Evanescence have released a special demo version of their legendary breakthrough hit Bring Me To Life - with one major part of the song as we know and love it missing entirely. Unveiled as part of a blockbuster reissue that is celebrating the band's debut album, Fallen, turning 20 this year, the previously unheard version of Bring Me To Life was put to tape in 2002, and offers fans a chance to hear close to what the finished song may have sounded like had it never featured the contributions of 12 Stones frontman Paul McCoy.
McCoy's barks during the song's chorus are nowhere to be found here, while his infamous rap that was added to the song's final bridge is also AWOL, suggesting this version of Bring Me To Life was recorded before McCoy had been tapped up to record his parts. Instead, where his rap would eventually sit, there's an instrumental segment featuring a guitar solo from Evanescence's then-guitarist Ben Moody. Alongside some subtle, glitchy electronic elements that were seemingly scrubbed from the final version, it makes for a decidedly different listening experience than the version of Bring Me To Life that would make Evanescence one of the hottest bands on Planet Earth.
Listen to the 2002 demo version of Bring Me To Life below.
Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee has spoken at length about the label interference that led to McCoy's rap being added to the song. With a view to appealing to the still considerable (and male-dominated) nu metal market, the label ultimately won out, much to Lee's chagrin, leaving the segment with something of an awkward legacy.
"That part, that sound, that's not my style," Lee told Metal Hammer earlier this year. "That's why it was such a difficult pill to swallow, even on one song. But we won because we didn't have to change our whole sound.”
Lee also noted that Evanescence rarely perform the rap segment of Bring Me To Life live, stating that the band "stopped performing it a long time ago. We never really did perform it. When we're on tour and we have somebody that fits into that spot, they jump up on the song. We were on tour with P.O.D and we had Sonny [Sandoval, vocalist] get up a few times. And obviously, if we're ever in the same town as Paul [McCoy], we will have him come up, because it's fun and it's cool and nostalgic."
Craft Recordings' lush Fallen reissues will come in 2-LP, 2-CD, and digital formats, with a host of bonus tracks, exclusive photos and artwork and remastered audio. It lands on November 17.
