Evanescence – ‘Sanctuary’

Evanescence are rock survivors. Despite the internet rumour that the entire band died years ago, they are very much alive, and after five years of soul-searching, have emerged from the studio with a stronger, bolder sound in the form of their sixth album, ‘Sanctuary’.

It’s a record that firmly feels like frontwoman Amy Lee went to therapy, came to terms with a lot of her negative experiences which occurred in her MTV darling era, and then decided to re-do the sound that characterised her peak fame but on her own terms. It’s the sound of second chances and taking on the world when you’re ready to do it, with more than a dash of heavy fuzz courtesy of roping in the producers behind BMTH. Will this be the record to convert those who aren’t already into Evanescence? Maybe not, but it’s a solid statement about not caring about that crowd anyway. 

“I don’t belong to you, so don’t tell me what to do.” If ever an opening line summed up a record, it’s the first salvo of ‘Beautiful Lie’. Feminine strength and the distorted, open beats which have characterised Evanescence’s recent sound are out in force, instantly reminding us that they aren’t here to mess around. In fact, if we’re judging by the first single, ‘Who Will You Follow’, Lee and co are out for karmic retribution against some unnamed oppressor and giving voice to the desire to win. The force of pulling yourself back up from a pit of your own making feels like the main inspiration behind this outing, and it’s satisfying on a truly cosmic level. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be an Evanescence album without a candle-lit piano ballad, and ‘Sanctuary’ drops two just to keep the average up. First up is the desperate ‘How Do I Heal’, tender and plaintive in its evocative heartbreak, but the more interesting is the second. ‘Forever Without You’ contains the rarest of all Evanescence emotions; acceptance. There’s no wailing, raging or hoping here, only a golden warmth and calm which flows through the entire song, and this sense of peace marks a new turn for the band after two decades. They’re finally at peace with the twists and turns of life in the spotlight, and it feels good for both us and them.

Ironically, the title track is the opposite of the contemplation on the ballads, despite the name. ‘Sanctuary’ is the vanguard of the updated side of the Evanescence sound that we’ve got on this album. Glitching, anguished and with only the lightest twinkle of piano, they’ve put everything they’ve got into guitars and poised, elegant rage. The serenity amid whirling emotions which has always characterised Evanescence has been turned up too, especially on tracks like ‘Tell Me When You’ve Had Enough’. What could easily have been teenage posing back in the day has now been distilled into graceful fury at its finest.

There’s a reason that Evanescence have survived this long, far beyond the expiration date that gets stamped onto superstars that earned their stripes in a specific time or era. Rather than retreat into nostalgia, they’ve taken a look back at what made them great in the first place and given it a spruce up with even more impassioned screams, more ballads and more fuzz in far higher doses. It’s one for the fans, sure, but it’s also a lesson for the rest of us on how to rise above the turmoil with rage in your heart and grace in your step. 

KATE ALLVEY