Evanescence

[Theogonia]

If I can recall correctly, Evanescence was an UNDERGROUND Christian band before they hit the mainstream.

After they found success they had issues with being called a Christian band...they started cursing in interviews and displaying behavior their long time fans were shocked by.

Christian retailers actually pulled their music from the shelves and since then it has people questioning their Christian roots, etc.

I loved Fallen and My Immortal was one of my favorite songs. There are hints of Christian imagery and themes in that entire album but not enough for me to consider them Christian anymore. My opinion is she has crossed over to the dark side and doesnt know how to come back...But as I said, thats my opinion....the new vids make me feel that way.

No, they were never a christian band. And that's why they were [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]ed off when they were referred to as being one.

And wow, if people are going to judge them based on how they talk, that would make me question whether these "people" are really christians as christians are supposed to be.

 

[msdizzydolores]

Anywho.

 

[Snoofles]

i like them, haven't heard their new album, own the one they put out before this last one (forgive me, i easily forget album names) and like their sound. if i listen to them too much though, they can get depressing.

 

[Caedmon]

If not "lame pseudo-goth rock" or something along those lines, how would you classify them?

Mainstream rock using watered-down, superficial "goth" imagery to appeal to sell music.

I guess Evenanescence isn't artsy or chipper enough to be Goth then.

I wouldn't call "Friday I'm in Love" a "goth" song. Robert Smith himself has openly admitted to creating pop songs; he considers "Just Like Heaven" to be his most successful attempt at making a pop song. If you want to hear goth Cure, listen to the Pornography album, or something like this: Charlotte Sometimes

In my mind, Evanescence is not a "goth" group for a couple of reasons. They enjoy a wide-spread audience. They're played on the radio and on music video channels. They're too commercially marketed, i.e., you can get all their albums at Wal*Mart. They don't sound like canonical trad goth, death rock, or even darkwave or ethereal bands that I know of. On the contrary, I'd say they're more similar to a band like Linkin Park.

But anyway, I'm not a music nazi about this. Genres can be helpful, but sometimes they're imprecise and subjective. If someone wants to consider Evanescence a "goth" group, more power to them, but I would highly disagree.

 

[Blackguard_]

Mainstream rock using watered-down, superficial "goth" imagery to appeal to sell music

How would that differ from "lame pseudo-goth rock"? Do you mean their "goth" imagery is visual and not part of the music?

I wouldn't call "Friday I'm in Love" a "goth" song.

I wouldn't either. I was using it to make fun of Yam's argument Eveneseance isn't Goth becasue its not on a list of goth bands, as if a list of bands defines a genre.

(although, now I'm thinking it would have been funnier to register on wikipedia and add Evanesense to the goth-metal list)

I don't know what Goth music is (I've basically only heard it defined as "Souxie and the Banshees, Bahaus, and The Cure; and themes and atmosphere similar to the literary genre"), but I do know that a music style can vary wildly among bands and a band's music can vary wildly even on a single album, not to mention over a career, so to rely on a list of bands to argue the genre of a group is ridiculous.(also, I know that "Friday I'm in Love" is early 90's light-rock)

If you want to hear goth Cure, listen to the Pornography album, or something like this: Charlotte Sometimes

that seems Gothic all right. Even has a ghost, revenant, and neo-gothic architectre in the video.

In my mind, Evanescence is not a "goth" group for a couple of reasons. They enjoy a wide-spread audience. They're played on the radio and on music video channels. They're too commercially marketed, i.e., you can get all their albums at Wal*Mart.

Evanesence is not Goth because they are popular and well marketed? I'm not following you. It's impossible to be Goth and popular and well marketed?

Even if Evanesscense is a bunch of hacks and their music is calculated to be popular, I still don't see how it would rule them out from being a certain genre. If a music is popular or marketable, I would say aping that genre to sell records still means you play that genre.

I don't buy the idea pop-music is itself is genre if that's what your getting at. I think it's either "whatever style of music is popular at a certain time and/or place" or "music calculated to be popular". I don't think the 2 are necessarily the same either.

And that pop music isn't a genre is why people call things pop-rock/goth/punk/etc. It's people aping and/or watering down a genre to gain wide appeal, not its own genre.

So I think it's entirely possible to be a pop-goth rock band. (I'm not arguing Evanesence is though)

They don't sound like canonical trad goth, death rock, or even darkwave or ethereal bands that I know of. On the contrary, I'd say they're more similar to a band like Linkin Park.

