We Are The Fallen (original members of Evanescence) - new album discussion

[bosk1]

EDIT:  edited the thread title of this old thread to reflect that the album is now out


This looks promising.  I listened to the new song, and it's pretty good.  Nothing earth-shattering, but for a first song by a band, it's really good.

It's all the original members except Amy Lee...with a singer that is arguably better...and from what I understand from Lucretia, she's a total rocker.

        Former EVANESCENCE Members Join Forces With 'American Idol' Singer In THE FALLEN - June 18, 2009
Brian Mansfield of USA Today reports that three of the four original members of EVANESCENCE — guitarists Ben Moody and John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray — have joined forces with "American Idol" powerhouse vocalist Carly Smithson to form a new band called THE FALLEN.

A formal announcement will be made this coming Monday, June 22 in Hollywood, with a news conference and the band's first live performance. Debut song "Bury Me Alive" will be available at that time for free download at WeAreTheFallen.com.

THE FALLEN's lineup is rounded out by bassist Marty O'Brien, whose recording and touring credits include DISTURBED, KELLY CLARKSON, STATIC-X, METHODS OF MAYHEM and TOMMY LEE.

"This all happened by accident," Smithson — who sang EVANESCENCE's "Bring Me to Life" during the 2008 Idols Live tour (see video below) — told USA Today. She's friends with Moody's housemate, Monique Morrison. "I met him once or twice (at the house) before the band thing," said Smithson, who had been working on a solo project.

The new group's name alludes to EVANESCENCE's 2003 major-label debut album, "Fallen", which has sold 7 million copies in the USA.

Smithson doesn't see herself as replacing EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee. "Amy let the boys go," she told USA Today. "We just started a new band, called THE FALLEN. It's got really nothing to do with EVANESCENCE." THE FALLEN initially may perform a few EVANESCENCE songs live, she says, "but we're pretty much focused on new music. You have an amazing writing team here, and amazing musicians.

"Our voices are completely different," she said of Lee. "This music is, obviously, the players from EVANESCENCE, but Marty's bringing a different flavor from what he does. I'm bringing a different flavor from what I do, and Ben has completely explored many different genres over the last few years. It's not EVANESCENCE anymore. It's huge. It's big, big, big songs that I can wail my ass off on, because that's what I love to do."

Read more from USA Today.

Photo credit: Douglas Sonders

Source: https://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=122202

>>>>I am all over this when it comes out.  I really didn't like the Amy Lee-spearheaded second Evanescence album.  Ben Moody was the rocker and main songwriter.  When he left, it just became Amy Lee's band.  I'm really happy these guys are back and have a really talented woman fronting.

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Carly Smithson, ex-Evanescence trio to form The Fallen
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The Fallen Carly Smithson is joining the original guys of Evanescence, who are re-launching as a hard-rock band called The Fallen. They'll make a formal announcement Monday in Hollywood, with a press conference and first live performance. The band's debut song, Bury Me Alive, will be available at that time for free download at wearethefallen.com.

The lineup consists of Smithson and three of the four original members of Evanescence -- guitarists Ben Moody and John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray -- as well as bassist Marty O'Brien, whose recording and touring credits include Disturbed and Kelly Clarkson.

"This band is going to be theatrical and in-your-face and huge," Smithson says. "Everything that we do is just going to be big."

Smithson had been working on a solo project of her own until connecting with Moody a few months ago. Now, she says, "I couldn't be happier. Creatively we're all on the same page. Visually, we're all on the same page. We want a massive stage production. We watch the same TV shows, everything. It's almost weird, that we're like an awesome family all of a sudden."

Moody took some convincing to give the American Idol singer a chance, even though he had a friend and another musician with whom he worked recommending that he listen to her. Finally, his musician friend persuaded him to watch some of Smithson's YouTube videos.

"At the time, Family Guy was on, and I was a little annoyed," Moody says. "The last thing you want to do is interrupt me watching Family Guy."

Anybody who could make Moody glad he missed Family Guy had to have something going for her, and soon Smithson was writing and rehearsing with the other musicians. "We've got some amazing new material that has been building up inside of us for a long time," Moody says. "We're really stockpiling."

But don't expect an album from The Fallen anytime soon. Instead, look for a series of smaller, more frequent releases. "Our goal is to release songs in small doses every couple months for a year and a half," Moody says. "We could take the time and lock ourselves away for six months, but we don't want to do that. We want to get our there now. We want to play old stuff, and we want to play new stuff."

Smithson says: "This band, I've always loved their melodies. Everyone else was trying to push me in that pop direction, but I was trying to get that rock sound.

