EVANESCENCE
NEW ALBUM ‘SYNTHESIS’ DEBUTS AT #1 ON THE ROCK ALBUMS CHART AND AT #8 ON THE TOP 200 ALBUMS CHART
“SYNTHESIS LIVE” U.S./CANADA TOUR UNDERWAY
AMY LEE
BREAKS DOWN ‘SYNTHESIS’ TRACK BY TRACK ALL WEEK LONG
(Here)
EVANESCENCE, photo credit: P.R. Brown
“Amy Lee’s voice remains vibrant, soaring and sweet. She makes disappointment sound like romance.”
—Jon Caramanica, NEW YORK TIMES, (11/13/17)
“Her hearty mezzo-soprano stands front and center this time, shored up by a full orchestra and composer David Campbell’s arrangements. Synthesis also debuts two ambitious new tracks, which Lee wrote alongside programmer Will B. Hunt: ‘Little girl’s got a grenade,’ she quips along to trip-hop beats in the symphonic fight song ‘Imperfection.’ “[‘Hi-Lo’ is] suffused with glacial industrial rhythms and a striking cameo by violinist Lindsey Stirling. With the guitars turned low and the drama high-key, Synthesis amplifies the real Amy Lee, the way she always meant to be heard.“
—Suzy Exposito, ROLLING STONE (Album review, 11/14/2017)
“Evanescence has long had dual personalities, mixing alt-metal and symphonic rock on its three studio albums. On its fourth, ‘Synthesis’ (BMG), out on Friday, it changes the template: Though Amy Lee’s powerfully theatrical mezzo-soprano and neo-gothic rock compositions remain its dominant features, Evanescence discards metal in favor of orchestral grandeur.“
—Jim Fusilli, WALL STREET JOURNAL (11/8/17)
EVANESCENCE have now crossed another milestone in their career. The two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning group’s just released fourth album SYNTHESIS-out via BMG–has debuted as the #1 Rock Album in the country-the #4 best-selling album overall–and at #8 on the Top 200 album charts. In its debut week, SYNTHESIS reached #1 on the iTunes Rock and Alternative charts in over 40 countries worldwide. The new album, a reimagining of some of EVANESCENCE’s best-loved songs–as well as a couple of new ones–was recorded with a full orchestra and electronics combined with the band and AMY LEE‘s virtuosic piano and voice. AMY LEE is breaking down the songs on SYNTHESIS, track by track all week long (HERE). *Media outlets are free to repost.
In support of SYNTHESIS, EVANESCENCE–lead singer-songwriter and pianist AMY LEE, bassist TIM MCCORD, drummer WILL HUNT, lead guitarist/backing vocalist TROY MCLAWHORN and guitarist/background vocalist JEN MAJURA–are currently in the midst of their extensive “Synthesis Live” headlining tour of North America. “Synthesis Live” features AMY LEE and the band embedded with a live 28-piece orchestra and electronic programming, delivering a transcendent experience.
Living up to its name, SYNTHESIS is a combination of organic and synthesized sounds featuring LEE’s virtuosic singing and piano playing, supported by her band and a full symphony orchestra performing arrangements by long-time collaborator, orchestra arranger and composer David Campbell as well as an array of electronic music programming and effects engineered by the band, co-producer William Hunt and programmer/mixer Damian Taylor (Björk, The Killers & Arcade Fire). The album features two new EVANESCENCE songs: the first single “Imperfection” and “Hi-Lo,” the latter of which includes a guest performance by famed violinist Lindsey Stirling. Watch the video for EVANESCENCE‘s first single “Imperfection”–which REVOLVER magazine described as “an emotionally-charged epic that confronts mental illness and suicide head on” (9/15/17)–HERE and the behind-the-scenes video story and interviews HERE.
Worldwide critical acclaim is already pouring in for the SYNTHESIS album as well as the “Synthesis Live” tour (see below).
“The majesty of Ms. Lee accompanied by Mr. Campbell’s arrangements was undeniable.”
—Jim Fusilli, WALL STREET JOURNAL (11/8/2017)
“Evanescence achieve electronic-symphonic symmetry on their lush new single, ‘Imperfection.’ Singer Amy Lee commands the track with a swaggering cadence along with her signature belting. ‘You know you can’t deny it,’ she sings. ‘The world’s a little more fucked up every day.'”
—Ryan Reed, ROLLING STONE (9/15/17)
“The relationship between organic and electronic has always been at the core of Evanescence’s music, and on the sprawling ‘Synthesis,’ Lee has brought it to its most dramatic form.”
