Evanescence

Other bands Evanescence has been compared to include Lacuna Coil, Nightwish and Within Temptation, all of which also employ the use of female vocals.
. On many music-related news articles, the band is often compared to nu-metal band Linkin Park, but many fans find this comparison unfair because it is based almost solely on their hit single "Bring Me to Life." Much of their other music, they say, sounds very different. They appeared onstage together at an exclusive block party in New York City that month, hosted by Dave Chappelle. Critics have accused Evanescence of being "wannabe" goth rockers, but really just pop. Lee, however, dismisses these claims as mere "labels" and refuses to categorize and (to paraphrase) put in a box the band's music since she believes Evanescence has a unique sound unlike any other. In September 2004, it was announced that The Fugees have settled their differences and are currently working on a new album. The piano plays a significant role in the majority of the band's music. Though the Fugees remain tight-lipped about the exact reasons, most fans believe that a serious personality conflict between Hill and Jean contributed to their breakup following The Score.

Many say that the band is goth rock, which is true in certain respects. Certainly, many of its songs focus on life's negative moments and darker themes such as lost love, loneliness and death. After each member found success in other ventures, the Fugees failed to reform. More widely known softer songs include "My Immortal," "Everybody's Fool" and "Imaginary," which to an extent, can be categorized as pop. After 1997, the Fugees all began solo projects: Hill started work on her critically acclaimed The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Jean began producing for a number of artists (including Destiny's Child and Carlos Santana) and recorded his debut album The Carnival, and Michel, with Mya and Ol' Dirty Bastard, recorded the single "Ghetto Superstar" for the soundtrack to the Warren Beatty/Halle Berry film Bulworth. While there are the heavier songs it is generally known for such as "Going Under," "Bring Me to Life" and "Whisper," they only really constitute a minority of all the songs by the band. The Fugees won two 1997 Grammy Awards: The Score won for Best Rap Album, and "Killing Me Softly With His Song" won for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. Evanescence fits roughly into the generic genre of rock, but in fact sounds quite different among its arsenal of songs. The album also included a re-interpretation of The Delfonics' "Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love)" in their hit single "Ready or Not".

Eventually it was Terry Balsamo, from Cold who joined the band in Moody's place. The Fugees were known for their unusual choice of covers and sampling sources on both albums; The Score, for example, included covers of "No Woman No Cry" (Bob Marley & the Wailers) and "Killing Me Softly (With His Song)" (Roberta Flack), which was their first and only #1 pop hit. Former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland had been mentioned as a replacement for Moody and Lee described him as a friend, suggesting they may write together on their next record. Despite the relative failure of their first album, The Score became one of the biggest hits of 1996 and was one of the first hip hop albums to incorporate reggae in a major way. In an interview several months later [1] (http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/08/1073437399128.html), Lee said "we'd gotten to a point that if something didn't change, we wouldn't have been able to make a second record." Since, Lee has said it was almost a relief that he left because of tensions. The trio released their first LP, Blunted on Reality, after a long period of performing, but the album failed to live up the expectations of fans who attended their concerts. To this day, he has not fully explained the reason for his leave. Hill and Jean each went on to successful solo recording careers, while Michel focused mainly on soundtrack recordings and film acting.

In October 2003, Moody left the band abruptly in the middle of a European tour. Deriving their name from the term "refugee", the group is noted for the integration of soul and reggae into their work, and recorded two albums--one of which, The Score, was a multi-platinum and Grammy-winning success--before going their separate ways after 1997. When the band finally did make an appearance, they became one of the most popular acts in the area. Both Jean and Michel are of Haitian heritage; Hill is an African American native of South Orange, New Jersey. However, a song of theirs entitled "Understanding" found its way onto local music charts, and demand for a live show increased. The members of the group are leader/rapper/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel. For some time they were unable to find other musicians to play with, and did not have the funds to pay for professional assistance, thus they were unable to play live shows. The Fugees are an American music group, popular during the mid-1990s, whose repertoire includes primarily hip hop, with elements of soul, and Carribean music (particularly reggae).

