October 3, 2006 shall forever be remembered by gothic rock fans everywhere. In fact, some might even think that it should become a national holiday. We would call it “Evanescence Come-Back Day.”

That’s right, folks—Evanescence is back with a new 13-track CD, The Open Door. It’s been a long time in coming, but the day of their glorious return to the new music scene has finally arrived. Wind-Up records kept the progress of the CD on the down-low for months, then decided to keep pushing back the release date—much to the chagrin of enthusiastic Evanescence fans. Several things contributed to the late release; things such as Terri Balsamo’s unexpected stroke and the time that Amy Lee took off to write music for The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (which was rejected due to its “dark” nature) no doubt crippled progress for a while. Amy didn’t mind the delays, however, and said that it gave her time to produce an album that she is completely in love with.

And what an album it is! The absence of founder and song-writer Ben Moody is apparent throughout the pounding guitar riffs and harsh, yet beautiful, vocals found in The Open Door. Evanescence’s debut album, Fallen, was an instant hit and went 6x platinum in the U.S., winning the band two Grammys and a huge following. Fallen had a strong pop appeal that helped it climb the charts—a pop appeal that is clearly missing in The Open Door. The new release is raw, real, and unapologetic in its content. If you were looking for a sequel to Fallen, you’re going to have to keep on looking; The Open Door stands on its own with its new, innovative style.

Kicking off with Sweet Sacrifice, The Open Door gets off to a high-energy start. Right from the get-go, Evanescence fans should be able to notice a difference in the lyrics, and even more so in the music. The lyrics are much more confrontational and less “cryptic” than their previous lyrics (And, oh, you love to hate me, don’t you, honey?), but they still haven’t lost their ethereal charm: I dream in darkness / I sleep to die / Erase the silence / Erase my life / Our burning ashes / Blacken the day / A world of nothingness / Blow me away. The album starts with bitterness, but ends on an uplifting note with Good Enough, a song of self-realization through the eyes of another (It’s been such a long time coming, / But I feel good).

One can say that the entire album is a journey of self-realization and self-acceptance. Amy deals publicly with her unhealthy relationship with Seether front-man Sean Morgan in the single Call Me When You’re Sober. The song reveals the pain and struggles that she went through while in a relationship with someone who had a severe addiction and shows how she gained the courage to leave. Lithium shows Amy’s weaker side and explains the reasons why many women continue in a painful relationships, even though they know it’s causing permanent damage (Darling, I forgive you after all / Anything is better than to be alone). Lacrymosa’s content snaps back to the message of CMWYS—the exiting of a harmful relationship, and the importance of moving on: I can’t change who I am / Not this time, I won’t lie to keep you near me / And in this short life, / There’s no time to waste on giving up / My love wasn’t enough.

While dealing with relational issues is a strong theme in The Open Door, the most prevalent theme is the war between independent contentment and utter despair. Weight of the World encompasses this theme, outlining the struggle for self-sufficiency while being held down by the “weight of the world” (I won’t be held down by who I used to be / She’s nothing to me). The urge to be independent and “lose control” in a monotonous, forgettable life is expressed in Lose Control: Just once in my life / I think it would be nice / Just to lose control—just once / With all the pretty flowers in the dust. All That I’m Living For is a plain plea for answers to the writer’s own confused feelings, answers that can only be found within the writer’s lost self (Make me understand the lesson / So I’ll find myself / So I won’t be lost again). Confusion and loss in a newly-shattered life and self-identity are sung about in Your Star (And I’m alone now / Me and all I stood for / We’re wandering now).