—Claire Greising, PASTE (11/8/17)
“A triumph for the multi-million selling goth metallers’ first album in six years. The singer, pianist and founding member’s incomparable voice gives songs such as ‘Bring Me To Life,’ ‘Lithium’ and ‘My Immortal’ the push to reach dramatic, epic peaks.”
–Jacqui Swift, THE SUN, (11/10/17)
“Where the originals contained their own studio-created strings, with the real deal in place, the sound is lusher…Amy’s vocals are more confident. …‘Hi-Lo’ builds a brooding gothic cathedral with dark electronica.”
–Paul Travers, KERRANG! (11/2017)
“‘Imperfection’ finds Evanescence mixing their dark rock with electronic elements; Lee veers into sprechgesang (sing-speak) territory across the verses. The chorus is pure Evanescence, cinematic and macabre.”
—Hayden Manders, NYLON (9/15/2017)
“‘Synthesis’ draws your attention far closer to the core melodies of the songs like ‘My Heart Is Broken’ and ‘Lithium’ than ever before. Most striking is how when listening to Amy sing ‘My Immortal’ with only a piano and string accompaniment, the timeless quality of the song shines through. Synthesis’ offers a deeper dive into Evanescence’s compositions that also tantalizingly hints at an alternative trajectory for the band.”
–Catherine Morris, METAL HAMMER (11/17)
“Evanescence lead singer Amy Lee made the leap from goth-rocker to opera diva last night, and she and the band led a 28-piece orchestra through a sold-out performance at the Greek Theatre. Both the concert and the album, offer a re-imagining of the group’s catalog with a full symphony orchestra, arranged by none other than Beck’s father, veteran arranger David Campbell, whose collaboration with the band goes back to the group’s first album. The concert was the second of Evanescence’s current ‘Synthesis Live’ tour, as they team up with a different symphony orchestra-under the direction of conductor Susie Seiter-in each city for an 80-minute, 18-song set….Lee firmly re-establishes herself as one of rock’s pre-eminent vocalists, exhibiting an impressive range that still packs a wallop, this time cutting through a full orchestra. …she and the ensemble turn the familiar material–including crowd favorites like the GRAMMY-winning ‘Bring Me To Life,’ ‘My Immortal,’ ‘Lithium’ and ‘Your Star’–into full-throttle, wide-screen epics, its themes of loss, guilt and self-doubt enlarged to tragedy on the Greek proscenium. The arrangements substitute strings, woodwinds, brass, synths and drum machines for electric guitars and bass, while maintaining drummer Will Hunt’s booming beats (augmented on-stage by album co-producer William B. Hunt)…a synthesis of rock, classical and EDM.”
–Roy Trakin, VARIETY (10/17/17)
“Lee’s big, full majestic voice easily filled the room, backed elegantly by an orchestra and her seated bandmates for a special evening titled Evanescence: Synthesis Live…Wearing a sleeveless, dark green gown and a thick bracelet, Lee came across as friendly and humble, explaining that singing with an orchestra had been a longtime dream. She achieved it with gusto Monday, sounding more New Age than alt-rock as she flawlessly belted out Evanescence songs like ‘Lost in Paradise,’ encore standout ‘Good Enough’ and the symphonic-electronic new one ‘Imperfection.‘”
–Scott Tady, BEAVER COUNTY TIMES (10/31/17)
“…a delight – while Ms. Lee and her bandmates shared the stage with a 28-piece ensemble, her voice emerged as the most noteworthy instrument. It was enough to make you wonder whether she was a rock star or an opera star.”
—Courtney Linder, PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE (10/31/17)
Tickets for EVANESCENCE’s “Synthesis Live” fall tour (all remaining dates below) are on-sale now (here).
| DATE | LOCATION | VENUE | |
| THU | 11/30 | Chicago, IL | Chicago Theatre |
|
SAT
|
12/2 | Carmen, IN | The Palladium |
| SUN | 12/3 | St. Louis, MO | Peabody Opera House |
| TUE | 12/5 | Minneapolis, MN | State Theatre |
| WED | 12/6 | Madison, WI | Orpheum Theatre |
| FRI | 12/8 | Tortonto, ON Canada | Sony Centre for Performing Arts |
| SAT | 12/9 | Windsor, ON Canada | Ceasar’s Windsor |
| MON | 12/11 | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City Music Hall |
| WED | 12/13 | Denver, CO | Paramount Theatre |
| FRI | 12/15 | Reno, NV | Grand Theatre at The Grand Resort |
| SAT | 12/16 | San Francisco, CA | Masonic Auditorium |
| SUN | 12/19 | Portland, OR | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall |
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