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The Bitter Truth

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The Bitter Truth
Studio album by
Evanescence
ReleasedMarch 26, 2021 (2021-03-26)
Recorded2020
Studio
  • Rock Falcon Studio, Nashville, Tennessee
  • Blackbird, Nashville, Tennessee
  • Ocean Way, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre
Length47:19
LabelBMG
ProducerNick Raskulinecz
Evanescence chronology
Synthesis Live
(2018) 		The Bitter Truth
(2021)
Singles from The Bitter Truth
  1. "Wasted on You"
    Released: April 24, 2020
  2. "The Game Is Over"
    Released: July 1, 2020
  3. "Use My Voice"
    Released: August 14, 2020
  4. "Better Without You"
    Released: March 5, 2021

The Bitter Truth is the fifth studio album by American rock band Evanescence. It was released on March 26, 2021, through BMG Rights Management and was produced by Nick Raskulinecz.[4] The album is the band's first in more than three years, following 2017's Synthesis, as well as their first full album of new material since their self-titled third album (2011).

Background and recording

Lead vocalist Amy Lee first spoke about a new studio album for the band in July 2018. In an interview with Detroit radio station WRIF, Lee confirmed that the band planned to work on a new album following the end of their tour in support of Synthesis.[5][6]

In an interview with Sirius XM backstage at Epicenter Festival at Rockingham Speedway in May 2019, Lee again confirmed that a new album was in the works.[7] Blabbermouth.net reported that Lee was hoping the album would be ready for release in 2020. "We're just gonna get together and see what happens this month," she said, "and start doing that more regularly until we feel like we're ready to do it."[8]

Lee then provided an update on the album in November 2019, while taking part in a Reddit AMA.[9] Responding to a question pertaining to new music from the band, Lee commented that she was "absolutely living in it" and was "listen[ing] to our new music every day."[10]

I can't wait for you to hear it. It's dark and heavy. Its also got moments of weird and sparse. Little bit of everything. Definitely some of The Open Door vibes but not the same.[10]

The band entered the studio in January 2020 with Nick Raskulinecz,[11] with whom they had previously worked on 2011's Evanescence.[12] Although originally planning to work with several producers across the album,[11] the band's plans changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This then turned Raskulinecz into The Bitter Truth's sole producer. In August, the U.S.-based band members returned into the studio to finish writing and recording after taking COVID tests, and German guitarist Jen Majura had to work remotely.[13] On September 9, the album was nearing completion, with "70% done".[14] Recording was completed in November.[15]

The album was announced in April 2020, and was originally planned for release in late 2020.[16] The pandemic delayed the album's completion, however, and eventually pushed it to a March 2021 release.[17]

Lee talked about the core theme of the album:

A lot of this album is about face the truth, face the bitter truths of our world and of my life and of heart. Whatever the cost of that might be on the inside. So then we can start talking about climbing out. Then we can start talking about getting to a better place. You can't appreciate the beauty of life, you can't fully experience all the good moments in life if you don't also fully experience the challenging ones, the tough ones, the painful ones.[18]

Release and promotion

The Bitter Truth was first announced with the release of its lead single, "Wasted on You", in April 2020.[19] Its second single, "The Game Is Over", followed in July.[20] The band released an additional two singles in August's "Use My Voice"[21] and December's "Yeah Right" (as a promotional one).[22] The former featured guest vocalists from bands such as Veridia, Within Temptation, The Pretty Reckless and Halestorm.[23] The latter, meanwhile, was released to coincide with the announcement of the album's tracklist and release date.[22] The fourth single, "Better Without You", was released on March 5, 2021.[24]

To promote the album in advance, the band performed the first single "Wasted on You" at the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show on February 19, 2021.[25] The band is scheduled to tour Europe in March and April 2022, in a co-headlining tour alongside Within Temptation.[26][27]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[28]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[29]
Consequence of SoundA-[30]
The Daily Telegraph[31]
Gigwise[32]
Hysteria Magazine8/10[33]
Kerrang![34]
Metal Hammer[35]
Metal Injection7/10[36]
Rock Celebrities[37]
Upset Magazine[38]

The album received generally positive reviews from music critics upon the album's release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 78 based on 8 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[28] AllMusic gave the album a positive review, saying, "Altogether, The Bitter Truth carries listeners on a journey both familiar and fresh, recapturing the heavy-yet-melodic hallmarks that made Fallen one of the most successful albums of the 2000s and pushing Evanescence into the future with a graceful maturity and worldly perspective."[29]

Consequence of Sound rated the album A- and said: "The Bitter Truth is reminiscent of the band's older material but also entirely fresh. It does not feel like a band going through the motions. Lee told Heavy Consequence that time away and perspective on the band's career added to the "fire and passionate energy" on The Bitter Truth, and that sentiment is clearly evident throughout the album."[30]

