Evanescence Biography

Evanescence is an American goth metal and rock band, formed in 1995 by lead singer Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. The band rose to stardom in 2003 with the released of Fallen, which sold over 17 million copies. In 2011, the band’s self-titled third album topped the Billboard 200. The band frequently changed its line-up, which led to problems and periods of hiatus.They are currently working on a fourth album, due to late 2017.

Early Years & Fallen

The band was founded after Amy and Ben met at a youth camp in Little Rock. They chose the name Evanescence, which means “disappearance”. For a while, they played gigs at local coffee shops. Furthermore, they released 3 EPS and one demo CD, Origin (2000), which sold 2,500 copies at concerts. In the meantime, Lee took professional singing lessons and the group moved to LA.

In 2003 the goth band released their debut album, Fallen, which also featured some of the songs previously released. The album spent 104 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. Moreover, it spawned 4 successful singles – Bring Me to Life, Going Under, My Immortal and Everybody’s Fool. The first one became the band’s most popular and broadcasted song. It received several platinum certifications and topped several charts. Most noteworthy, it reached number 1 in the UK and number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Open Door & Evanescence

After a line-up change, Evanescence released their second album, The Open Door. It didn’t rise to the critical acclaim of its predecessor but it spawned 2 popular singles, Lithium and Call Me When You’re Sober. While both dominated the chart, the later was certified platinum and received a fairy tale-like music video, which was frequently broadcasted. Before the released of the band’s third album, another line-up change occurred. The process was slow but Amy Lee reassured the fans that their work will be “better, stronger, and more interesting”. The eponymous album came out in 2011 to positive reviews. While it didn’t sell as much as the previous two, it made the world fall back in love with Evanescence.

Photo source: Discogs