The Bitter Truth - An LP Review

Amy Lee is one of the most powerful, if not the most, female rock vocalist of all time. The only other who comes close to her range, emotion, and shear power might be Ann Wilson. I first started listening to Evanescence about nine years ago on a trip to LA, when I picked up the self-titled 2011 CD at a record store. The fact that Nick Raskulinecz was the producer for that LP made me a quick fan as he also produced Rush’s last two albums. But more than his production was Amy’s music and vocals, which are, simply put, sweeping and grand.

I’ve seen the band twice. The first time was in the fall of 2017 on the Synthesis Tour, where the band performed in smaller venues accompanied by a full orchestra. The second time was at an outdoor venue as a double header with Lindsey Stirling on a continuation of the Synthesis Tour, this time without the orchestra. Suffice to say the Ms. Lee’s live performance is every bit as good, if not better, than recorded.

While not nearly as hard core a fan as I am with Rush, I’ve really come to enjoy and appreciate the music and performances of Amy and her band. Her arrangements are always sweeping, a wall of textured sound, even without Raskulinecz’s influence, her lyrics and performance, both recorded and live, are full of emotion, angst, and are always hauntingly operatic in the grandest way, yet hard rock at the core. And the band’s LPs make great workout music; especially if one happens to be on a cardio machine – the band’s performance always tends to push you harder!

I knew that the band was working on a new LP, but that was about the extent of it. So, I was pleased and surprised this afternoon, when I opened email to find an ad stating that the new work, The Bitter Truth, had just been released. I quickly ordered the vinyl copy, and downloaded the MP3 file onto the phone. Perfect timing as I had not yet done my workout for the day!

I selected my workout profile on the Bowflex Max Total, hit “Start” on the screen and then touched “Play” on the phone. My initial impression of the first track, Artifact/The Turn, was that it was fresh, although reminiscent of some songs on Synthesis. The song begins with a series of tones and Amy’s ethereal vocals, building in intensity and merging seamlessly into the second track, Broken Pieces Shine. Raskulinecz is back as producer on this LP, and his influence shows, for the rest of the album flows along, heartbreak after heartbreak, heavy and hard, much like with his production of 2011’s Evanescence; indeed, The Bitter Truth is perhaps more than redolent of that LP. Still, there is fresh music, perhaps my favorite being the fourth track, Yeah Right, which has a poppy rap-ish chorus mixed in with Amy’s typical hard rock heartache.

Along the way of the sonic journey, Jen Majura’s and Troy McLawhorn’s riffs, with Will Hunt’s fills, along with Tim McCord on bass, make the perfect backup for their lead lady’s vocals and keyboards. If you are an Evanescence fan, or enjoy BIG rock music, Amy Lee and her band will not disappoint with their latest release of all original music in a decade.

Enjoy & Namaste folks,

🥃🥃

Mark

March 26, 2021