Fallen still stands, 10 years later

It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since Evanescence burst onto the music scene with their crunching guitar riffs, bittersweet piano melodies, and the incomparable vocals of lead singer Amy Lee. 2013 marks the 10 year anniversary of the band's major label debut album, Fallen. Ten years later, Fallen is still a classic that is a must-have for anyone who appreciates great music.

Fallen contains eleven tracks, including four singles that were radio favorites back in the mid 2000's. The album's first four tracks are the singles "Going Under", "Bring Me To Life", "Everybody's Fool" and "My Immortal". "Bring Me To Life", the first single off of Fallen, rocketed the band into instant stardom.

"My Immortal" was the second single off of Fallen, and it remains one of the band's most beautiful yet melancholy songs. It is impossible not to feel your heart break as Lee's voice sadly croons, "These wounds won't seem to heal, the pain is just too real, there's just too much that time cannot erase." The album contains the piano version of the song, although there is also a full band version of the song that can be purchased on Itunes.

The remaining singles, "Going Under" and "Everybody's Fool" are guitar heavy and typical of the mid-2000's rock sound. Where the band distinguishes itself from other bands of the era on Fallen is in their lyrics, Lee's vocals, and the use of piano, orchestra, and choir to create the "gothic" sound the band is known for. While most rock bands of the time featured male singers who did more screaming than singing, Lee is a singer. Her voice is both beautiful and haunting.

The remaining tracks on Fallen may not have been released as singles, but they are anything but filler. "Haunted" features the bands
signature "gothic" sound as Lee defiantly sings "I won't let you hold me down." On "Tourniquet", she ponders if she is worthy of salvation (as a side note, this track is probably one of the reasons the band was misleadingly labeled as a Christian band by the media). On "Imaginary", she longs to stay in a dream world, far less cruel than our own. "Taking Over Me" is a slow tempo song about obsession.

"Hello" is a simple ballad that features only Lee's voice and her piano. On "My Last Breath", Lee's obsession with death is evident. The album closes with "Whisper", a track that again features the bands signature "gothic" sound, as Lee sings lyrics such as "I can stop the pain if I will it all away."

Fallen was an excellent debut album for a band that has continued to make great music. While it is not their best album (that honor belongs to The Open Door, in my opinion) it is still a great album. The music of Evanescence is heartfelt yet dark, and much deeper and real than what is found in most pop music today. Their debut album holds up strong, even 10 years later.