Album Review: Evanescence - Synthesis

Shoehorning tough-nut white rappers into nu-metal was one of the worst ideas to emerge from the early noughties.

Their absence on Synthesis thus becomes the only thing to be grateful for as Amy Lee re-records some of Evanescence's loudest moments with a full orchestra (conducted by David "Beck's dad" Campbell). Whiny goth rock pomposity is replaced by whiny goth stringed pomp, rendering most of these reinventions utterly redundant. 2003's debut mega-hit Bring Me Back To Life here has its guitars stripped out, replaced by an ostentatious string section (because, you know, emotion) leaving Lee to whine as though the worst thing to ever happen to her is losing 50 Instagram followers.

Elsewhere, My Immortal is gnawed down to the bare violin-ed bones. It becomes the album's most palatable entry point, but this is promptly quashed with Imperfection (one of just two new songs), the most blatant failure to ride Nine Inch Nails' once billowing cape-tails.

Loveless, overwrought and hollow, Synthesis is an unlistenable self-indulgence.