Album review: Evanescence – Sanctuary

Evanescence albums are always worth waiting for. Expectedly, Sanctuary flies Amy Lee’s beautifully tattered goth flag while happily investigating new paths. You can feel the influence of studio guru and Bring Me The Horizon alumnus Jordan Fish in the tweaks of electronic gilding that seep through any spare spaces. With a few exceptions, it keeps the songs alive, moving differently.

From the intro to opener Beautiful Lie, it’s clear this is not a new but commendably forward-facing Evanescence. There’s still that sense of drama, of quiet awe, as Amy develops the songs her own way. The anthemic Tell Me When You’ve Had Enough brings more of the hand-wringing emotion she frequently initiates, almost as if it’s effortless. It can’t be, it feels like the world falling in; maybe that’s the reason we so rarely hear from Evanescence. Because exorcism on this level does not come easily. Songs like this, Afterlife and Who Will You Follow tick all boxes: crashing guitars, massive production and of course that uniquely piercing, trademark voice.

The goods keep coming. The title-track is probably the best song here, all aspects of the Evanescence sounding at their Jordan-bolstered best, while in the stark, seemingly fragile How Do I Heal, Amy’s poignant delivery recalls 2003’s untouchable My Immortal. If you wanted any further proof of the lady’s vocal prowess, go find out what she does on Forever Without You. The number of singers who could replicate that can be counted on your fingers with a few to spare.

Sure, there are certain experiments here like Calm Down that take the electronic glitches too far, while Self Destruct should have been kept as a curio, but you’d still rather see a band of this standing act push itself than stand still. It whets the appetite for September’s big UK arena shows, more rare treats from one of the most treasured acts in our world.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: Within Temptation, In This Moment, Starset

Sanctuary is released on June 5 via BMG.