One of only a handful of post-millennium albums to reach Diamond status by the RIAA, Evanescence’s Fallen arrived at a time where nu-metal was still exceedingly popular – but the tides were indeed changing. That certainly didn’t stop Evanescence’s post-grunge/nu-metal sound, helmed by an instantly recognizable vocalist in Amy Lee, from reaching stardom.
Released on March 4th, 2003, Fallen is a study in what album construction can do as well as fortunate timing. The first half of Fallen is frontloaded with singles that were designed to garner immediate attention from the music industry and fans alike. Perhaps it’s unsurprising the album saw release on Wind-Up Records, who were also responsible for the success of Creed, 12 Stones, Drowning Pool, and Alter Bridge (just to name a few). The first four songs overall were all big singles. “Going Under”, “Everybody’s Fool”, “My Immortal”, and especially “Bring Me To Life” all surged on rock radio, but “Bring Me To Life” was by far the biggest moment. The band’s proper debut single (and one that had been released two months prior to the album’s release), it featured 12 Stones’ vocalist Paul McCoy and also reached #5 on the Billboard 200. Yeah, this one was a big, big deal in introducing one of music’s most powerful voices to the world.
