Evanescence has released a reworking of its debut single and global hit, ‘Bring Me To Life’. Taken from the band’s next album, “Synthesis”, which is due in the autumn, the reworked version of the song strips out the big distorted guitars and rock drums, replacing them with full orchestration in a completely synthetic world of beats and sounds, with help from arranger and composer David Campbell.
The original version of ‘Bring Me to Life’ — which featured guest vocals from Paul McCoy of 12 Stones — reached No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was Evanescence‘s first U.K. No. 1 single. It was taken from Evanescence‘s debut album, “Fallen”, which has sold more than seventeen million copies worldwide and was certified seven times platinum in the U.S.
“‘Bring Me To Life’ is new to me again after fifteen years,” says Evanescence‘s Amy Lee. “It’s difficult to explain how good that makes me feel. Having the chance to incorporate things I’ve heard in my head throughout that long period of time, nuances from the way I sing it live, just pouring the weight and perspective of the life I’ve lived now back into that root — it’s pure satisfaction.”
“Synthesis” will feature two new Evanescence songs in addition to fan favorites re-recorded with a live orchestra and electronica.
The “Synthesis Live” tour will launch this fall beginning October 14 on the West Coast. Like the album, “Synthesis Live” will feature a reimagining of some of Evanescence‘s best-loved songs with the spotlight on full orchestra, electronics combined with the band and Lee‘s virtuoso piano and voice. Dates and locations are listed below.
“This is a total passion project for me. There are so many layers in our music, underneath the huge drums and guitars,” explained Lee. “I’ve always wanted to shine a light on some of the gorgeous David Campbell arrangements and programming elements in our songs, and that idea snowballed into completely re-doing them with full orchestra, not just strings, elaborate programming and experimentation.
“This will be our first time touring with orchestra and I’m so excited to perform this way-really focus on the vocals, and the emotion and the story we’ve built over the years. I’m also really excited about the new material on the album. Besides the two new songs, there are some really beautiful instrumental in-between moments. The whole thing flows like a big, dynamic soundtrack.”
Lee told Graspop.be about “Synthesis”: “It’s different in a way that it’s still coming from the roots of what Evanescence was conceived to be,. It’s really a beautiful project. A lot of our old songs are getting a whole new life in a way where we’re getting to experience the focus being this beautiful, full orchestra. It’s also a lot of electronic, cool elements — parts that have always been part of our music. It hasn’t been full orchestra before — it’s just been mainly strings — but just taking it to very beautiful, classical and epic and groovy place. Oh, it feels so good. There’s some new stuff on it too, but it’s mostly old stuff [reimagined].”
Lee also talked in more detail about the making of “Synthesis”, explaining: “As far as the conception, basically, you work in demo land first and just create the arrangements of songs. I went through all the master sessions of, say, ‘Bring Me To Life’, and [I would] pull out all the stuff and listen to it and then chop it up and decide, ‘Oh, maybe this part needs to be longer. Maybe this part at the beginning will be just strings and piano.’ Just figure out what you’re gonna do and build a map. And working with David Campbell, who has done all the string arrangements for Evanescence for all three albums now doing full orchestra, just going back and forth with him and our producer Will and then each other, just throwing ideas in a Dropbox and basically just playing tennis back and forth for months. We finally recorded the orchestra. It sounds just gorgeous. I can’t wait to finish the thing.”
Upcoming Shows:
October 14 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl Concert Theater
October 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
October 17 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
October 20 – Houston, TX @ Revention Music Center
October 22 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Irving Music Factory
October 23 – New Orleans, LA @ Mahalia Jackson Theater
October 25 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
October 27 – Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre
October 28 – Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
October 30 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts
October 31 – Oxon Hill, MD @ MGM National Harbor
November 2 – Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theater
November 3 – Mashantucket, CT @ Foxwoods Resort Casino
November 5 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
November 7 – Bethlehem, PA @ Sands Bethlehem Event Center
November 8 – Baltimore, MD @ Hippodrome Theatre
November 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
November 30 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
December 2 – Carmel, IN @ The Palladium
December 5 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
December 6 – Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theatre
December 8 – Toronto, ON @ Canada Sony Centre for Performing Arts
December 9 – Windsor, ON @ Canada Caesar’s Windsor
December 11 – Kansas City, MO @ Kansas City Music Hall
December 13 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
December 15 – Reno, NV @ Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort
December 16 – San Francisco, CA @ Masonic Auditorium
December 19 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
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Video (audio) for ‘Bring Me To Life’