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The goth-inspired Arkansas rock band Evanescence, with its Linkin Park-meets-Tori Amos sound backed by chugging guitars, easily made it to the top of the charts in 2003 with its Wind-Up Entertainment debut album, Fallen. Singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist/songwriter Ben Moody formed the band at the end of the '90s after meeting in their early teens during a "youth camp," Moody said in a statement. "I heard Amy playing Meat Loaf's 'I'd Do Anything for Love' at the piano. So I went over to meet her, and she started singing for me. I was pretty much blown away, so I suckered her into joining a band with me."
As a duo, Evanescence didn't perform live, instead opting to release EPs and the full-length Origin. Lee told the BBC that Evanescence was mastering demos in Memphis, TN, when she and the band were discovered by producer Pete Matthews. He shopped the songs to record companies in New York, and Evanescence -- rounded out by bassist Will Boyd, guitarist John LeCompt, and drummer Rocky Gray -- eventually landed a contract with Wind-Up, the home of Creed. The soundtrack to the 2003 Ben Affleck action movie Daredevil brought success to Evanescence; the begging "Bring Me to Life," which appeared on the soundtrack along with the ballad "My Immortal," became a hit. (Paul McCoy, of labelmates 12 Stones, rapped on "Bring Me to Life," which originated as a piano ballad.) The songs proved to be a head start to Evanescence's future hit album Fallen, produced by Dave Fortman (Boy Sets Fire, Superjoint Ritual) and released in March 2003.
Evanescence ran head first into controversy promoting Fallen. Originally, it was released in the Christian and secular markets; however, the band's use of profanity during an interview with Rolling Stone prompted its label, Wind-Up Records, to recall Fallen from Christian stores. Ironically, 12 Stones are also labeled Christian. Fallen surpassed double-platinum status, reaching the Top Ten in the United States, including the Top Contemporary Christian Albums chart, the Top Five in Canada, and number one in the United Kingdom. It spent more than 100 weeks on Billboard's Top 200; Evanescence also managed to pick up two Grammys (Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance) for the 2003 awards.
During a European tour late that same year, however, Moody abruptly left the group over apparent creative differences. Ex-Cold guitarist Terry Balsamo soon replaced him in the band; he clicked with Lee and the two became cohesive songwriting partners who worked to further define Evanescence's classically influenced hard rock identity. The band continued to tour nonstop for the next year, and they issued the live album Anywhere But Home (recorded at a show in Paris) in November 2004 to hold over fans hungry for their follow-up. It also went platinum. More internal band drama ensued -- including Balsamo recovering from a stroke suffered in fall 2005 and Boyd's departure the following summer -- before that album, The Open Door, finally appeared in early October 2006. Tim McCord (ex-the Revolution Smile) switched from guitar to bass in August. Spearheaded by the single "Call Me When You're Sober," the album displayed a broader emotional range amid the band's evolving sound. Evanescence played several intimate theater dates immediately following the record's release before moving on to larger arena shows. ~ Christina Fuoco, All Music Guide
Evanescence tops Killers in US
The Open Door beats out strong showings from the Killers' Sam's Town and George Strait's It Just Comes Natural.
In another major week for new releases, Evanescence's The Open Door bows at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, moving 447,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, making it the rock act's first No. 1 on the chart. The band's debut, 2003's Fallen, spent 104 weeks on the big chart, peaking at No. 3 and selling more than 6.6 million copies in the United States.
Evanescence
The Open Door also marks the 700th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 since the magazine began publishing the weekly chart 50 years ago.
Coming in at No. 2, the Killers' sophomore release Sam's Town (Island) sold 315,000 copies. It's the group's best sales frame and its best charting position, as their debut Hot Fuss only managed a No. 7 peak.
George Strait scores his 30th chart entry with It Just Comes Natural, which opens at No. 3 with 232,000. The MCA Nashville set is also No. 1 on Top Country Albums chart, his 20th on that tally. Strait's 2005 effort, Somewhere Down in Texas, bowed at No. 1 on both charts.
After earning him his highest-charting album ever last week, Tony Bennett's Duets: An American Classic slips 3-4 with 128,000 copies, a sales decline of 36 percent. Justin Timberlake's Jive release FutureSex/LoveSounds keeps the No. 5 spot warm for a second week with 116,000, a decrease of 21 percent. Ludacris' Release Therapy bowed at No. 1 last week, but falls to No. 6 with a sales hit of 64 percent at 113,000.
Beck arrives at No. 7 with his new The Information, which sold 99,000. The Interscope effort is the follow-up to last year's Guero, which debuted at No. 2. Monica's fourth album, The Makings of Me (J), enters at No. 8 with 93,000. Its predecessor, After the Storm, reached No. 1 in 2003 with 186,000.
Janet Jackson's 20 Y.O. (Virgin) descends 2-9 with 77,000, a whopping 74 percent sales hit in its second week. Hinder's Extreme Behavior (Universal Republic) remains at No. 10 with 76,000 copies (-1 percent).
Other big chart debuts this week include Jet's sophomore Atlantic album Shine On (No. 16, 51,000), Chris Young's self-titled RCA debut (No. 22, 36,000), the late Ray Charles and Count Basie's Ray Sings Basie Swings (No. 23, 36,000) and gospel mainstay Fred Hammond's Free to Worship (No. 29, 31,000).
Beloved indie rock act the Decemberists' Capitol debut, The Crane Wife, lands at No. 35 with 26,000, by far the band's best showings in both categories. Its 2005 Kill Rock Stars swan song, Picaresque, topped out at No. 128 on the Billboard 200.
Overall CD sales are up 5.6 percent from last week's count and down 4.5 percent compared to the same week a year ago at 9.90 million units. Sales for 2006 are down 5 percent compared to 2005 at 403.6 million units.
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