"The first time we started rehearsing, everybody started in on this jam session of Iron Maiden and all sorts of stuff. It was so cool! I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm in a band! I love this!'  We were all, like, singing, and it was fun. I've wanted that for so long, where I could just be myself.'

The group already has been in the studio, recording material in addition to Bury Me Alive. "Ben's production is ridiculous. We just did strings the other night, and I couldn’t believe it was happening. It was, like, 'Pinch me.' We got this guy, and he did all sorts of creepy, awesome violin sounds. It all sounds like one big horror movie. It's really cool.

Ironically, Smithson sang Evanescence's Bring Me to Life on the American Idols tour.

'Oddly, enough -- and I didn't pick it," she says. "One of the musical directors [did].

"Yeah, it's very bizarre how this whole thing came about. Even Monique [Morrison, Moody's housemate] said that everything they were doing and everything I was doing, it was like we were on the same path but at different ends of the city. I was telling Monique about stage-show ideas that I wanted, like a massive, theatrical stage show -- you know, going back to the old-school, the way you used to go see a concert and it was amazing -- and Ben was pretty much putting the same thing in her other ear.

"I find it very bizarre that I sang that song on the tour, but it's all falling into place. Never at all, in my frickin' wildest dreams, did I think this would ever come about.”

Smithson said she had planned to assemble a band after she completed her own album. "We were going to put that together after my record was pretty much done, so we wouldn’t have anybody, creatively, that didn't mesh with me putting their two cents in," she says.

Though Smithson still has the highest praise for American Idol and the people who worked with her there, “I was steered away from being myself on the show," she says. "It definitely feels like I've come into this situation, and I can get influenced by the boys. It's like I can be myself again. It's really cool."

She adds that people who think they know her from what they say during her time on Idol really don't know her at all: "I don't think anybody knows anybody from that show. They don't know any of the people that were on it. We all say that all the time."

What will Smithson's fans see from her in The Fallen? "They'll just see me. It's going to be less colorful. I wore too many colors on that show. I looked like a Christmas cake half the time. It bothered me.

"I remember I wore black and the second show, and I was told, 'You're wearing a lot of black. You probably shouldn't wear any more black.' I was like, 'Okay.' Then everything the stylists would get would be colorful. And I'd never really worn colors in my life. My wardrobe is pretty much like one big funeral."

Smithson doesn’t see herself as replacing Evanescence singer Amy Lee. “Amy let the boys go," she says. "We just started a new band, called The Fallen. It's got really nothing to do with Evanescence." The Fallen initially may perform a few Evanescence songs live, she says, “but we’re pretty much focused on new music. You have an amazing writing team here, and amazing musicians.

"Our voices are completely different," she says of Lee. "This music is, obviously, the players from Evanescence, but Marty’s bringing a different flavor from what he does. I’m bringing a different flavor from what I do, and Ben has completely explored many different genres over the last few years. It’s not Evanescence anymore. It’s huge. It’s big, big, big songs that I can wail my ass off on, because that’s what I love to do."

Source: https://blogs.usatoday.com/idolchatter/2009/06/carly-smithson-exevanescence-trio-to-form-the-fallen.html

Bring on THE FALLEN!!!!

[ariich]

Their song is pretty rocking! She definitely has a great voice, although I do have a soft spot for Amy Lee's voice as well.

[Adami]

The begining verse was a freakin evanescence clone. I mean, jesus.

The rest is super freakin catchy, but not memorable in the slightest. Nor is it nearly as close to heavy as Ben Moody was hinting it would be.

I dunno, sounds like an even more poppy version of evanescence. Can't say I care.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I find it funny that everything related to Evanescence and Amy Lee always goes back to how great an album Fallen was.

[Adami]

I find it funny that everything related to Evanescence and Amy Lee always goes back to how great an album Fallen was.

I noticed that earlier in best buy, I saw "fallen" and I was like "god damnit ben moody".

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I find it funny that everything related to Evanescence and Amy Lee always goes back to how great an album Fallen was.

I noticed that earlier in best buy, I saw "fallen" and I was like "god damnit ben moody".

Yeah, it's like
Release of Fallen: OMG awesome album, Evanescence is popular now
Ben Moody leaves the band: lol Evanescence is screwed because that guy was a big part of Fallen's sound.
Second Evanescence album: lol, it definitely isn't as great as fallen
Evanescence problems in the band: lol, they seemed like a 1 album wonder
Amy Lee shows: I'm playing something off Fallen now, lol.
New band called THE FALLEN.

 

[Phantasmatron]

OH GOD NO.  Amy Lee is way better than Carly Smithson.

