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on December 9, 2013
Good. A little more whinny than the previous CD; that was great! This is still an excellent band and this CD was still very good. I was just left a little less fulfilled than last time.
on December 18, 2013
Can I still say album? I'm kind of old school, but I've always had a soft spot for Evanescence. Amy's voice is haunting and only improves with each attempt. The songs have an amazing depth of expression - they always draw me in. However, my favorite album will always be Origins; I've loved knowing that those precocious kids did something great with all that talent.
on April 29, 2017
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE... need I say more!!
on January 9, 2014
I listen to this over and over again in my car. Her first CD actually got worn out in my car from years of listening to it repeatedly. No doubt same will happen with this CD. A lot of lyrics I can relate to, sound is other worldly. Possibly my favorite album ever.... right next to the Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd.
on January 2, 2012
This album, while not as strong as Fallen, is still incredible. By far the best song on the cd is Sweet Sacrifice followed by Snow White Queen. My least favorite song is Lithium. But I tend to like the harder rocking, fast paced songs rather than the ballads. Evanescence has changed their sound somewhat from their debut album, but they still retain the goth metal flavor with orchestral and classical overtones. Music is not a one-size-fits-all, but if you like darker music with a metal edge (think Within Temptation or Flyleaf) this album is for you.
on March 9, 2016
This is a great follow-up to the first album, and is great in its own respects. Fans of Evanescence will appreciate the emotion and personal nature of the songs and lyrics, but the album is also accessible to newcomers.
on October 3, 2006
Evanescence has promised us a bigger, better album, and this album it shows. They've clearly pushed all of their limits and the used all the talents they could. Amy used her powerful voice much more than on Fallen. The vocal was just utterly amazing and gave the album sort of a dream-like, gothic-powerful, carefree and windy feeling. The lyrics weren't as complicated as the last one but it worked well and, as others say, gets their messages across. And they came out with an album not like any other albums out there, and clearly not like Fallen, just as they've said in previews.
The album does take a little time to get fully use to. Simply because we aren't adapted at hearing different things. Fallen was a success simply because it was something new and different, and a breath of fresh air from other music. And we were fascinated at this "new genre" (of course there are other albums of this genre, they are just not very well known). So now after three years adapting into Fallen, they come out with something else and yes, coming out of Fallen and adapt into this new album- The Open Door, takes a bit of time to get use to. But it still sounds every bit like Evanescence, and that's the most important thing. When I heard this album, my first reaction was the relief that it still sounds very much like them, second reaction was the amazing quality of Amy's vocal and the complications of the sound/background-music mixing.
The thing is, you REALLY have to keep an open mind and give it a bit more chance before throwing the "it's so TERRIBLE" out there. I mean, what do you expect? They are only human, are you expecting they come out SO incredible that it'll terminate all the other albums that ever existed on earth? You already know that they aren't coming out with another Fallen, as Amy repetitively said that it's gonna be a surprise and that it's totally different from Fallen. You may like Fallen better but I can bet that that's because of the first-initial bias, if they came out with this album first and then Fallen, I bet there are gonna be numerous complains about how they became more mainstream, how they became more pop-sounding, how they've "fallen" blah blah blah. Of course, critics will always be critics. But just remember that what is "better" isn't a statement, it's an opinion of acceptation. In fact, I have friends who like Evanescence but haven't heard all of Fallen (basically those people who aren't as adapted into Fallen) have said that they liked this album very much and that it sounded just like them (in fact, they say that they couldn't distinguish The Open Door from Fallen)
However, for myself, there are a few minor things about the album that I find disappointing: Call Me When You're Sober as the first single- I totally get that this is probably the most stand-out song (but then again, that could also be because of the first-initial bias of things, if they came out another song as their fist single things would most likely be different who knows), but if you look at their lyrics from the chorus: "don't cry to me, if you love me, you would be here with me, you love me, confine me, make up your mind!", if you haven't heard their song and didn't know it was an Evanescence song, would you believe it was an Evanescence song? The lyrics from the chorus have bugged me a little, and whenever I hear it I always go (.......) because it sounded more like one of those complaining lyrics like Avril Lavigne's than their soul-bearing, poetic lyrics. I've had no problem with any other of their lyrics on any other songs, just this one. Could be because it's their first single, but the first time I heard it I got the (..........) feeling (especially at the end when she sings: "don't lie to me, just get your things, I've made up your mind"). But the first time I heard their other songs I had no problem whatsoever with their lyrics. I didn't like the music video either, it was too overdone and the only good about it was the scenery and costume. The story simply isn't moving, at least not as moving as their previous music videos. And also I tend to like more complex lyrics, which they had more on Fallen, so that I find a tiny bit disappointing, but just a tiny bit, all the lyrics does get their messages across very well so I'm not complaining.
The best thing about this album is that it's very different than anything I've heard before. It's darker, more carefree, better vocal, and it wrote about more variety of things than just plain feeling. That I like. This album also clearly showed that they are growing and that they aren't afraid to try new things. Also, the story of this album did follow up to Fallen, for they build up on top one another in their similarity. For example in WOTW she sings "I won't be held down by who I use to be, she's nothing to me" kind of follow up on Everybody's Fool. And another quite clear example is Like You follow up to Hello in which she talks more about her pain of losing her sister but this time she even formed the thought of suicide in order to join her sister(wonder if she's willing to sing this one on their concerts). Even Good Enough (which btw, isn't really as "happy" as one would think, it's more of a yearning song) kind of followed up to My Immortal when she sings "so take care of what you ask of me, `cause I can't say no"
Another good thing is that the album is 10 minutes longer YAY! `cause I was worrying that they are gonna put in one of those ridiculous interludes to waste the time and space. Thank god they did not waste anything- instead of giving us a break in the middle with slow songs like on Fallen. It was rocking through almost the entire album and then ends with a slow ballet, I really like that.
