Musical Deconstruction

An Exploration of Evanescence.

(2005 Fallen)

(2011 Self-Titled)

Overall Dissertation.

Over time bands are supposed to grow and progress artistically. They should call upon all the talents that they have acquired in the past to always put out their best work at that time. The first song "Everybody's Fool" was written in 2005, and is quite different from the newer "What You Want".

First off, in "Everybody's Fool" the main source of rhythm comes from the drums and guitar only. In fact the entire rhythm is fairly simplistic with punchy guitar and drum riffs. This also dominates the groove of the song, even though it is also heavy and powerful, it is repetitive and straightforward in design.

Whereas in "What You Want" the rhythm is comprised of the drums and synth/piano combination, and is much more complex in nature. As a result the groove of the song is also heavy and powerful, yet also can be described as solid and containing more fullness than the previous creation. With the trio of drums, guitar, and synth all working together to create the rhythm it's easy to hear the growth in their music.

In the second phase which incorporates arrangement into the analysis, the contrast between the two songs shows itself even further. The instrumentation in "Fool" is limited to guitar, drums, and relies heavily on a plethora of vocal talent and force to drive the song along. On the other hand "Want" has many instruments that contribute to the driving force of the song; drums, synth, vocals, and guitar all combine in a layered and collaborative manner.

The structure of both songs also differs greatly and has a large effect on the emotional architecture of the two pieces. In "Fool" the song follows the standard verse, chorus, verse, bridge, and chorus. Though "Want" uses a similar set-up, it also branches out into a more complicated organization, that contains a switch and breakdown of tempo and melody. It is this difference that changes the entire emotional feel of the songs. "Fool" has a medium to high, which repeats until it fades to medium and ends, where "Want" has a larger number of changes, and greater disparity in the rises and falls of tension and release.

Finally the depth of the two songs is further apart yet. "Fool" has very little depth and all five instruments are easily discernable. And so as Evanescence has progressed as a band, they have acquired the higher level of musical skills needed to add a notable amount of depth. Utilizing multiple layers, complex synth usage, and changing melodies.