And apparently I'm the only person who thinks The Open Door was better than Fallen.  I think Evanescence is better off with more Amy and less Ben.  I keep waiting for a third Evanescence album to come out and prove me right, but--

[bosk1]

Got the free song download.  It's good, and it's pretty catchy.  Not great, but definitely good enough to keep me interested in what they're up to.

[bosk1]

So, the album came out earlier this month and I picked it up at Best Buy for $7.99.  Anyone else have it?  Thougths so far?

I like it a lot.  It's nothing original, but that's okay.  Still pretty solid.  I think St. John is easily my favorite so far.  That song is moody as heck (pun mostly unintended).  Carly's voice is interesting for this kind of music.  She definitely has a pop/R&B flavor to her style, which really makes the heavier songs sound interesting and a bit different.  But it makes the softer songs sound very pop.  

My overall early take:  Very good effort.  The songs are catchy and fun.  Perhaps not an overly memorable album that will get listened to much after a while, but that's okay.

[Adami]

It seems Moody is too worried about writing catchy radio friendly material now a days. I haven't heard the whole album, but it seems like another evanescence CD.

Everytime I see an interview with Carley and she's like "it's insulting to compare us to evanescence", I'm like "well then don't be in an evanescence band".

And she's horrible live based on all the bootlegs I saw. Much like Amy Lee.

[bosk1]

I wouldn't call them Evanescence clones, but there are certainly enough similarities that getting up in arms about being compared to Evanescence seems a bit silly.  But on the other hand, they kind of have to put on that face of "we are our own band--we're not Evanescence anymore!"  It's actually pretty much the best of both worlds for them.  No matter what they do, they'll be associated with Evanescence, and that's some brand recognition that will probably ultimately help them gain a following.  And by insisting that they are a completely different band, they get the freedom to branch out a little bit without shattering fan expectations too much.

[Samsara]

"St. John" is my clear favorite from it as well. I like "Bury Me Alive," too. But the album really is sorta "samey" with the exception of those two songs and maybe one or two others.

But "St. John" is absolutely the most dynamic on the record, IMO.

[Zook]

Based on those two songs, this band is quite pointless. Why bother if you're just going to make Evanescence 2?

[Adami]

Based on those two songs, this band is quite pointless. Why bother if you're just going to make Evanescence 2?

How DARE you even compare those two bands? They are NOTHING alike. Who cares if the drummer and guitarists were former evanescence members? Who cares if both bands were founded by the same guy who wrote the music to both? Who cares if the singer was only noticed for covering evanescence? They aren't in anyway alike!

[Zook]

Based on those two songs, this band is quite pointless. Why bother if you're just going to make Evanescence 2?

How DARE you even compare those two bands? They are NOTHING alike. Who cares if the drummer and guitarists were former evanescence members? Who cares if both bands were founded by the same guy who wrote the music to both? Who cares if the singer was only noticed for covering evanescence? They aren't in anyway alike!

My mistake.

[Dcrupi]

Based on those two songs, this band is quite pointless. Why bother if you're just going to make Evanescence 2?

How DARE you even compare those two bands? They are NOTHING alike. Who cares if the drummer and guitarists were former evanescence members? Who cares if both bands were founded by the same guy who wrote the music to both? Who cares if the singer was only noticed for covering evanescence? They aren't in anyway alike!

 

It is a catchy enough song, it probably will do well on the radio.  My favorite part in the video is probably when the chick swishes her huge dress around like a matador while shuffling down the hallway basketball practice style.  Truly a great moment.

...But really, The  Fallen was a great album.

[yeshaberto]

not bad...listening to bury me alive (?)

[Sigz]

I only have Fallen by Evanescence, but it's a good album, and this stuff sounds pretty good too.

[El JoNNo]

Her singing definetly sounds a lot less forced compared to Amy Lee's. I always thought Amy's head was going to pop off from the strain and pressure. She is certainly a good choice to replace Amy, sounds very similar.

Anyone notice how she looks smoking hot on the official web page but a quicl google search show the contrary. At first I was like "damn finer than Mrs. Lee", then I went "ewww" when I saw the image results of my search.

[Dcrupi]

Anyone notice how she looks smoking hot on the official web page but a quicl google search show the contrary. At first I was like "damn finer than Mrs. Lee", then I went "ewww" when I saw the image results of my search.

Eh, she's not that bad.  I'd still say better looking than Amy Lee.  Which is not difficult to do, but still.

[Super Dude]

I actually went into this album *hoping* it would sound like Fallen and was disappointed.  Oh, the irony.

[genome]

She has a very similar voice, at least that's what I hear from "Bury Me Alive". It just sounds like Evanescence #2 to me...