Fallen

Fallen, released on 4 March 2003, is the debut on which Evanescence layered hard guitars, piano, strings and Amy Lee's translucent voice to make darkness and approachability at once. Lee and guitarist Ben Moody had begun writing in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1994; after self-releasing EPs and a demo they signed to Wind-up in January 2001. It was recorded between August and December 2002 across several California studios, produced by Dave Fortman. Even in the heavy songs the melody stays clear, and the quiet passages open the emotional aftertaste wide. “Bring Me to Life” brought in Paul McCoy of 12 Stones, and with “Going Under,” “My Immortal” and “Everybody's Fool” it produced four singles. It entered at No. 3 in the US with 141,000 in week one, stayed 43 weeks in the Top 10, and topped the charts in the UK, Canada and Australia. At the 2004 Grammys it drew five nominations and won Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance. Over 17 million sold worldwide; RIAA diamond in 2022. It is also the only studio album to feature Ben Moody, who left mid-tour that October.