Now that's more like how you should be arguing. "Evanesence isn't Goth because they don't sound Goth"

I have no idea what Linkin Park sounds like. If I've ever heard one of their songs, it was unwittingly.

And I don't know any of those other genres, although I could hazard a guess at Darkwave.

But anyway, I'm not a music nazi about this. Genres can be helpful, but sometimes they're imprecise and subjective.

Yeah, sometimes they are. For example going by the "music with Gothic themes" definition of Goth, you could argue Alice in CHains' "I Stay Away" is Gothic.

I'm starting to consider a lot of the music of the early 80's a Gordian Knot of music genres.

If someone wants to consider Evanescence a "goth" group, more power to them, but I would highly disagree.

I would say they are just darkish and depressing rock. Just going by the "themes of the Gothic literary genre" definition of Goth music, I couldn't say they were Gothic. For one, "dark" is insufficient, it has to be a more a spooky dark.

 

[Caedmon]

How would that differ from "lame pseudo-goth rock"? Do you mean their "goth" imagery is visual and not part of the music?

I was feeling indignant when I wrote that. Sorry.

I wouldn't either. I was using it to make fun of Yam's argument Eveneseance isn't Goth becasue its not on a list of goth bands, as if a list of bands defines a genre.

(although, now I'm thinking it would have been funnier to register on wikipedia and add Evanesense to the goth-metal list)

Oh ok, I missed that. I've got prelim exams on the brain.

I don't know what Goth music is (I've basically only heard it defined as "Souxie and the Banshees, Bahaus, and The Cure; and themes and atmosphere similar to the literary genre"), but I do know that a music style can vary wildly among bands and a band's music can vary wildly even on a single album, not to mention over a career, so to rely on a list of bands to argue the genre of a group is ridiculous.(also, I know that "Friday I'm in Love" is early 90's light-rock)

If you want to be serious about it, there's no such thing as "goth," or you shouldn't openly label yourself as such (or you should be pathologically hatefully opposed to it, as is the case of Andrew Eldritch).

that seems Gothic all right. Even has a ghost, revenant, and neo-gothic architectre in the video.

It's one of my favorite songs.

Evanesence is not Goth because they are popular and well marketed? I'm not following you. It's impossible to be Goth and popular and well marketed?

Even if Evanesscense is a bunch of hacks and their music is calculated to be popular, I still don't see how it would rule them out from being a certain genre. If a music is popular or marketable, I would say aping that genre to sell records still means you play that genre.

I don't buy the idea pop-music is itself is genre if that's what your getting at. I think it's either "whatever style of music is popular at a certain time and/or place" or "music calculated to be popular". I don't think the 2 are necessarily the same either.

And that pop music isn't a genre is why people call things pop-rock/goth/punk/etc. It's people aping and/or watering down a genre to gain wide appeal, not its own genre.

So I think it's entirely possible to be a pop-goth rock band. (I'm not arguing Evanesence is though)

Sorry, I was getting a little indignant/uebergoth with that too. Generally, if you look around goth forum sites, you'll see a distaste for all things mainstream (and rightfully so, in my opinion). There is a loose canon of bands that fall under, not the "goth" label per se, but the some-people-who-like-goth-also-like-these-bands label. In my case, I would count "industrial"/ebm bands Suicide Commando, Velvet Acid Christ and Leaetherstrip among those. I took a "goth" poll a few weeks ago, and it classified my music interest make-up as #1. Industrial and #2. Old-school goth, but whatever. I listen to Alien Sex Fiend too; they're considered "goth" by some, and they use lots of electronic sounds and samples. Go figure.

Now that's more like how you should be arguing. "Evanesence isn't Goth because they don't sound Goth"

I have no idea what Linkin Park sounds like. If I've ever heard one of their songs, it was unwittingly.

And I don't know any of those other genres, although I could hazard a guess at Darkwave.

Darkwave would be a band like Switchblade Symphony, in my opinion. Trad (old-school) goth is early Cure, Bauhaus and Siouxsie. Death rock is Christian Death and Kommunity FK. Industrial is Throbbing Gristle. EBM is Nitzer Ebb. Future pop is Apoptygma Berzerk. (I don't really like Future Pop.) I can best describe my interest as old-school goth and what I would call horror EBM/noise.

