Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

...Evanescence! This "band" (using the term loosely - it's clearly The Amy Lee Show) is obviously the beneficiary of this whole "alternative to teen pop" wave that's going on, along with the likes of Avril Lavigne. "Wow, they play their own instruments and write their own songs - how amazing!" People, don't let the whole wave of bubblegum pop distort your view of this incredibly average band. Evanescence can be described as a hybrid of Lacuna Coil (only far more commercial and not nearly as artistic), Linkin Park and Sarah McLachlan - they're desperately shooting for across-the-board mass appeal as well as incredibly image-conscious. They seem to be going for a pseudo-goth look, yet they have these wholesome saccharine lyrics that are in stark contrast to their appearance. Let's move on to the actual songs: The guitar parts are as simplistic as your token rap-metal band, the rhythms aren't all that complex, and when Amy Lee sings during the choruses, she sounds like she's auditioning for a Broadway show. "Bring Me To Life" became popular because it sounds just like a Linkin Park song, complete with obligatory nonsense rapping courtesy of Paul McCoy from goody-goody Christian rockers 12 Stones. You also have your overwrought, cloying ballads like "My Immortal", a melodramatic weeper that easily could have been written by the likes of Diane Warren. The other songs on the album sound pretty much like "Bring Me To Life", only thankfully they spared us the hokey rapping. In summary: Don't believe the hype, this is not the astounding work of art that MTV and radio want you to think it is. But if you're looking for a by-the-numbers collection of pseudo-gothic rap-rock and maudlin power ballads, here you go.