your dreams and desires.
Is this the end of everything?
Wondering if this struggle is the end of everything you have worked for or if there is still hope for the future.
Or just a new way to bleed?
Questioning whether the current situation is bringing a new form of pain and suffering.
So go and tell all your friends
Someone is spreading rumors or gossip about the artist and wants others to know.
That I'm a failure underneath
The artist is being portrayed as a failure or someone who is not successful.
If it makes you feel like a bigger man
The person spreading rumors is doing so to boost their own ego and feel superior to the singer.
But it's my, my heart, my life
No matter what others say, the artist's heart and life are their own and cannot be taken away from them.
That you're calling a lie
The rumors being spread are falsely portraying the singer's life and character.
I've played this game before
The singer has been in similar situations before where people have tried to bring them down.
And I can't take anymore
The singer has reached their breaking point and cannot handle any more negativity or rumors.
By drifting far beyond the edge
By taking risks and pushing past boundaries, one can find new perspectives and opportunities in life.
Freedom, freedom,
Freedom is important and should be cherished.
Can't you feel the ground caving in?
Sensing a change or shift in the world and feeling uncertain about the future.
Give us a reason to believe again
Asking for a glimmer of hope or positivity to renew faith in the world and future.
I feel it coming over me
The overwhelming feeling is still present and affecting the artist.
I'm still a slave to these dreams
Despite everything, the artist is still a prisoner to their own thoughts and desires.
Is this the end of everything?
The question of whether the struggle is the end still looms over the artist.
Or just a new way to bleed?
Wondering if the current pain is really a new form of suffering or just a continuation of past struggles.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: AMY LEE, TERRY BALSAMO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rock&MetalPE
How can I pretend that I don't see
What you hide so carelessly
I saw her bleed
And you heard me breathe
And I froze inside myself
And turned away
I must be dreaming
We all live, we all die,
That does not begin to justify you
It's not what it seems.
Not what you think
No, I must be dreaming.
It's only in my mind,
Not real life.
No, I must be dreaming.
Help you know I've got to tell someone,
Tell them what I know you've done.
I fear you, but spoken fears can come true.
We all live, we all die,
That does not begin to justify you
It's not what it seems.
Not what you think.
No I must be dreaming.
It's only in my mind,
Not real life.
No I must be dreaming.
We all live,
We all die,
That does not begin to justify you
It's not what it seems
Not what you think
No I must be dreaming
It's only in my mind
Not real life
No I must be dreaming
Not what it seems
Not what you think
I must be dreaming
Just in my mind
Not real life
I must be dreaming
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kara danvers
petition for evanescence to put all their demos on spotify
Eriza Misora #fujoshi
This!
slay list
exactly omg
Alejandro Sosa
Readed Demons, lol and cool too jaja
Dylan Strife
Missing was officially released with the first live album, Anywhere but Home. It was later re-released with the Lost Whispers EP. That would explain Missing not being missing. Evanescence is sitting on so much unused and demo material, though, I wish they would release a box set with all of it!
SpookySlaveGirlASMR
@Keria Hikage - the irony that 'Missing' is the only one on there... 'Missing' is not missing. Haha
RainKeehl
this is actually my favorite song from Evanescence.
Reu
@Russ' Movie Corner Nothing beats Hello. It will make you cry.
93parasol
mine too
Russ' Movie Corner
Second only to tourniquet and lacrymosa. This song rocks.