50s and 60s music, rock, classical, and country are a few music genres from my childhood. I hated listening to them, but, even with being in control, I sought out those songs. It’s no surprise to me that a wide range of musical interests helped me discover Evanescence.
The first came upon Evanescence’s 2003 album, Fallen, as a teenager. Naivety hindered my understanding of the songs, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying them wherever music could travel. Now, in 2021, Evanescence has released a new album: The Bitter Truth. I knew I had to listen to it in tribute to my younger self.
With YouTube as a medium for many people, it is hard to stop scrolling through the comments as they reveal each concerning question:
“Will the band stay true to their original songs?”
“Will they try to change their music to match more popular genres?”
“Will they sound like the band I remember?”
I try to push these questions aside while diving into all the songs around me, but, this time, I just couldn’t shake off any of the questions. Over and over, the onslaught of thoughts kept rolling in:
Will Amy Lee’s singing voice still resemble her 2003 one? Will the new sounds stick to the prominent dark style in songs like Bring Me to Life and Going Under from the 2003 album? Is it possible that high expectations could prevent me from listening to every song?
While struggling with each new thought, the seconds ticked by until it hit me: Feeding the Dark is a continuation of Going Under.
“Going Under” consists of these lyrics:
“I'm dying again
I'm going under (Going under)
Drowning in you (Drowning in you)
I'm falling forever (Falling forever)
I've got to break through
I'm going under.”
For “Feeding the Dark” the lyrics are:
“Follow me under (Follow me under)
Low as we are (Follow me)
Hate is the liar
Feeding this dark
Feeding this dark.”
In “Going Under,” Amy creates a scene where the character—most likely her—is losing control of her life. She realized that her feelings for the one she loves are the only pieces she has left of herself. The truth hits her: choosing to stay in the relationship means choosing to lose more and more of the characteristics and memories that define her. She knows that she doesn’t want to go down that path, but it becomes harder to force herself out of the situation. The story is left at a cliffhanger.
“Feeding the Dark” continues the story. Amy creates another scene that includes the same girl who struggled to decide if she wanted to stay in the relationship or leave it behind. Her options were definite. She made her decision. She would stay, but only with one stipulation: The one she loved would have to spiral down with her; if she had to fall, then they would have to fall, too.
I’m confident that, with time, I will find more connections between the albums “The Bitter Truth” and “Fallen.” For now, I will wait for the time when I hear “Feeding the Dark" play through the speakers of a restaurant years after its release.