Evanescence

Call it a case of mistaken identity. Evanescence's hit "Bring Me to Life" doomed the Arkansas
group to a life of Linkin Park comparisons, thanks to the song's digital beats, clean
metal-guitar riffs, scattered piano lines and all-too-familiar mix of rapping and singing. The
gimmick? It's a woman on the mike, and she's on a mission from God. When vocalist Amy Lee
croons about lying "in my field of paper flowers" or "pouring crimson regret," sh... More >

The one and only rock breakthrough of this disastrous year is less dire than you'd think. They're Christians, but goth-metal Christians. I mean they're goth-metal, but goth-metal Christians. I mean they're Christians who told a webzine that "the world is filled with hateful people who parade the name of Christ like a badge that grants them immunity to destroy anyone that disagrees with them," celebrated their megahit debut with Dom Perignon, and were yanked from Bible stores for using bad words in Entertainment Weekly. Their faith, as embodied in Amy Lee's clarion sopralto, lends their goth-metal a palpable sweetness. Now if only it wasn't goth-metal at all. (Grade: B-)