Synthesis

"For their first studio album since 2011, and first since their split from Wind-Up Records, Evanescence revamps the radio smashes of previous years into electro-orchestral adaptations - including a redo of their 2003 breakout hit, "Bring Me to Life." It's an act of artistic justice for frontwoman Amy Lee, who once yielded her initial visions for rap-rock marketability when industry gatekeepers dissed her as "a chick and a piano." Her hearty mezzo-soprano stands front and center this time, shored up by a full orchestra and composer David Campbell's arrangements ... Synthesis amplifies the real Amy Lee, the way she was always meant to be heard.

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"... it's striking that the onslaught is a natural fit with Amy Lee, whose powerhouse vocals often wrestle the orchestra into submission. Next, the layered, skittering electronic rhythms grab attention, and far from keeping the music in a straitjacket, the precision of the beats help give Synthesis a steel spine, reinforcing the bombast of the band and strings. This successful fusion also amounts to a step forward for Evanescence, as this kind of proudly theatrical arrangement would suit Amy Lee well for years, and that's why Synthesis doesn't feel like a holding pattern: It feels like the start of a new chapter".

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