For those who don’t know, late last year & earlier this year Evanescence embarked on their very ambitious Synthesis tour; what set this tour apart from others was that the band were performing with a full live orchestra – yes with a conductor, strings, drums and with electro backing support. We were lucky enough to attend one of the tour dates in London, and that was a musical experience like no other – gone was the mosh pit, replaced by an all seated, phone free audience. At times we were in silence, just in awe of what Amy Lee and the orchestra were presenting. We knew we had experienced something special & even then, commented that if a recording was to become available we’d be first in line for it.
And now a live recording is available on DVD/Blu-Ray/Digital from their November 3rd 2017 tour date at the Grand Theatre at Foxwoods Casino, Connecticut, USA. The first thing we noticed when putting on the recording was that it’s so much more immersive than we initially thought it would be. In the audience, your view is generally very static – you see what you see depending on where you’re sat; the recording meant we could see details and be up close with the likes of Susie Seiter the conductor, and marvel at the amount of hard work she does throughout.
In the near 90-minute feature, we’re treated to 19 of Evanescence’s best tracks, all of them with the orchestra providing the instrumentals. Amy Lee shows us just what a talented musician she is, switching from vocals to piano throughout; even though we’re familiar with all the tracks, this feels fresh and original, almost like we’re hearing them for the first time. Tracks like Lithium seem like they were made for an orchestra; whereas with tracks like Bring Me To Life you almost half expect a blaring electric guitar to cut in and disrupt the calmness.
All logic dictates that a performance like this shouldn’t work, we felt the same way when Within Temptation produced Black Symphony, but it does, it engrosses the audience, to the point where you’re not interested in recording it on your phone, you just want to sit there and appreciate what’s in front of you. From the first key of Overture to the last stroke of Swimming Home, we were totally captivated by the performance and if rumours are true, are looking forward to whatever Evanescence produce next.
If we are being completely honest, it’s been long time since we’ve sat down and watched a live performance on DVD – we’re not entirely sure if the DVD player still works! So where would this DVD feel at home? We think it’s perfect for a video streaming site, be it Netflix or Prime, which would instantly open the production to a whole new audience – not just the fans of Evanescence, but anyone with an interest in classical or orchestral music who may not have even heard of the band. Even if you only have a fleeting interest in orchestral music or Evanescence, we strongly encourage you to seek this performance out: it’s dynamic, immersive and most of all different to anything you’ve heard before!
9/10
Standout track: Swimming Home, Lithium
For Fans Of: Within Temptation
Written by: Omar Malick
