Critic's evaluation
Four years after the announcement of a remix album. 10 years after the release of the last unreleased album. Six years after hiring another lead guitarist. Evanescence's fifth studio album is the result of a period of experimentation and change. The Bitter Truth has finally reached the public.
An astral ambiance is formed with a soft, velvety sound. In the form of a whisper, Amy Lee's vocals take up space in the melody reinforcing the astral feeling in which comfort seems to become something palpable. It is true that Artifact/The Turn carries an eerie energy in its harmony, a suspense that seems to freeze the skin momentarily. Full of striking and enigmatic phrases, such as "Underneath golden skys you'll always be there" and "In the mirror, in my eyes, you'll always be there", the lyricism offers a clear mention of fear, of danger, but is also a clear allusion to the present moment in which the planet is facing the Coronavirus pandemic.
Countdown. When the number zero is reached, the result comes. Heavy verses, watered down, aggressive and raging tones take over the harmony and often give way to the typical Evanescence aesthetic, which, even if noticed in small moments, makes the melody grow with its changing structure. Broken Pieces Shine also has a growing and extremely melodic chorus resulting from the already structured chemistry between the musicians.
Will Hunt's spiky drum grooves pull the dark and sinister introduction of The Game is Over. Along with the insertion of the tinkling of a church bell, this same drum line creates a scenario suggesting a walk to death, a morbid march. Suddenly, Tim McCord introduces himself with a firm, precise, and low bass structure designing the melodic ecosystem that gives way to the lyrical presence. And this is where the subject matter resembles that present in the previous songs. Addressing isolation, loneliness, and the feelings correlated to these situations, Amy reflects on the possibility of people transforming their ways of being by asking herself "Are we all the same?".
Completely changing the ambiance and melodic proposal comes Yeah Right and its rainbow sound based on electronic themes. The truth behind what sounds as beautiful as margarine advertisements is completely different. Next to this joyful melody there is the description of a gloomy and morbid scenario. Bringing realities like that of a widow at the height of her depression and the adoption of a non-existent happiness, the song puts, in the chorus, a harmony to match such a situation. Rough and distorted, it is completed by a lyricism in a tone of imposed conformation that convinces itself that "Yeah right, that sounds nice".
Amidst the varied sounds, it is the bass riff that grabs the listener's attention due to its gravity, power and groove. In the second verse of Feeding the Dark, however, the same melodic structure once assumed by the bass is now dominated by Jen Majura's guitar distortion. On the way to the chorus there is an angry, aggressive, and groove-heavy instrumental bridge that sums up symptoms that are prominent from the pre-chorus to the song's climax. Amidst an ominous melody that makes body hair stand on end in supernatural dread, the lyricism suggested by Amy already in the pre-chorus puts up for discussion again the sadness and depression for sad eventualities experienced. Of course, as in the previous songs, the lyrics are full of striking phrases, such as "Do you remember what made the scar?" and "How deep will you cut?".
The phrases wander through the air. The melody is grounded in the blues. The structure is minimalist. Here are the impressions gained from the introduction of Wasten On You. Built on Amy Lee's voice, the character in the song is numb. Unresponsive. Lost and immersed in a situation out of control. It is a fact that lyricism has its weight and its criticism, but just as it happened in Yeah Right, the sound built in this track transmits an antagonistic idea. Soft, velvety, and minimalist, it gives the idea of comfort and protection, feelings and characteristics that are officially distorted and revealed as drama, domination, and complexity in the last execution of the chorus, a section of sonic explosion.
The feeling is like being in the cradle looking up. But that lull is gone as in a sigh. After all, a unison of strength, gravity, and aggressiveness is made in punctual phrases that dramatize the introduction of Better Without You. Cleverly, the song has a structure with two awakenings. In the second, unlike the first, all instruments talk to each other from the beginning in a phrase of weight, precision and accentuated groove in which the highlight goes to the bass, whose sound stands out from the others.
With a suffered and tired air, the vocal is the one who leads the introduction of Use My Voice, the first single released from The Bitter Truth. Portraying the power of the voice, of posture and confrontation, the lyrical proposal is, as the name suggests, to stimulate that, using the voice, one can protest against falsehoods, corruption and lies. Being a single, the song needs commercial features, and they are found in the chorus. The "ooohs" promise contagion and audience participation in live shows, and the melody, although sounding more harmonic, has the characteristic weight of Evanescence.
It seems that the introduction of Take Cover has a flirtation with maracatu, as a percussive wave invades the melody. Interestingly, the melody aspect of the song is less metallic, but with a more infectious groove. Lyrically speaking, the song is a complement to Use My Voice, after all, it reinforces the issue of subordination and the consequent effects of this attitude on people.
It's just the piano. But it is so curious to note how a single instrument can be so complete in offering diverse atmospheres and feelings. In the case of Far From Heaven, it transmits sadness, melancholy, and suffering, intrinsic issues in the character of the song, who shows himself with latent depression.
Weight and groove, two defining ingredients of both Evanescence and The Bitter Truth. They show themselves from the very first moments of Part Of Me, a song that recovers the metallic and flirtatious sound. And in this matter, the drum grooves in union with the forward roughness of Troy McLawhorn's guitar riff are undeniable influencers.
With the piano, suspense. But a sonic punch suddenly appears with a dramatic sound that gains a visceral air with Amy Lee's screams, almost as if she were breaking free from something. But this is definitely not what happens on Blind Belief. With an infectious rhythm, what occurs lyrically in the track is a summation of questions about society's blind belief in the pandemic period. Nevertheless, it is with the phrases "We hold the key to redemption" and "Love over all" that album closes delivering sparks of hope.
The time was long. 10 years is a considerable amount of time that can get across ideas such as closure of the band or a hiatus caused by various factors. Keeping their legions of fans warm, Evanescence released Synthesis, full of new songs. But it is definitely The Bitter Truth that causes a sense of relief.
The return of the group in the field of unreleased releases is also a return to the sound that definitely launched Evanescence in the worldwide recording market. Revisiting nu metal, the album is also a product that exudes a metallic, bass melody.
In addition to being Evanescence's first new album in 10 years, the album is also the first to feature Jen Majura writing the tracks and signing the lead guitar lines. But interestingly enough, despite being considered their official debut album, The Bitter Truth shows that their six years in the band have already provided a solid chemistry between the members. After all, what you can see in terms of harmony is that there is rapport between the participants.
Synthesizing this meshing and channeling the mixed sound between nu metal and gothic metal is Nick Raskulinecz. Repeating the dose of Evanescence's self-titled album, Raskulinecz assumes again the position of producer and captures, in The Bitter Truth, the expansion of consciousness and the group's maturation both lyrically and melodically.
Largely conceptual, the album deals too much with issues related to the Coronavirus pandemic. It also addresses the various questions regarding the solution to society's problems. And this is exactly the idea behind the cover art, in which Amy Lee's mouth is about to swallow a pill.
Released on 03/26/2021 via BMG, The Bitter Truth is a mature, powerful, questioning and explosive record. It's as if the self-titled album from 2011 gained even more competence and knowledge. A truly triumphant return of Evanescence to the marketplace.