Overall, this album definitely does not mark their fall or their "evanescence" anytime soon. It is quite an extraordinary album and well worth for fans to own.
The album does take a little time to get fully use to. Simply because we aren't adapted at hearing different things. Fallen was a success simply because it was something new and different, and a breath of fresh air from other music. And we were fascinated at this "new genre" (of course there are other albums of this genre, they are just not very well known). So now after three years adapting into Fallen, they come out with something else and yes, coming out of Fallen and adapt into this new album- The Open Door, takes a bit of time to get use to. But it still sounds every bit like Evanescence, and that's the most important thing. When I heard this album, my first reaction was the relief that it still sounds very much like them, second reaction was the amazing quality of Amy's vocal and the complications of the sound/background-music mixing.
The thing is, you REALLY have to keep an open mind and give it a bit more chance before throwing the "it's so TERRIBLE" out there. I mean, what do you expect? They are only human, are you expecting they come out SO incredible that it'll terminate all the other albums that ever existed on earth? You already know that they aren't coming out with another Fallen, as Amy repetitively said that it's gonna be a surprise and that it's totally different from Fallen. You may like Fallen better but I can bet that that's because of the first-initial bias, if they came out with this album first and then Fallen, I bet there are gonna be numerous complains about how they became more mainstream, how they became more pop-sounding, how they've "fallen" blah blah blah. Of course, critics will always be critics. But just remember that what is "better" isn't a statement, it's an opinion of acceptation. In fact, I have friends who like Evanescence but haven't heard all of Fallen (basically those people who aren't as adapted into Fallen) have said that they liked this album very much and that it sounded just like them (in fact, they say that they couldn't distinguish The Open Door from Fallen)
However, for myself, there are a few minor things about the album that I find disappointing: Call Me When You're Sober as the first single- I totally get that this is probably the most stand-out song (but then again, that could also be because of the first-initial bias of things, if they came out another song as their fist single things would most likely be different who knows), but if you look at their lyrics from the chorus: "don't cry to me, if you love me, you would be here with me, you love me, confine me, make up your mind!", if you haven't heard their song and didn't know it was an Evanescence song, would you believe it was an Evanescence song? The lyrics from the chorus have bugged me a little, and whenever I hear it I always go (.......) because it sounded more like one of those complaining lyrics like Avril Lavigne's than their soul-bearing, poetic lyrics. I've had no problem with any other of their lyrics on any other songs, just this one. Could be because it's their first single, but the first time I heard it I got the (..........) feeling (especially at the end when she sings: "don't lie to me, just get your things, I've made up your mind"). But the first time I heard their other songs I had no problem whatsoever with their lyrics. I didn't like the music video either, it was too overdone and the only good about it was the scenery and costume. The story simply isn't moving, at least not as moving as their previous music videos. And also I tend to like more complex lyrics, which they had more on Fallen, so that I find a tiny bit disappointing, but just a tiny bit, all the lyrics does get their messages across very well so I'm not complaining.
The best thing about this album is that it's very different than anything I've heard before. It's darker, more carefree, better vocal, and it wrote about more variety of things than just plain feeling. That I like. This album also clearly showed that they are growing and that they aren't afraid to try new things. Also, the story of this album did follow up to Fallen, for they build up on top one another in their similarity. For example in WOTW she sings "I won't be held down by who I use to be, she's nothing to me" kind of follow up on Everybody's Fool. And another quite clear example is Like You follow up to Hello in which she talks more about her pain of losing her sister but this time she even formed the thought of suicide in order to join her sister(wonder if she's willing to sing this one on their concerts). Even Good Enough (which btw, isn't really as "happy" as one would think, it's more of a yearning song) kind of followed up to My Immortal when she sings "so take care of what you ask of me, `cause I can't say no"
Another good thing is that the album is 10 minutes longer YAY! `cause I was worrying that they are gonna put in one of those ridiculous interludes to waste the time and space. Thank god they did not waste anything- instead of giving us a break in the middle with slow songs like on Fallen. It was rocking through almost the entire album and then ends with a slow ballet, I really like that.
Overall, this album definitely does not mark their fall or their "evanescence" anytime soon. It is quite an extraordinary album and well worth for fans to own.
on January 9, 2007
... and once you have, stay awhile. This is an excellent follow-up to "Fallen," and a must for Rock fans. You will find the perfect blend of hard driving rock, swelling orchestral layers, and the Gothic choirs we enjoyed on "Fallen," but with the addition of Terry Balsamo on guitar and as Amy Lee's collaborater, the punch in the music is even better. You've most likely heard the hits, "Call Me ..." and "Lithium," but another personal favorite of mine is the albums closer "Good Enough." A truly positive message from a usually depressed and/or angry band. This CD is definitely more than "good enough" and must be part of your collection.
Dino Smith
Chattanooga, TN
Dino Smith
Chattanooga, TN
on September 10, 2013
Haunting eerie powerful vocals and thundering instruments make this
album! Personal favorites are Sweet Sacrifice, Call Me When You're
Sober (which is the song that made me want this album!), Weight of the
World, Snow White Queen, Your Star, All that I'm living for, and Lose
Control. If you love rock and this band, you must listen and buy this
album.
album! Personal favorites are Sweet Sacrifice, Call Me When You're
Sober (which is the song that made me want this album!), Weight of the
World, Snow White Queen, Your Star, All that I'm living for, and Lose
Control. If you love rock and this band, you must listen and buy this
album.
