Evanescence - 'The Open Door'
                                                                                                                                                                                                Released through Wind Up Records in 2006
THE BAND:
Amy Lee - vocals & Piano
Terry Balsamo - guitar
John Lecompt - guitar
Will Boyd - bass
Rocky Gray -drums

TRACK FRAGMENTS:
1.) "Sweet Sacrifice" -The vocal lines and rhythm guitar tracks of this intro were recorded using a muffled studio effect.  Underneath the rhythm tracks of the song's arrangement there is a small industrial sounding percussion section.  This percussion section was used to give the arrangement a little depth.  Amy's vocal lines of the pre-chorus are some of the best I have ever heard the female vocalist perform.  After the first chorus there is a small musical rest within the music.  The rhythm guitar riffs of the guitar arrangements have a very intense modern rock feel to them.  Though the song consisted of no lead guitar solo, the way that Amy pulls off the lead vocal lines you really do not miss it.
2.) "Call Me When You Sober" - This is the first single taken off the CD and was written about Amy's ex-boyfriend Shaun Morgan lead vocalist of the band Seether.  This track opens with vocals and piano.  The fourth vocal line of the lyrics were overdubbed.  This gives the lead vocal lines a lot of dept.   There is a musical arrangement change after the vocal & piano intro.  The pre-verses and verses of the song consist of two rhythm guitar arrangements layered one a top the other.  Vocally Amy completely blew me away on this track!!!  There is a small piano bridge connecting the first chorus to the second verse.  After the second chorus there is a small breakdown section.  Over the top of this breakdown section is the only time Amy sings the title of the song. 
3.) "Weight Of The World" -This track opens with a modern heavy metal intro arrangement.  The keyboard arrangement underneath the vocal lines had a toy keyboard sound to it.  At the tail end of the choruses there is an intense rhythm guitar change.  The band incorporated a small acoustic guitar arrangement underneath the last chorus. 
4.) "Lithium" -This track opens with a piano and vocal line.  In between the piano and vocals there is a small cello orchestrated section.  The cello was not only used to give the song a little depth but also to highlight Amy's vocals.  The band arranged the verses in a very subtle way which, considering the name of the song would only make sense.  As a musician I really liked the way the band arranged this song.     
5.) "Cloud Nine" - In between the drum machine and lead vocal line of this intro section there is a small Amy vocal accent.  Amy's lead vocal lines of the pre-verse were done with an attached vocal effect.  Underneath the chorus there is a small musical change with the addition of a violin orchestration section.  Musically this song goes through several dramatic musical changes.      
6.) "Snow White Queen" -The pre-musical intro of this track opens with a computer special effect.  The opening pre-verse of the song consisted of just Amy's vocal lines and a drum machine.  At times especially when the rhythm guitar kicks in the song sounds like three different songs all rolled into one.  Not that the band doesn't make the arrangement work, they do.  It is just a little awkward sounding. 
7.) "Lacrymosa" -The intro and main instrumentation of this intro and verse was a violin.  Amy and guitarist Terry Balsamo done an excellent job on interlinking the violin arrangements with Amy's piano.  In many ways this track has a horror soundtrack feel to it.  This is one of the few tracks on the CD that has an actual guitar solo. 
8.) "Like You" -The bass line of this intro section was turned up to the point of comparing it to modern 2006 rap bass lines.  There are two different rhythm guitar arrangements underneath the vocal lines of the verses.  Amy's lead vocal lines have a very subtle laid back sound to them.  At times the rhythm of the lead guitar changes and you expect the song to really kick in, but it never really does.  
9.) "Lose Control" - Too me I felt Amy's piano arrangement of this intro had a seventies feel to it.  Like a lot of Evanescence's songs Amy overdubbed a small backing vocal underneath the lead vocal lines.  After the intro section there was a drastic musical change were the song transfers from ballad to modern heavy metal.  
10.) "The Only One" - There is a small repeated vocal accent over the top of this intro section.  Between the opening chorus and the first verse Rocky witches from using a drum machine to a standard acoustic drum kit.  This along with the rhythm guitar gives the song a more modern metal feel.  
11.) "Your Star" -This track opens with a piano intro.  Through the opening chorus there are a couple of the lyric lines that were overdubbed by Amy.  There is a very simple rhythm guitar kick in for the musical verse.  Amy changes the piano section of the song after the second chorus.  This piano arrangement was heavily influenced from classical musical.  Classical musical is difficult to play within itself, let alone for Amy to sing at the same time!  After this classical musical piece the song changes once again with a vocal solo. 
12.) "All That I'm Living For" - At first play because of the distorted rhythm guitar you think this track is going to be your standard heavy metal song, but guess again.  After the opening chorus the band completely change the rhythm structure of the song by dropping the distorted and adding a violin arrangement.  The choruses of this song are very reminiscent of a lot of the stuff the band wrote for their freshman release.  Because of the way the band arranged the song it would not surprise me in the least if this track was taken off the CD as a single.
13.) "Good Enough" -The intro to this track consisted of piano along with an underling orchestrated string section.  Connecting the intro to the verse there is a small piano arrangement change.  The piano arrangement on this song had a very nice sound and shows Amy's talent at playing the piano. 


    Evanescence's are a multi-platinum recording artist with their freshman release selling nearly fourteen million copies world-wide.  Poised to continue with their heavy metal success the band has released their second CD titled, 'The Open Door'.  At times, if it was not for the distorted rhythm guitar,  the thirteen songs on this CD could be classified as abstract top forty.  With that being said, lyrically Amy has taken heavy metal lyric writing to a new plato with this release!  A song based on personal events will almost always make for a hit song.  An you can tell lyrically and emotionally Amy used several things that is going on in her life as subjects.  With all honestly I do not believe I have heard a better female vocalist.  Musically most of the songs are very laid back letting Amy's vocals carry the song which, is the way it should be for these types of arrangements.  I would definably recommend any modern rock, or metal fan to check this release out.