Worm Baby
Viscount/Viscountess of EvThreads
終̴̟̲̦͎̭͙̺͑͂ͥ̌̉̓͐ͯ̔͆ͧͥ́̚͠わ̟̘̙̠̞͎̗̘̺͍͙̬͓̜̣̗̮͔̃͂ͭ͂̑ͧͧ͠り̶̛̱̯͎̪̜͕͎͓̰̟̬͎̹̘̹͖͆̏̎̈́̃͜͢͟ͅ
Posts: 798
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Post by Worm Baby on Aug 25, 2014 16:14:37 GMT -5
I can't listen to the album until my son goes to bed tonight. I can't waaaiiiit! I'm gonna listen to it with the lights off, some candles lit, and sipping on some red wine.
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carolexodus
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Posts: 900
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Post by carolexodus on Aug 25, 2014 16:54:02 GMT -5
I can't listen to the album until my son goes to bed tonight. I can't waaaiiiit! I'm gonna listen to it with the lights off, some candles lit, and sipping on some red wine. Sounds like an awesome way to listen to it. Same here, it's cloudy , windy and VERY cold, makes it even better. Aaah! It's not storming here, but you made me realize how well this album would go with Rainy Mood (an app that plays storm sounds in the background while you listen to music)! There's even a portion of Voice in My Head that reminds me a bit of the middle section of Eternal. You should totally do that! Rain adds to the music, it just started raining here.
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StormsxSaints
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Joined Florence Welch's coven
Posts: 382
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Post by StormsxSaints on Aug 25, 2014 23:46:55 GMT -5
Honestly, I wonder why White Out and After were included, as Amy didn't contribute anything to those songs, apparently.
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FFXSoul91
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Posts: 78
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Post by FFXSoul91 on Aug 26, 2014 0:16:54 GMT -5
I noticed that as well! It kind of confuses me, but if the credits are indeed accurate then I would say that it was most likely decided that using Amy's name as the main artist for the entire album, even those songs, was likely the best option to insure that the songs were heard and appreciated. But obviously I don't know if that's really the case or not.
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Morgan
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caught pink eye from Sooo Hard
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Post by Morgan on Aug 26, 2014 10:50:54 GMT -5
I noticed that as well! It kind of confuses me, but if the credits are indeed accurate then I would say that it was most likely decided that using Amy's name as the main artist for the entire album, even those songs, was likely the best option to insure that the songs were heard and appreciated. But obviously I don't know if that's really the case or not. That's exactly about what I was writing a few minutes ago because some people on Facebook and Youtube are being pretty bitchy and unpleasant but: One of the first things that came to my mind after my first listen of the record was "did I just get trolled?" The thing is I consider myself to be a perfectly informed EvFan, since I visit this site constantly and I'm always on alert for anything EvRelated infor from some of the top fans (who are also part of this forum) here, on Tumblr and Twitter. I hope that doesn't sound creepy. But over ten years passsed, it's following Evanescence/Amy Lee information has become a bit of a hobby, something I can always do whenever I need to take my mind off other things. And even though I knew EXACTLY what I was gonna get, cause AMY made it clear many times in interviews she gave, and so did Dave Eggar, even though I see myself as pretty well informed on film music, which I loved. Somewhere deep inside, I was still hoping for more of regular Amy, once I had the album and was like "Nope, it's just what we were promised" I started appreciating it as a score album with some bonus songs who were just casually sung by favorite singer and I LOVED it, and I loved what Amy was doing with her career. YET, I don't think the album was properly advertised, in the sense of content. I wouldn't blame Amy and Dave for people getting mad of the results either, but I would pin on them at least 50% of the blame. I don't know if they did it on purpose or not though it would make a sense and I'd do it myself too. If I had made an album with my good friend, when it came to putting it out I would ask myself "which of us is more famous?" Not because of the money, but as an artist I think you'd want to have as many listeners as possible so that you can reach more and more people. But if I were to be absolutely honest I would have written "Aftermath by Amy Lee and Dave Eggar" and would have put Amy firs solely because her name starts with A and Dave's with D, cause I'm a sucker for alphabetical order. Yes, I knew what this album was, WE all knew what it was but we had been following the project for months, and I've read all the articles regarding it to the point I knew some piece/song titles before they were released, like we all did. But there others who don't read music articles at all, or who don't have time, and who just saw a tweet from Amy saying "my new album and soundtrack, preorder" and the iTunes description doesn't help either "White Out (feat. Dave Eggar), Remember to breathe (feat. Dave Eggar)...) it just makes it seem like an Amy Lee album where some guy was featured playing guitar or something. Cause