The Fallen - The New Evanescence?
The Fallen
Recently, news has arisen regarding the new band The Fallen. The band mates include Carly Smithson, former American Idol contestant, Marty O'Brian and former Evanescence band mates Ben Moody, Rocky Gray and John LeCompt. In a phone interview, Ben recollects Evanescence's slow split where he, Gray and LeCompt all voiced their issues to Lee.
“This thing,” he recalled saying, “is going in a different direction, and we all love the music that we make together.’ And we all contemplated doing it with someone else. But the timing wasn’t right.”
Recently, Ben confronted his fellow band mates about finding a new addition to complete the band. He said, "It feels like everything with our old fans is at a standstill. There’s not new music, there’s no tour. There’s nothing.’ So I reached out, and everyone was just ready to get started.” Ben and his co-workers were stumped when it came to looking for someone to take Amy-Lee's place.
Smithson's post-Idol journey had proven to be difficult for her. Those who offered her recording contracts leaned toward pushing her into the pop world, which she says isn't her at all. She says, “I kept getting told that ‘you don’t have the rock voice, you can’t do rock music.’ But it’s everything I am. It’s everything I listen to. I’m not the regular girl next door.”
Months after the seventh American Idol season, Smithson was considering turning all offers down fearing she wouldn't be able to do it. She said in one interview, “I thought I was making a huge mistake. But I’d rather make a huge mistake than be miserable in something I’d regret for the rest of my days.”
While Smithson argued with herself, Moody and his band mates were growing tired of searching for the final addition to their band. Finally, a colleague forced Moody to watch videos of Smithson performing a song. Moody was taken aback by her powerful voice and Smithson being a friend of Moody's housemate received a call from Ben himself. After meeting and sitting down together discussing their future plans, Moody realized Smithson was the addition the band was looking for.
The Fallen will make their public bow on Monday with a midday set before a small industry crowd at a recording studio in L.A. Simultaneously, they will release their first song for free download on their website, also set to go live that day. Instead of recording an album, the band plans to tour for a year and a half, breaking only once every eight weeks to record two songs at a shot for release online.
Ben says, “It’s got more intensity behind it. Evanescence was pretty intense. I’m telling you, this is bringing more energy than Evanescence could ever muster.”
Is this new band an innocent project formed by a music-hungry Moody? Or is it a pay-back jab at Amy-Lee? Is there a coincidence that the new band will be called The Fallen when Moody left Evanescence after the Fallen album was made? Will Smithson be accused of trying to be Amy-Lee? Only time and progression of The Fallen will tell.
