Evanescence & Similar Acts

[PitaPockets]

Michelangelo would never do that.
He hates hats.

[tarzapam]

omfg,that pic has caused tears to roll down my face.Never has a picture been so appropriately placed.
Well done.

But in more serious news...i'm loving this bit of info,mmmm carly

[blackwind]

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for:

The Fallen - Bury Me Alive
Very Amy-esque. One and a half thumbs up. Mmm, Carly...

[NemesisDesign]

Never thought I'd say this but I prefer Amy Lee. Oh jesus how can this be?

[blackwind]

Shocker of the millennium: I concur. There's no doubt that Carly does one hell of an Amy impression, but having just listened to both perform "Going Under" back to back, I can report that Carly = more than adequate, Amy = shivers. Which is the very same problem I had with her on Idol when she was being compared to Kelly. Unfortunately for her, she still appears to be missing that special intangible something (whatever it may be) that bridges the gap between "star" and "yet another talented vocalist". Too bad.

Say what you will about the music, the musicians, and the music business in general (and Amy's looks, and Amy's weight, and Amy's alleged diva tendencies...), but there's no denying that Amy's voice is absolutely perfect for this particular sound.

[NemesisDesign]

Its like listening to fail in stereo with the left channel messed up. Unfortunately I can't fall back on the band I personally like that is (wrongfully) compared to Evanescence a lot, Lacuna Coil. Their last 2 albums, especially the most recent one have been bad, generic embarrassments so I have no leg to stand on :/

[blackwind]

Originally Posted by NemesisDesign

Their last 2 albums, especially the most recent one have been bad, generic embarrassments...

So, just like their first two, then?

I think you can blame Comalies, the only album they've ever released that's worth the two-cent CD on which it was pressed, for the unrelenting Ev comparisons. Given that just about every track feels like some soulless producer pressed an Ev cookie-cutter into their dough and baked for 20 minutes on high, not only do I feel the comparison is apt, I truly believe that, in light of everything that preceded and followed it, they're lucky to be mentioned in the same breath as Evanescence at all.

Dear Lacuna Coil,

Scrap the generic, hookless, amelodic elevator rock, please and thanks, and return to the one sound you've found that works: Amy's.

Your pal,
blackwind

[NemesisDesign]

Evanescence's Fallen released 2003, Comalies released 2002. Eat shit, pal. gg, l2wiki. Putting EPs aside since we can both agree that LC's EP was nothing like Ev's EP, your argument that LC stole doesn't hold water. Maybe Italy has time machines though so they warped forwards in time, "stole" Ev's style then went back and time and then made it unrecognizable.

Also for the record, I liked their EP and 2 first albums better than Comalies. They had a lot more creativity with their instruments. They weren't afraid to do solos (not full-on metal solos but solos nonetheless). Cristina Scabbia's voice has never been the same sort of voice as Amy Lee's (not that I think Amy Lee is all that great). Cristina sings in a more rock style, Amy in a more ballad style. I went to Lacuna Coil for interesting instruments + good female-fronted rock vocals. I go to bands like Within Temptation for ballads. Ev fails in both arenas IMO

Comalies is when they started doing those down-tuned western-style chunky guitar riffs, but still had some hope that they wouldn't go the way of Ev (tee hee). Karmacode and Shallow Life just solidified that they had gone off the deep end and would never return.

[blackwind]

Originally Posted by NemesisDesign

Evanescence's Fallen released 2003, Comalies released 2002. Eat shit, pal. gg, l2wiki.

...and Origin, which contains most of the tracks on Fallen, was released in 2000. Game, set, and match! Seen that argument far too many times before, pal.

I tried to like Lacuna Coil. I really did. I even went in with an open mind, not only expecting not to hate them, but indeed, to *love* them. This was when I first started listening to Ev back in 2003 and you couldn't go anywhere without hearing them compared to Lacuna Coil and Nightwish. Needless to say, I grabbed every LC/NW LP/EP I could find at my earliest opportunity (fucking dialup ) and listened to each many, many times. Six years later, even in this post-Tarja era, I still listen to Nightwish regularly, while I've long since deleted every LC album but Comalies. I'm not even a big fan of Comalies beyond "Swamped" and "Heaven's a Lie", but at least the album is listenable, which is more than I can say for the other three turds I've heard. I realize we'll probably have to agree to disagree here, but I just don't get it -- no hooks, no melodies, and I sure as hell wasn't hearing any "interesting use of instruments" on those first two albums. What's to like? In fact, give me two examples of songs from those albums that aren't complete and total failures, and I'll go listen to them again later tonight/tomorrow in all their faildom.

I go to bands like Within Temptation for ballads. Ev fails in both arenas IMO

Clearly, you've never heard "Hello" or "Like You". Tara will back me up on this one; ergo, two against one; ergo, we win.