most people out of USA don't even know who Dave Eggar is, let alone casual Evanescence fans. So, yes, it is their fault for expecting and Evanescence album, when it's clear that's not what they're gonna get. It's their fault for not taking the time to read for ten minutes about the album and informing themselves on what it is. Especially since the information IS there to be taken. But the album DID say "Amy Lee FEAT. DAVE EGGAR" and every single song was marked to be "FEAT. DAVE EGGAR" and yet there are a couple of score pieces that were not written by Amy, that didn't feature Amy and any way or form and they were labeled the same way. Amy was barel FEATURED in Dark Water actually, but then gain she produced it. Now, you're gonna say Amy produced the whole record but that's not true. There are plenty of tracks, according to the booklet, she didn't even touch. And even then, you don't advertise an album by its producer you don't write "FALLEN by Dave Fortman (feat. Evanescence)" This album was not an Amy Lee was a collaboration that features the work of two artists on equal degrees plus Chuck Palmer's work too. So as much as the people making this comments about the album being bad etc... ESPECIALLY those who make senseless, rude, cello comments (ahem) are to blame for their behavior; after all your attitude is yours. And it's up to you showing your good manners. I don't think we can blame those who feel disappointed entirely. I'd say it's 50% their fault for not informing themselves properly while the sources ARE available. And 50% on the guys who made, promoted the record, since they also gave an incomplete idea of what was going on the record. Naming wise. Having said that, every passing day I love his record more and more. And I plan on even writing a review of it, I love it when people do that here with the Ev Albums I think we should do it for Aftermath too!
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Ring
Viscount/Viscountess of EvThreads
Katy > Gaga
Posts: 600
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Post by Ring on Aug 26, 2014 11:29:15 GMT -5
The album is still going strong at the top 20 in the US iTunes chart. It's also in the top 10 of Italy, but there were always big Ev and Amy fans there, so it going top 10 is not surprising.
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Morgan
Baron/Baroness of EvThreads
caught pink eye from Sooo Hard
Posts: 303
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Post by Morgan on Aug 26, 2014 11:50:11 GMT -5
I would really love it if, due to the sales, it got more attention. I have this absurd idea that it would be awesome if a DJ remixed Push the Button and got it playing at night clubs. Could be a hit! And maybe it would get even more mainstream attention!
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arte5415
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Post by arte5415 on Aug 26, 2014 12:17:09 GMT -5
not speak English, sorry Amy Lee, you are the greatest genius of music, i love disco Me tienen enferma las criticas de los supuestos fans de Evanescence, los muy idiotas están hablando de Ben, para mi este disco es la prueba fehaciente e indiscutible que Amy fue, es y sera la fuerza creadora de Evanescence, ya tenia la prueba con WATF un disco plano en música y letra a pesar de tener a David en la creación. Estoy segura que Amy tuvo un montón de diversion al hacer este disco y se nota, un disco ligero, sexy, profundo y fuerte a la vez, letras simples y al mismo tiempo muy profundas, la música inquietantemete bella, profunda y ligera, se combina a la perfección, y esos pequeños toques que te dejan sorprendido, realmente no se que decir, sabia que Amy es muy talentosa, pero esto demuestra que es un genio, y estoy segura que obtendremos mas, viva la libertad. Estoy tan feliz con este disco CSM sorry guys, could not help myself, I promise not to do it again
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Post by Spain on Aug 26, 2014 12:36:28 GMT -5
I think Drifter, Can't stop what's coming and Voice in my head should be just one song together. That's one of the best moments on the album.
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Post by danielfer88 on Aug 26, 2014 13:48:10 GMT -5
After listening to the whole thing many times all I can say is that as a sound track it's a good job. I really feel as if I am watching a movie. I never saw the movie but the score does tell you a story. I said it was simplistic, and I still believe it is, but I appreciate it more now that it told me the story in an emotional way. If you need to cry, this album will make you feel deeper emotions. It's incredibly mournful but beautiful as well. And yes, I know it was intended to be mournful. I was aware of that.
On the other hand. The tracks I got from Google play were really bad. They sound like a scratched cd, full of annoying noises. I first thought those noises were added on purpose but then I realized that they were just bad quality mp3 files... I'm kinda pissed for that. But I know it's just google's fault. I will try to download thenm in my computer ans see if I get a better sound quality there
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FFXSoul91
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Posts: 78
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Post by FFXSoul91 on Aug 26, 2014 14:05:37 GMT -5
Wow. Reading the comments on Amy's Facebook has made me realize how closed-minded and frankly out-of-touch many Ev fans are.
