Evanescence gets the full force of an orchestra at Heinz Hall

It only took a few songs to see just how humble Evanescence’s frontwoman Amy Lee truly is. After belting out a completely re-imagined version of “Bring Me to Life,” the 2003 Billboard nu metal hit from the band’s debut album “Fallen,” Ms. Lee took a deep breath and exhaled.

“Regaining composure,” she said, while sitting at the piano on stage at Heinz Hall on Monday night. As organic globular shapes floated in the background, she crooned some of the gentlest lines of the song. “Breathe into me and make me real,” she sung, before moving into a chaotic storm of a chorus, dramatized by a full orchestra rather than just electric guitars. The strings and brass complemented syncopated drumming before Ms. Lee finished the song.

The lights faded to black over her long, dark hair and billowing, floor-length black gown. Despite nearly a decade and a half of touring, the vocalist still deeply emoted while on stage, as if she were singing to herself in her own bedroom. As part of Evanescence’s Synthesis tour, previewing the band’s fourth album after a brief hiatus, the band played mostly past hits from their three existing albums, re-envisioning them for an orchestra.

What may have been as subjectively depressing as Green Day’s 2009 foray into opera was actually 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.

“It’s honestly one of my oldest dreams to play in the orchestra,” Ms. Lee said. “So thank you for giving me that opportunity.” In songs like “End of the Dream” and “Your Star,” the classical instruments were met with electronic beats and audibly alluring sound effects, including crackles, noises like chains dragging against the floor and some eerie effects that sounded nearly ghoulish. [Source]

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Interview featuring Amy Lee on Sonic Seducer

Watch the brand new interview of Amy Lee discussing the upcoming ‘Synthesis’ Album that is due for release on November 10th!

Amy Lee Awarded Attorney Fees In Dispute With Management Company

According to TMZ, Evanescence singer Amy Lee was awarded more than a million dollars in legal fees in connection with a lawsuit brought against her by her former management company.

110 Management Inc. sued Amy last year for unpaid commissions and fees. 110 originally sought $1.5 million from the singer, and eventually lowered the demand to $335,000. An arbitrator finally ruled the management company was owed only $4,863.66.

Amy asked the court to award her attorney fees from 110 for the lengthy legal battle, and the judge finally decided that she was entitled to $1,036,773.68. But, according to TMZ, that’s all going to her legal expenses — $885,000 in attorney fees, $72,000 for expert witnesses and other administrative costs.

Lee is currently on the road with EVANESCENCE in support of the band’s next album, “Synthesis“, which is due on November 10. The disc features two new EVANESCENCE songs in addition to fan favorites re-recorded with a live orchestra and electronica.

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Amy Lee Talks About Lindsey Stirling’s Appearance On ‘Synthesis’

The fourth in a series of webisodes featuring footage from the making of Evanescence’s next album, “Synthesis”, can be seen below. In the latest episode of “Inside Synthesis”, we explore the making of “Hi-Lo”, one of the two new tracks on the album, featuring a guest performance by famed violinist Lindsey Stirling. “Synthesis” is due on November 10. The effort features full orchestration in a completely synthetic world of beats and sounds, with help from arranger and composer David Campbell.

“Synthesis” contains two new Evanescence songs in addition to fan favorites re-recorded with a live orchestra and electronica. The “Synthesis Live” tour launched on October 14 on the West Coast. Like the album, “Synthesis Live” features a reimagining of some of Evanescence’s best-loved songs with the spotlight on full orchestra, electronics combined with the band and frontwoman Amy Lee’s virtuoso piano and voice.

“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.

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Amy Is Glad To Release Rap-Free Version Of Bring Me To Life

EVANESCENCE’s Amy Lee spoke to Australia’s News.com.au about her decision to re-record the band’s old material with a full orchestra and heavy electronics for the “Synthesis” album. The disc, which is due on November 10, includes a re-imagining of the group’s breakthrough 2003 hit “Bring Me To Life” without the guest rap by vocalist Paul McCoy.

“God bless the rap, it’s part of what got us on the radio, I guess,” Lee said. “At least according to all the rules of radio that I don’t agree with or understand. The rap wasn’t part of our original idea or sound, it was a compromise in many ways. So to be able to go back to the original vision for the song was great.”

According to Amy, “The recording of a song that ends being the one you hear the most through history is usually when the song was just freshly written. You’re still learning it yourself and getting used to what the notes are and how the parts go,” she said. “That’s true for ‘Bring Me To Life‘, for sure. After doing it live for so long, there’s different vocal choices I’ve made and different things we got to use in this version.”