They discovered they shared a love of Jimi Hendrix and Björk, and they began to write songs together. Fugees Lyrics (http://www.lyricscafe.com/f/fugees.htm). The two met at a youth camp in Arkansas, where Moody heard Lee playing Meat Loaf songs on the piano. Fugees Fansite (http://user.aol.com/Snicka/fugee2.htm). The group was founded by Lee and former lead guitarist Ben Moody. 1996: "Ready or Not". In response, Lee encouraged fans to download the band's older songs from the internet during an interview. 1996: "Killing Me Softly (With His Song)" (US #1).

Only 2500 copies of this record were ever made, and it is thus not generally available in record stores. 1995: "Fu-Gee-La" (US #29). However, Lee herself does not consider the record to be an actual album; rather, she considers it merely a bundle of demo songs (some of which she says are not done properly) that was sent to record companies. 1994: "Vocab". In fact, the recording of "My Immortal" found on Fallen can also be found on Origin, minus a handful of additional instrumental accompaniments. 1994: "Nappy Heads" (US #49). Not atypically, Origin and the EPs contain demo versions of some of the songs on their first major-label album. 1996: The Score.

Their first record, Origin (released in 2000), is relatively unknown, and previously released EPs in 1998 and 1999 are even less known, though highly sought after by collectors. 1994: Blunted on Reality. It was included in the soundtrack for the action movie Daredevil and garnered recognition for the band at the Grammy Awards of 2004: The single was awarded Best Hard Rock Performance, and Evanescence was awarded Best New Artist. Evanescence's debut single "Bring Me to Life" was a global hit for the band and reached #5 on the American Billboard Hot 100. The band's lead singer Amy Lee has insisted the band is not Christian and does not intend to send a Christian message, even though she is in fact a Christian herself.

The initial labeling of the band as Christian stirred much controversy, until Christian stores eventually took Fallen off the shelves. "Tourniquet", for example, is about suicide and redemption, with lyrics like "Am I too lost to be saved? My God, my tourniquet, return to me salvation." It should be noted however, that the song was a cover, written by members of Rocky Gray's previous band, Soul Embraced. Originally considered by many to be part of the Christian rock scene — and for a short time promoted in Christian stores — the band has distanced itself from such categorization, even though Fallen (2003), their first major-label release, had some religious themes.
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Past Band members:. Evanescence is a rock band from Little Rock, Arkansas, consisting of:. Everybody's Fool, Modern rock tracks, peaked at #36. My Immortal, Top 40 tracks, peaked at #2.

My Immortal, Top 40 mainstream, peaked at #2. My Immortal, Adult Top 40 Recurrents, reached #1. My Immortal, Hot 100, peaked at #7. My Immortal, Canadian singles chart, reached #1.

My Immortal, Adult Top 40, reached #1. My Immortal, Adult contemporary, peaked at #19. Going Under, Canadian singles chart, peaked at #14. Going Under, Modern rock tracks, peaked at #5.

Going Under, Mainstream rock tracks, peaked at #26. Bring Me To Life, Adult Top 40 Recurrents, reached #1. Bring Me To Life, Canadian singles chart, peaked at #3. Bring Me To Life, Top 40 tracks, reached #1.

Bring Me To Life, Top 40 mainstream, reached #1. Bring Me To Life, Hot 100, peaked at #5. Bring Me To Life, Modern rock tracks, reached #1. Bring Me To Life, Mainstream rock tracks, peaked at #11.

Bring Me To Life, Adult Top 40, peaked at #4. Anywhere But Home (2004). Fallen (includes 'My Immortal' (Band Version)) (2004). Fallen (2003).

Origin (2000). Sound Asleep EP. Evanescence EP. David Hodges - Keyboards (left December 2002).

Ben Moody - Lead guitar (co-founder - left October 2003). Terry Balsamo - Guitar (replacement for co-founder Ben Moody). William Boyd - Bass. Rocky Gray - Drums.

John LeCompt - Guitar. Amy Lee - Vocals and Piano (co-founder).