Some albums are so much easier to review than others, and for me the latest release from Evanescence was a harder album to just get down and review. It is not that “The Bitter Truth” is a bad album, it’s actually got a lot of things going for it, but it did take some time for me to get into it and unpack my thoughts about it. Evanescence has done well for themselves, and respect to them for their impact and influence they have had in the modern day music culture. Sure it’s been 10 years since they released an album, so one got to go into it knowing that things could be different, whether musically or lyrically, a lot can happen in 10 years that can influence and reposition a band. To think in 2003, their album, “Fallen” catapulted them into being one of the biggest bands of their time from America, thrusting them into super stardom, and here we are 18 years later. But remember this is not the first time Evanescence has had a major gap between albums. There was a five-year gap between Evanescence 2011’s self-titled third album and 2006’s The Open Door album, and even then the two albums showed some definitive changes and repositioning, so going into this review my expectation, and thinking was already in that headspace. So I leaned into the album with slight trepidation not knowing how I will need to approach this as a reviewer.
For me in a way through the soul of this album I can see for Amie Lee the personal struggles, and things she has gone through, had to deal with, and in some way now able reflect that back in a more balanced space, like the 10 year break was good for settling a few things possibly, and repositioning into a new headspace. Sometimes we just got to swallow the bitter pill where we at in life and move forward with hope things will get better and clearer as we progress and unpack the horizon before us. There is a definitive switching of cogs that has seemed to have taken place, and the album has a much lighter and brighter feel to it. It has a deliberate and well kneaded feel to it, a lot of thought process has gone into the release to give it the sound and texture it translates. Amy Lee’s voice for me also sounds allot more relaxed, compared to the previous release, it comes across with a greater sense of heart if you will, and a lot more sincere passion. It’s not like she is finished dealing with stuff, or wholeheartedly moved on, but you do get a sense that through reflection she is repositioning herself. “Far From Heaven” is a good example of that. It is possible one of the more hauntingly emotional songs and her voice on the song almost nakedly displays a strong emotional drive as she is dealing with things like her faith.
Climbing into songs like “Better Without You” and “Feeding the Dark” can bring back grounds of familiarity of the band as the mincing of old with new Evanescence is slotted together if you will. There is still a gothic rock edge to the band however small the remnants of that is which does serve for a lighter tone or vibe on the album. There is a graceful maturity about the overall sound. The bigger bolder sound contrasted by Amie’s crisis of faith lends a edgy appeal to the album. I honestly think though the overall mixing and production could have been better for this type of album. There are some predictable moments that sort of shadow, “The Open Door” album.
I think this is an album that will find more favour with the fans of the band, than the critics who will review the album as it has a lot of what has made Evanescence as popular over the years as it has as a band, but as reviewers we are defiantly more critical when digging into a band, which can mean we get it totally wrong, also does not mean we don’t get it right sometimes, just that critically we can get the whole thing wrong because we don’t get it, but the fans do, and at the end of the day the fans feelings of the album are way more important than a critics, as they the ones going to be buying the album and supporting the band, not the critic, his just looking for the next thing to criticize and throw his 5 cents worth at, not quite, but you get where I am going right?. So in a way I am slating those critics who sometimes just don’t get a band, just because it does not fit their boxed thinking. “Use My Voice” has an anthemic branding to it which includes the voices including Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless) and Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation) to add weight and meat to the song. It helps add a solid platform to the message that deals with standing up for you ones self, no matter who you are, regardless of sex, race and so forth. “Take Cover” shows off a more aggressive side of Aimee’s personality as she digs deep down into her belt of attitude.
As a whole “This Bitter Pill” shows a band with some distance still in them.
At the end the album has a fringe appeal to it, and is an emotional album, though lighter in some ways, it still carries a dark weight to it, but comes as possible more truth felt and sincere in its overall concept and message. It’s not an album that bleeds false narrative in painting a promise that that everything will be fine at the end of all of it, but hunkers down with the possibility it can be. At the end that’s a hope worth holding on for.
Written by Donovan de Necker
Rating: 7/10
Tracks:
- Artifact The Turn
- Broken Pieces Shine
- Game Over
- Yeah Right
- Feeding The Dark
- Wasted On You
- Better Without You
- Use My Voice
- Take Cover
- Far From Heaven
- Part Of Me
- Blind Belief
Current members
Amy Lee – lead vocals, keyboards, harp
Troy McLawhorn – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Jen Majura – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals, theremin
Tim McCord – bass
Will Hunt – drums
Discography
“Fallen” (2003)
“The Open Door” (2006)
“Evanescence” (2011)
“Synthesis” (2017)
“The Bitter Truth” (2021)
Release Date: March 26th. 2021
Record Label: BMG
Weblinks: Website / Facebook / Twitter
Video for ‘Better Without You’
Video for ‘Wasted on You’
Video for
Video for ‘Use My Voice’