Fourteen years after “Bring Me To Life” was released, Lee says she “forgets” the rap’s there in the original version of the song. “At the time it was a big issue, it was our first single,” she said. “I wanted people to understand who we were. That’s a struggle you always fight as an artist. If we only had the one hit, if no one ever heard from us again, then nobody would understand who we were. We’ve made it past that point, so the rap doesn’t make me angry anymore. I’m so glad to put a new version out there without the rap, though.”

Synthesis” features full orchestration in a completely synthetic world of beats and sounds, with help from arranger and composer David Campbell. The disc contains two new EVANESCENCE songs in addition to fan favorites re-recorded with a live orchestra and electronica.

“Synthesis” includes a guest performance by famed violinist Lindsey Stirling on “Hi-Lo”, one of the new tracks on the album.

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Inside Synthesis Part 4 – Featuring Lindsey Stirling

Watch a BRAND NEW episode of Inside Synthesis featuring !

Pre-order Synthesis & get “Lacrymosa” instantly!

Listen to Evanescence’s new track, “Lacrymosa”, off their new album, Synthesis, now! Pre-order the album & get it instantly! http://smarturl.it/Lacrymosa

Evanescence confirm third London date for the “Synthesis tour”

According to Live Arena Evanescence confirmed a third London date for the “Synthesis tour” and the wait is almost over. In less than a couple of weeks, fans from all over the world will be able to hear Evanescence’s newest material. After six years away, the band will be back with their new album, “Synthesis”,  on 10th November, featuring a revamped version of all of their iconic songs from previous records. After giving us a taste of the overall feel of the album with a remastered version of their single, “Bing Me To Life”, Evanescence recently brought us a poignant new single, “Imperfection”, which deals with depression and suicide.

Evanescence will bring their latest material live to fans next Spring with a string of concerts up and down the UK. For those of you who still don’t have a ticket, we have some great news. The band will extend their stay in the country with one more concert in London on 9th April wrapping up their impressive tour.

Ticket Information

Evanescence in Concert
April 9th 2018: London (GB) – Eventim Apollo
Price
From £52.75 to £96.75
Tickets and reservations
On primary ticket outlets (sale opens at 9am on 27/10/2017):  TicketmasterUK

Evanescence unveil emotional video for new single ‘Imperfection’

“It’s for all the people we’ve lost, all the people who we could lose, to suicide and depression”

Evanescence have unveiled the fittingly dramatic new video for their latest single ‘Imperfection’. See it first on NME below.

The track is the lead single and one of the new songs from album ‘Synthesis’ – a reworking of some of the band’s best-loved tracks performed with a full orchestra and electronic elements. ‘Imperfection’, is an emotional moment dealing with suicide and depression.

“For me, this is the most important song on the album,” singer Amy Lee said of ‘Imperfection’. “I struggled with the lyrics for a long time because there was a lifetime of work to live up to and I wasn’t sure what to say or how to be good enough. When it finally started pouring out of me, it was undeniable. I had no choice.

“It’s for all the people we’ve lost, all the people who we could lose, to suicide and depression. I’m singing from the perspective of the person left behind, the person in the waiting room. It’s a plea to fight for your life, to stay. Don’t give into the fear- I have to tell myself that every day. Nobody is perfect.  We are all imperfect, and it’s precisely those imperfections that make us who we are, and we have to embrace them because there’s so much beauty in those differences.”

She added: “Life is worth fighting for. You are worth fighting for.”

Evanescence release ‘Synthesis’ on November 10.

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Evanescence Amp Up the Drama with Orchestra @ LA’s Greek Theatre

Evanescence lead singer Amy Lee made the leap from goth-rocker to opera diva last night, as she and the band led a 20-piece orchestra through a sold-out performance at the Greek Theatre Sunday night, previewing the group’s fourth album, “Synthesis,” which comes out November 10.

Both the concert and the album — Evanescence’s first since its self-titled 2011 effort — offer a reimagining 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 dates back to its 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.

Looking more like Maria Callas than Grace Slick in a billowing floor-length black gown with a plunging neckline, 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. Although the set includes just two new songs (the single “Imperfection” and the encore, “Speak to Me,” performed solo by Lee for the film “Voice From the Stone” earlier this year), there is also “Hi Lo” (a 10-year-old song recorded for the first time on the new album) and a pair of newly composed orchestral/piano interludes. Still, 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.

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