Amy Lee
Aftermath
Amy Lee Music, Inc.

Fans of the immensely popular hard rock act Evanescence have finally got what they have been waiting for – a debut solo disc from the bands intense lead vocalist Amy Lee. As the bands driving force Lee has opened doors in the rock market with her bands more anthemic Goth rock. Her piano playing has always touched upon many moods; from romantic and mournful, to adventurous and driven. On Aftermath she gets to show some familiar shades of these emotions, as well as a few new ones while she pairs with cellist David Eggar to envision new landscapes as the soundtrack for the film War Story.

A marriage of 1980’s synth pop on opening track “Push the Button” is reminiscent of Dead or Alive and Pretty Hate Machine era Nine Inch Nails with Lee’s wails permeating a great deal of the upbeat tune. The track actually feels like a great way to open up an album, but that mood however changes once you reach the next two which feature the beautiful, but melancholy cello of David Eggar. This back to back pairing of “White Out” and “Remember to Breathe” feel more like short interludes between full songs when you look at their placement on the disc, preceding the world vibe of “Dark Water,” which find Lee’s voice gently against guest vocalist Malika Zarra who takes center stage. The Moroccan songstress’ stamp on the song brings a completely different element to the disc as a whole, really throwing the listener off a bit.

Musically, “Can’t Stop What’s Coming,” and “Voice in My Head” sound a bit more what you may expect from Lee, but are still very far from the realm that she is from. One of the more interesting instrumentals comes with “Between Worlds” which, oddly enough feels like just that. Lee and Eggar do a great job creating a slight mood change that elevates the track halfway through, really bringing out this lower tone.  The only other true standout track on Aftermath comes with “Lockdown,” featuring slight guitars and drums that remind you why you became a fan of Lee’s to begin with.

Though the Aftermath soundtrack has been billed as being Amy Lee’s first solo outing, one has to really remember that this musical venture is also meant to be a score to a film. In some ways it would almost be unfair to compare Aftermath to the work that Lee is most widely known for. I would be interested to see how the songs that compile this disc bode in the War Story films’ background. –Matthew Pashalian