Yeah, sometimes they are. For example going by the "music with Gothic themes" definition of Goth, you could argue Alice in CHains' "I Stay Away" is Gothic.

I'm starting to consider a lot of the music of the early 80's a Gordian Knot of music genres.

Specimen has a lot of big hair and stylized androgynous qualities, but I would definitely set them off from what I would call "big-hair" bands, like Whitesnake or Twisted Sister *shudder*.

I would say they are just darkish and depressing rock. Just going by the "themes of the Gothic literary genre" definition of Goth music, I couldn't say they were Gothic. For one, "dark" is insufficient, it has to be a more a spooky dark.

"Spooky" might be a poor descriptor, because "spooky kids" is the phrase that was used by some "goths" to distinguish and separate themselves from the kids who were into Marilyn Manson in the '90s. I don't know of other words that would do much better though. The only good way I know to classify a group is to drop some bandnames that are similar and/or appeal to me.

 

[cailan]

I love them, but they are not Christian. Watch the 'Anywhere but Home' DVD to see why.

 

[Duo]

Before they said they weren't "Christian," they were pretty good. Now they suck--and I'm not just saying they suck because they said they didn't want to be called a Christian band; their music sucks.

If its not that you dont like them before they said they werent christian, then what does that say? What exactly has changed about them?

 

[Trashionista]

Overrated beyond belief.

 

[Tallerthanatree]

if i listen to them too much though, they can get depressing.

Haha, you should listen to Suicidal Black Metal or Funeral Doom.

 

[peanutbutter12]

I love their older stuff. Pre-Fallen... I listen to it for hours at a time.

I'm an oldschool fan of theirs. Their new stuff sucks. They had the perfect combination before when Amy and Ben worked together. Amy has shown she lacks talent in doing it all herself. I truly long for a reunion that brings Ben back to the band before another atrocity like The Open Door is released.

 

[peanutbutter12]

Also, for some peoples information, it was David Hodges who was pushing the band into the Christian direction. He ended up leaving the band not long after due to the controversy because that is not the direction Ben and Amy wanted to go in.

 

[Lord Of The Forest]

In my opinion, Evanescence is more emo than gothic.
If you want to hear two bands that I think (Whatever that means...) are the last word in gothic music today, look into Virgin Black (Everything except "Requiem - Fortissimo") and Lacrimosa.

Honestly, Evanescence's lyrics are just too happy for me.

 

[Truffle]

tonight i got into the mood to listen to them again yeah,i liked them and still do just not a band i listen to alot

 

[Caitlin.ann]

Thoughts on this band?

They're freakin' awesome!

 

[Ice Queen]

Evanescence introduced me to Within Temptation, Nightwish, Lacuna Coil etc., but I still love them. Evanescence really is more like electronic-victorian-symphonic-hard-alternative-futuristic-rock...thingy. I don't think they really fit into any genre...

 

[Sammy-San]

I think they and their ilk were prophesied by Soul Asylum.

But seriously, I find them too depressing. For example, the Evenescance "Lithium" makes the Nirvana "Lithium" seem up-beat and angst-free. Also, they are over-polished to the point their music sounds soulless to me, which is especially bad considering they are supposed to be all agnsty or something.

What does "angsty" mean?

 

[The Ginger]

I like there music and Amy has a great voice.

 

[Ice Queen]

By the way, folks who don't know, Everybody's Fool is about people like Britney Spears (who seem to hold fake identities). Note the lyrics, "Look here she comes now...". I don't think Christ is (referred to as) female, now is He? And My Last Breath is about 9/11 through the eyes of the dying loved one speaking to someone cherished.

 

[Shane R]

Evanescence is what we Americans had for symphonic metal back in the day, even as Europe was blossoming with bands like Nightwish, After Forever, Within Temptation, The Gathering, and Tristania. Amy Lee is a marginal talent compared with Floor Jansen, Vibeke Stene, Anneke van Giersbergen, or even Sharon den Adel (not to mention Simone Simons and Tarja Turunen) - my favorite of the scene is Floor Jansen.

I remember how good the Fallen album was when it came out. It was really revolutionary to mid-westerners like myself who had not been exposed to that style. It was the gateway that led me to better symphonic metal. My classmates at preaching school and I blasted the songs in my car in the summer of 2003.

There is certainly some religious motif to many of the lyrics from Fallen. This lessened and vanished in the later work of Evanescence.