Kerrang! gave the album 4 out of 5 and stated: "Weirdly, the feeling of it all is a mixture of things, most of them positive. There's catharsis and darkness, but they are of the most forward-looking variety, fringed at times with something approaching hopeful joy. In a time where Evanescence's usual emotional touch could easily speak to feelings of isolation, fear, confusion, hopelessness, loss and fragility, The Bitter Truth gets on that frequency and interrupts it. It's not an album that lies and tells you everything is fine, but reminds that, even in the darkest points of life, things do and will get better. And in another 10 years if they haven't, Amy Lee will doubtless have a comforting, ambitious, emotionally articulate way to navigate that as well."[34]

Metal Hammer gave the album a positive review and stated: "They might have made them wait for it, but The Bitter Truth delivers everything Evanescence fans would want and expect from the band's comeback record: an album that’s emotive, stirring and just a touch overwrought, nestled between the bold and the familiar."[35]

Loudwire called it one of the best rock albums of 2021.[39]

Track listing

The Bitter Truth track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Artifact/The Turn"
2:26
2."Broken Pieces Shine"
3:50
3."The Game Is Over"
  • Lee
  • McCord
  • McLawhorn
  • Hunt
4:22
4."Yeah Right"
  • Lee
  • Will B. Hunt
3:29
5."Feeding the Dark"
  • Lee
  • McCord
  • McLawhorn
  • Hunt
  • B. Hunt
4:14
6."Wasted on You"
  • Lee
  • McCord
  • McLawhorn
  • Hunt
  • Majura
4:24
7."Better Without You"
4:05
8."Use My Voice"
4:01
9."Take Cover"
  • Lee
  • McCord
  • McLawhorn
  • Hunt
  • B. Hunt
3:14
10."Far from Heaven"Lee4:57
11."Part of Me"
  • Lee
  • McCord
  • McLawhorn
  • Hunt
  • Majura
3:59
12."Blind Belief"
  • Lee
  • McCord
  • McLawhorn
  • Hunt
4:13
Total length:47:19
Target exclusive and Japanese edition bonus tracks[40][41]
No.TitleLength
13."Cruel Summer" (Bananarama cover; Live from Home)3:23
14."The Chain" (Fleetwood Mac cover; from Gears 5)4:12
Total length:54:55
Japanese deluxe edition bonus DVD[42][43]
No.TitleLength
1."The Making of The Bitter Truth"13:13
2."The Making of Use My Voice"2:45
Total length:15:58
Limited box set disc 2 Live Studio Session[44]
No.TitleLength
1."Wasted on You" (Live studio session)4:24
2."The Game Is Over" (Live studio session)4:23
3."The Only One" (Live studio session)4:32
4."Sick" (Live studio session)3:30
5."Going Under" (Live studio session)3:39
6."Use My Voice" (Live studio session)4:01
7."Bring Me to Life" (Live studio session)3:30
8."Lost in Paradise" (Live studio session)5:05
9."Glory Box" (Portishead cover; Live studio session)3:56
10."Across the Universe" (The Beatles cover)3:42
Total length:40:42
Limited box set cassette The Bitter Truth Evolution
No.TitleLength
1."Wolves" 
2."GIO" 
3."UMV" 
4."Will Can't Catch" 
5."Without a Sound" 
6."Take Cover" 
7."WOY Bells" 
8."Writing" 
9."Smurfs on Fire" 
10."Blind Belief" 
11."Music Box" 
12."Red Stickers" 
13."Avocado Cream" 
14."Yeah Right" 
15."Back to the Future" 
16."BPS #7.1" 
17."On My Own" 
18."Teleportation" 
19."Farther" 
20."The Game Is Over" (Instrumental) 
21."Yeah Right" (Instrumental) 
22."Use My Voice" (Instrumental) 
23."Better Without You" (Instrumental) 
24."Wasted on You" (Instrumental) 
25."Far from Heaven" (Instrumental) 
26."Blind Belief" (Instrumental) 

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal and the liner notes of The Bitter Truth.[45]

Charts

Chart performance for The Bitter Truth
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[46] 3
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[47] 5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[48] 4
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[49] 10
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[50] 14
Croatian Albums (HDU)[51] 28
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[52] 43
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[53] 15
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[54] 18
French Albums (SNEP)[55] 34
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[56] 2
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[57] 38
Italian Albums (FIMI)[58] 20
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[59] 38
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[60] 40
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[61] 15
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[62] 2
Scottish Albums (OCC)[63] 3
Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI)[64] 96
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[65] 16
Swedish Hard Rock Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[66] 6
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[67] 1
UK Albums (OCC)[68] 4
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[69] 1
US Billboard 200[70] 11
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[71] 4
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[72] 2
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[73] 1
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[74] 2
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[75] 1

Release history

Release dates and formats for The Bitter Truth
Region Date Format(s) Edition(s) Label Ref.
Japan March 24, 2021 CD Japanese
[41]
Deluxe [42][43]

References

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