Over two decades and four albums, Evanescence have had their share of ups and downs. Line-up changes, tons of awards, a hiatus or two and millions of record sales, it’s been a turbulent time for the gothic metallers. Led throughout by the sensational Amy Lee, Evanescence returned to our world this year with new album Synthesis – their first full-length record in six years.
In the latest issue of Metal Hammer we sit down with Amy to talk about the new record and how she fought her way to get to this point. But what has Evanescence’s journey been? Where have they come from? Here we take a look back at the past 22 years of Amy’s life, and how she became one of the biggest names in rock music.
1995
Amy Lee and Ben Moody form Evanescence after meeting at youth camp in Little Rock, Arkansas.
November 2000
The band release their first full-length demo, Origin, which they sell at shows.
January 2001
Wind-Up Records sign Evanescence after hearing the song My Immortal.
March 2003
Evanescence’s debut album, Fallen, is released. It sells an incredible 141,000 copies in its first week, and eventually goes seven times platinum in the US.
April 2003
Bring Me To Life, the lead single from Fallen, is a global hit and goes to Number One in the UK.
October 2003
Guitarist and co-founder Ben Moody splits from the band, citing “creative differences” as the reason.
February 2004
Bring Me To Life wins the Grammy Award for ‘Best Hard Rock Performance’.
August 2006
Evanescence release the stunning Call Me When You’re Sober, written about Seether frontman Shaun Morgan.
- Evanescence's Amy Lee: how we made Bring Me To Life
- The Audio Archive – exclusive to TeamRock+ members
- Watch Evanescence's Amy Lee cover Death Cab on Hello Kitty keyboard
- Evanescence's Amy Lee on growing up, being cool, and sexuality in music
September 2006
Evanescence’s second album, The Open Door, is released and debuts at Number One in the Billboard 200 and Number Two in the UK charts.
May 2007
Drummer Rocky Gray and rhythm guitarist John LeCompt leave the band and join Ben Moody in We Are The Fallen.
June 2008
Amy receives the Songwriter Icon Award from the National Music Publishers’ Association.
September 2008
Amy sings Sally’s Song from The Nightmare Before Christmas on covers compilation album Nightmare Revisited.
February 2010
Recording of third album Evanescence is paused as the band switch producers.
August 2011
The first single from Evanescence, What You Want, is released to positive reviews.
October 2011
Evanescence sees the light of day, reaching Number One in the US and Number Four in the UK.
July 2014
Amy Lee’s son, Jack Lion Hartzler, is born.
August 2014
Amy Lee and classical composer Dave Eggar release Aftermath, the score to independent film War Story.
September 2015
Amy and Dave Eggar collaborate again on the film soundtrack Indigo Grey: The Passage.
September 2016
Inspired by motherhood, Amy records an album for children called Dream Too Much.
November 2017
Evanescence return with new album Synthesis. Read our review.
You can read the full story of Amy Lee’s decade-long struggle to control her own destiny in the latest issue of Metal Hammer – on sale now. Buy it directly here or become a TeamRock+ member to read it right now.
Evanescence's Amy Lee: I had to step away from being a rockstar