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darren
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Post by darren on Aug 26, 2014 15:19:15 GMT -5
My favourites so far:
- Lockdown (trying so hard not to overplay this) - Dark Water - Between Worlds
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Morgan
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caught pink eye from Sooo Hard
Posts: 303
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Post by Morgan on Aug 26, 2014 15:37:22 GMT -5
Album review: Aftermath (Amy Lee feat. Dave Eggar)
Push the Button
"We force it down, put on a play to hide our shame. No wonder we're in chains."
I think it's quite clear Amy had in mind this song's final destination all the time she was working on it. It's really sexy and suggestive yet somehow it maintains a bit of subtlety in lyrics so it's not dirty at all. The beat and vocalizing really do get message across; never thought I'd say this about a song made by Amy, but the lyrics, while good, effective and memorable, are not that big of a deal: the song works as a whole. I love the beat and the atmosphere and I'd love to hear this at a nightclub or something yet I doubt it'd happen unless it's remixed, since it sounds dated, like it was made in the late eighties maybe early nineties. The thing that took a while for me to come to terms with, though, was the mixing. While I like it overall and got used to it now. The parts we heard during the movie were compressed since Lee heard it through the wall, and gave the impression of a bigger sounding synths when in reality is the song is quite compact. I like it both ways, the grandiose, lush sound I had made up in my mind for it and the actual result: the type of mixing and instrumentation reminds a lot of Björk whom I love; more specifically Miss You and Army of Me, from her album Post. I could actually play them one after the other and think this song was made around the same time. It's pop, "dance", music in a more traditional way while still keeping a unique sound in it's minimalistic mixing and composition and in their singers' vocal preferences.
White Out
I don't particularly find this score piece to be outstanding. I see it more as a mood setter/bridge between different parts of an album. I'm listening to it as a I type and have to say it's really, really neat. Evocative and atmospheric, it's a perfect piece to remind that not everything is like what you just heard and it's minimalistic, in a way, I guess, just like it's predecessors.
Remember to Breathe
It's this piece which really shows off Dave's writing chops for the first time in the record. He manages to get this feeling across, like pressure, like drowning. And it makes me think about the ocean a little. I imagine a cloudy beach or bay. Very contemplative. The cello it's really soothing and unlike some of the other sections of the album where I wish Dave had opted for more strings than just the ones he used, this piece works perfect just the way it is. Again very minimalistic, which at this point starts to feel like a theme throughout the record: minimalist, evocative and personal or intimate, in other words.
Dark Water
A personal favorite. I'm like in love with this song. First of all I like good beats with kind of grey lyrics, somehow manages to move along to a song that deals with something serious. This song really makes me wish I knew something about the language Malika sings in, cause she sells it. Amy's contribution I found to measured perfectly, it was risky, a bit too much would have been way too much. May have made the song sound cluttered but personally I found it to work just right. Love the single, simple yet constant beat. The bass was precise and the strings just remarkable. Very eastern, which I guess was the point. Very thick in it's mixing, the thickest in the whole record, even Lockdown sounds light. And Push the Button, like I said it's very minimalistic. Dark Water manages to be both atmospheric and intense. Would probably find it a persecution scene in some action movie set in Indonesia or places like that. Love it so much.
Between Worlds
I find this piece to be very representative of the whole record and the movie. Very melancholic and intimate sounding, alluring and slightly sensual, if listen carefully. The track that really showcases Dave writing skills and sultry style. Very dreamy and absorbent. Would imagine it played during a scene where a big secret is discovered, a treasure is found or a legend is being told if I were to put it in another movie. Piano notes dropped in the exact measure.
Drifter
As if they had taken turns, Amy's intimate moment comes right after Dave's. Very classical sounding and just as intimate sounding as Between Worlds with the difference that where the previous song is dominated by sense of discovery or magic, drifter is empowered by reflecting. It reminds of anime, more specifically, Inuyasha, not a fan or anything but it had some beautiful, inspiring music. Drifter could easily be part of the score. It gives you a sense of inner thinking and doubt. It's like you can almost see the thinking process happening in somebody's head. An idea bursting into full form. A moment of realization or a tough decision being made. Something that I had been looking for throughout the album I finally found here after many times listening, it's hard to explain. All the way around, a beautiful piece in Drifter. Beautiful and delicate.
Can't Stop What's Coming
"I dream of falling into you, not to feel, just sleep."
