Evanescence – Sanctuary (Album Review)
Review by Charis Ward
Sanctuary is an album that has somehow exceeded expectations. Accurately described by fans and critics alike as ‘urgent’ in tone, Amy Lee and her band tease us throughout the album with hooks and riffs that will stir memories in all fans who have been there since the beginning, contrasted with lyrics pleading to our current political moment. Sanctuary feels like a full circle moment, but anything but a closing chapter.
When the band released what would become Sanctuary’s lead single Afterlife in March 2025, that magic of Evanescence’s initial sound stirred throughout the track, but with a new ‘all grown up’ feel.
The crunchy, grinding guitar riffs, crawling under Amy’s pained wails felt so reminiscent of something that could have easily been a track on the band’s iconic debut album Fallen (2003), but fresher, and somehow just as exciting as that genre-defining release 22 years prior. Even the choral backing on the bridge at around 2 mins into the track is reminiscent of the gothic roots of the band (as much as she might want to distance herself from the G word, Amy was a pioneer of style for all aspiring goth kids of the 2000’s, myself included). Amy’s signature siren wail at around the 3 minute mark on that lead single left no doubt that Sanctuary will be an ambitious return to form, with high expectations set by the recent return of fellow millenium-era headline acts such as Deftones and Linkin Park.
Dare I say, Amy wants to take us back. It’s as if she wants to reach her hand out to the fans whose formative years were spent watching the Bring Me To Life and Going Under music videos, and tell them she hasn’t forgotten us, but now we’re all grown up with a civil responsibility, and there is work to be done!
Somehow the album is also rooted very solidly in the here and now, and the problems of today and tomorrow. Second single Who Will You Follow and its accompanying video are unambiguous in their criticism of the blurring line between real and fiction, and a societal epidemic of smartphone addiction, asking us “When all your faith in reality fades away, who will you follow?”.
The album’s opening lyrics rhetorically taunt an imaginary opponent and the fight starts from the opening track Beautiful Lie; “I don’t belong to you, So don’t tell me what to do.”
Anyone following Amy’s social media activity will be no stranger to the contempt she feels for the current US administration and her despair at the division within the United States. But she’s also smart enough to know that the pain and frustration with which she spits her lyrics are not reserved for the United States alone, and there’s a world of listeners out there who will find home in these lyrics, or rather, their Sanctuary. The lyrics are skillfully written to be broad enough that listeners can imagine the corrupt politician of their choice while singing along to “They don’t give a damn about us!” on the track About Us. Driving tracks Tell Me When You’ve Had Enough and Self Destruct confirm the confidence and quiet authority underpinning this return of Evanescence to our ears and stages. Something has changed in this configuration which gives Sanctuary a new taste and it’s just too easy to keep the album on constant repeat.
My only reservation is that it becomes a little too easy to play a game of Evanescence bingo, ticking a square each time Amy wails the words lies/lie, sick/sickness, dark/darkness, or heart. With that said, intentional references to previous work are many, and more than welcome.
The familiar chugging dun-dun dun-dun riff we’ve heard before on Going Under and Haunted (both Fallen, 2003) drives the verses of the album’s title track Sanctuary.
The haunting sampled melody found on the infamous pre-Fallen internet-distributed track Even In Death emerges as a piano ornament on the verses of trip-hop inspired Calm Down.
References to 2003’s Fallen and 2006’s The Open Door grace the opening verse of independence ballad Forever Without You as Amy subverts the Going Under lyric “I’m falling forever, Drowning in you.” into the defiant “Thought I’d fall forever without you, Turns out forever without you is good for me.” In this simple but tender ballad, Amy vulnerably declares independence from an abusive relationship, while openly admitting that the journey to that freedom is full of fear and self-doubt.
Lastly, Amy’s first reference to the ‘Weight of the World’ on 2006’s The Open Door gains a new, bigger meaning here on Wide Open Heart, as Amy rallies listeners to find the light in themselves and each other in an increasingly dark world, and addresses the lasting truth that only love can save us. “Facing the weight of the world, With a wide open heart.” A truly moving closing track.
But for all the talk of a ‘return to form’ and references to the past, the album is still holding its own at the forefront of modern metal production with the help of Jordan Fish, the producer responsible for steering Bring Me The Horizon from a plucky MySpace sensation to festival headline act with his pioneering electronic and sample-inspired metal sound. Fish has gone on to produce pop-metal powerhouse Poppy, and British metalcore act Architects, and his sample-heavy EDM-inspired production has its fingerprints all over this record, but never overwhelms the signature Evanescence sound. Cool little effects on the breakdown of Rapture and Who Will You Follow decorate the tracks and turn up the heaviness. The electro intro and the chugging djent breakdown on the punchy Self Destruct, and the tsunami wave-break effect used so emotively and skillfully as the chorus kicks in on the album’s opener, Beautiful Lie, and again on the album’s triumphant close Wide Open Heart employ movie soundtrack-style production to great emotional effect.
This new direction in modern production style, allows the band to mark a new era, without which this album could have risked landing as a continuation of the last effort The Bitter Truth (2021).
Although the lyrics can be a little simple in places, this feels like it was done out of necessity. It feels as if driving a consistent and coherent message on this album was more important than the styling, and the choice feels intentional.
Last but not least, the individual instrumental performances (particularly from bassist Emma Anzai and drummer Will Hunt) all get room to shine providing a rich and deep backdrop to Amy’s shimmering vocals. After a few band member reshuffles, Evanescence finally feels like a unit with one beating heart, and Amy appears more confident than ever to deliver her much-needed message with full conviction around the world as Evanescence embark on their Sanctuary World Tour starting this month.
Ranking: 10/10
Tracklist EVANESCENCE – Sanctuary
- Beautiful Lie
- Tell Me When You’ve Had Enough
- Who Will You Follow
- Rapture
- Afterlife
- Sanctuary
- How Do I Heal
- About Us
- Calm Down
- Self Destruct
- Forever Without You
- Wide Open Heart
No power strong enough to hold it back" Tarja Turunen - Calling From The Wild
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