[NemesisDesign]

Half-assed wikipedia search almost never fails me. I sort of think its a cop out to insist that Ev is good and LC is bad but then say that LC has lifted material from Ev. Choose one incorrect assertion, not both

That's fine though, sounds like you don't like LC. It's understandable as they are different from Ev. Given the music I like, I don't feel that music has to have hooks. Most of my music is lacking in that area. When I'm feeling "hooky" I get on youtube and listen to pop music until I vomit on myself.

As for interesting sounds/good tracks from those albums:
Falling from Lacuna Coil EP
The Secret from the EP for a little metal-ish riffage
Senzafine from Unleashed Memories for a good song of theirs in Italian (I think they should do most/all of their songs in their native tongue anyways, their English lyrics are awkward)
My Wings from In a Reverie for an accoustic-sounding fast-paced track.

Point being that their first 3 albums, EP included were more musically varied than Comalies and onwards. I still listen to the extended version of Comalies with some of their acoustic tracks and whatnot. It's a solid album but it also marked the beginning of the end of them for me. You wouldn't hear anything like those on a new Lacuna Coil album. I don't know if they got new people in the band or if everyone just decided they'd stop caring but meh.

[blackwind]

Originally Posted by NemesisDesign

I sort of think its a cop out to insist that Ev is good and LC is bad but then say that LC has lifted material from Ev. Choose one incorrect assertion, not both

I'm merely suggesting that LC has potential, but only when they channel their talents through the prism of Ev's sound. As is, the talent, I can only assume, remains intact, but it's far too unfocused to turn out anything other than fertilizer time and time again. When that's no longer the case, I'll be more than happy to give them another shot.

Given the music I like, I don't feel that music has to have hooks.

Ah, right. I guess that explains the divide. I stand firmly behind the idea that music without hooks is about as worthwhile as a car without an engine or a woman without a vagina, but to each their own, I suppose.

That being said, I'll nonetheless have a listen to your recommendations (minus Senzafine, which is on the Comalies reissue) and report back soonish. Return the favor or die. I won't even add a third track to your list, as I'm under the impression that you've already suffered through "Bury Me Alive".

[blackwind]

Falling: I assume this was the "interesting use of instruments" example, and in that regard, at least, I suppose it succeeds. Somewhat musically interesting, but the songwriting just isn't there.

The Secret: I liked the intro better when it was called "The Call of Ktulu". Generic and unremarkable in every way. Plus, too much of the dude.

My Wings: Musically acceptable, I guess, even if the vocals left a lot to be desired. My personal favorite of the batch, but still not something I'd ever want to hear again.

And now, it's time to cleanse my palette with a little Comalies.

[NemesisDesign]

Originally Posted by blackwind

The Secret: I liked the intro better when it was called "The Call of Ktulu". Generic and unremarkable in every way. Plus, too much of the dude.

No, in order for it to have been The Call of Ktulu it would have had to stayed an intro for 9 minutes.

Well thanks for the effort. I just got my internet reconnected so I *will* listen to the stuff you suggested, but please give me some time so I can come up with sassy comments on each track as well.

[NemesisDesign]

I think as we both expected, I didn't like those 2 songs as much as I like Lacuna Coil's songs but they weren't bad, and were significantly less nu-metal sounding than a lot of the Ev that used to get air play.

[blackwind]

What's this? No sassy comments? Could it be that, for once, Nem truly has nothing negative to say about Evanescence? Mark your calendars, folks -- this is a day you'll surely be telling your grandchildren about!

Seriously, though, pretty much what I expected, yeah. Minus the distinct lack of sassy comments. But then, anyone who's a fan of balladeering, I think, would be hard-pressed to find too much fault with Amy's best. Really, this is all I'm asking from LC -- soaring choruses, swelling of emotion, and a payoff of some sort. And that's what they offer on (portions of) Comalies. The musicians clearly have the songwriting chops, Cristina clearly has the voice, but for whatever reason, they seem to be content with her phoning it in to the tune of tuneless down-tuned power chords and general experimental twanging. Too bad.

In any event, the seeds have now been planted. I'm satisfied. Someday, I'm confident you'll see the full extent of the light.

[tarzapam]

Hello by evanescence is one of the few songs that brings me to tears everytime i hear it.Just beautiful.

[tvmanismadformad]

I know I'm probably going to get a lot of s**t for saying this, but I would like to know what everyone is taking about here. Who or what is an Evanescence?

[Scorpiogrrl4405]

Originally Posted by tvmanismadformad

I know I'm probably going to get a lot of s**t for saying this, but I would like to know what everyone is taking about here. Who or what is an Evanescence?

WHAAAAAA???

[blackwind]

I'm recommending Tarja Turunen's "What Lies Beneath" to our resident Nightwish fans for, uh, obvious reasons. Gets better and better with every listen. This is what Dark Passion Play should've been. And her first two solo albums, for that matter.

[tarzapam]

I've not heard within Temptation,lacuna coil or nightwish so I can't make much comment on them.but I'll have to have a listen based on ur recommendation to this ladies solo album