The way Drifter leads into this song is perfect. Sounds like a drop of water falling into a pool, you can almost see the waves expanding outwardly in circles as the micro-beat starts to drop, which I found greatly engaging. The lyrics very simple, concise and straight forward yet the imagery is quite powerful. Vocally and composition wise, it's ver reminiscent of Amy's previous work in songs like Lose Control. Also in the phrasing of the lyrics into vocal lines, the song it's very reminiscent of Björk, once again, in most of her album Vespertine, more specifically in songs such as Aurora and An Echo A Stain. A very short, experimental song. The microscopical composition of the beats and atmospheric sounds also strongly Björk influenced. A very interesting composition altogether.
Voice in my Head
Probably, in my personal opinion, the musical centerpiece of the record. The first tinge of what the score of this movie would sound like if the movie weren't so introspective and personal. The biggest sounding composition in the record. A beautiful motif slightly similar to the one in drifter if in a different construction. The cello and piano blend perfectly and mixing is spotless. Can't come up with a mental image for this somehow, though. Find it very unique. Maybe a trip through a cloudy sky. Very emotional on it's own, more than evocative. Deals with despair and confusion.
Lockdown
"I can feel you calling me, I can taste the poison in your heart."
A song that sounds strikingly just like something Amy Lee would write, which is good cause she did. Vocally it seems inspired by sound and singing style that has become a trademark of Amy's. The instrumentation is pretty unique too. If it had to be compared to other artists, Björk would come to mind as inspiration too but to a much lesser degree than in the other songs in this album. Portishead is a possible contender too maybe in songs like The Rip or Nylon Smile, which coincidentally has a vocal that may have inspired Push the Button a little too. Kind of circling, not necessarily a bad thing depending on your tastes, not as intense as the previews may have made it seem like, but powerful in a different way. The lyrics are pure poetry.
After
A very good choice for a closing title. It's like closing a book. Very subtle cello notes that sound like delicate crying and that drift away slowly in peace and/or contentment.
Overall Review: As a score, spot on, consistent and emotive. 9/10 As an independent album, eclectic, fun, interesting and touching. Different and memorable. With possible improvement in the mixing department, regarding the song-songs. Personal, intimate and unique, yet not just for anyone. Highly recommended for those who seek something different and with a wide range of style and emotion. It's got a minimalistic, intimate overtone and theme. Recommended to listen to the suggested Björk and Portishead tracks for something alike. 9/10
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Post by RapturedLight on Aug 26, 2014 16:00:33 GMT -5
I've been so busy that I've hardly had time to listen to Aftermath other than to quickly go through most of the songs without really experiencing, but from what I've heard, I think this is great! I love film scores, and I've always wanted Amy to do something like this, and she and Dave really seemed to have nailed it! You can definitely hear Amy's electronic influences, like Morgan was saying. I hope I'll have time to give it a proper listen ASAP and then I can review it for my blog.
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Worm Baby
Viscount/Viscountess of EvThreads
終̴̟̲̦͎̭͙̺͑͂ͥ̌̉̓͐ͯ̔͆ͧͥ́̚͠わ̟̘̙̠̞͎̗̘̺͍͙̬͓̜̣̗̮͔̃͂ͭ͂̑ͧͧ͠り̶̛̱̯͎̪̜͕͎͓̰̟̬͎̹̘̹͖͆̏̎̈́̃͜͢͟ͅ
Posts: 798
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Post by Worm Baby on Aug 26, 2014 16:49:03 GMT -5
I've listened to the album twice so far, and I think it's fantastic! It's beautiful and surprisingly varied.
The instrumental tracks are lovely. I've always been a big fan of cello, so I'm very pleased to see her working so much with a cellist. "Between Worlds" is definitely my favorite of the instrumentals. So haunting.
The 4 vocal tracks are all so shockingly different! It really shows Amy's range as a songwriter. It's hard to believe "Push The Button" came from her! As everyone else has said, it sounds like something you'd dance to at a club. Never thought I'd hear something like that from her, but she did a great job with it. "Dark Water" is a definite favorite. The singer has a gorgeous voice. I love world music and have always loved when Ev brings that sound into songs, but it's so awesome to hear something this extreme from Amy. "Can't Stop What's Coming" is a great mood-setting track. Short and simple, but cool. "Lockdown" definitely sounds the most like an Amy/Ev song. It has a very Origin vibe. I absolutely adore it! This is more the direction I was hoping Ev would go on the last album with Lilywhite. I want more of this from either Amy or Ev!
I'm really proud of Amy for trying her hand at the technical side of things too. I definitely hope she continues to hone these skills.
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