Evanescence dish out new songs & classic favorites from Rock Falcon Studio (stream recap)

Rockers Evanescence premiered their livestreaming event this past weekend, performing both new and old songs from the Rock Falcon Studio in Nashville, TN (where the band have been recording their first original LP in ten years, ‘The Bitter Truth’). The roughly 70-minute stream (which is available on-demand through tomorrow, December 8 at 11:59PM) marks the band’s first public performance since the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to live concerts at the start of the spring (the band themselves were forced to postpone their colossal 2020 international tour earlier this year).

In conjunction with Danny Wimmer Presents and dubbed ‘Evanescence: A Live Session From Rock Falcon Studio,’ the intimate performance kicks off with a pre-show Q&A conducted by Evanescence’s wonderful co-founder, lead vocalist and pianist Amy Lee, who at the start of the program surprises fans by announcing the official street date for the band’s highly-anticipated new LP, ‘The Bitter Truth.’ “I’ve got great news for you,” states Lee in the stream. “We just mastered it, the album is done. I’m so happy, I can’t tell you how happy I am, how proud I am, I’m so relieved, and just can’t wait for you to hear [The Bitter Truth] on our release date which we now have which is March 26th.” Lee notes that the band will continue to drop new songs as the official 2021 record release date nears. As part of the pre-concert Q&A, we see Lee answering fan-submitted questions touching on themes such as music, lyrics, the making of an album during a pandemic, old demos/songs (and the possibility of the band finding a way or outlet to share some of their older stuff), how motherhood has inspired Amy musically, and more.

The actual performance part of the stream runs about 40 minutes and sees Lee joined in-studio by guitarist/backing vocalist Troy McLawhorn, drummer Will Hunt and ‘The Bitter Truth’ producer Nick Raskulinecz, along with remote appearances by bassist Tim McCord (from California) and guitarist/backing vocalist Jen Majura (from Germany). Fresh new song “Wasted on You” launches the virtual performance which features split screens showcasing up-close views of the band distantly rocking out in their own little spaces (as seen in the many quarantine concert videos we’ve all gotten accustomed to watching during lockdown). With a tight audio mix, smooth video transitions and oozing of powerful, raw and emotional vibes, the band goes on to live debut new songs “The Game is Over” and “Use My Voice.” Giving a nod to old-school fans, the band also dole out “The Only One” (being performed live for the first time since 2011) from their 2006 full-length ‘The Open Door,’ along with “Sick” and “Lost in Paradise” from their 2011 self-titled album, and the uber popular “Bring Me to Life” off their 2003 first LP ‘Fallen.’ With Amy shifting from an electronic keyboard to an acoustic piano and to help sweeten the stream a little, the band end their 9-song online display with an astounding rendition of “Glory Box” by UK trip hop legends Portishead.

Evanescence’s Rock Falcon Studio streaming event can be viewed at this location until December 8th at 11:59PM. The band released “Use My Voice” from the stream on YouTube as a special teaser, check out the clip below. As mentioned, ‘The Bitter Truth’ will finally come out on March 26, 2021. Fans can pre-order the new record in digital version, CD, vinyl and a limited edition deluxe fan box (featuring bonus swag). This past weekend’s announcement also ushered in a brand new single in the form of “Yeah Right,” which you can check out below as well.

Evanescence stream setlist (via setlist.fm):
01. Wasted on You
02. The Game is Over
03. The Only One
04. Sick
05. Going Under
06. Use My Voice
07. Bring Me to Life
08. Lost in Paradise
09. Glory Box (Portishead cover)

Featured artist photo by P.R. Brown.
The author of this post was provided with a review ticket to this stream.