The third track on the album is a "new" song titled "Hi-Lo." I was first made aware of the existence of this song years ago when Lee mentioned the title, saying that it was written for the self-titled album, even though it obviously did not make the final cut. The song is an electronic song featuring strings and piano as support, and the best part of the song is renowned violinist Lindsey Stirling being featured on violin during a dramatic instrumental break near the end of the song. "Hi-Lo" lyrically addresses a former lover or friend with whom she is no longer angry: "Oh, the damage was real, but nothing cut me so deep I could not heal." (Fans have speculated that the song is about ex-member and co-fouder Ben Moody, but this has not been officially substantiated.) The fourth track on Synthesis is a new rendition of "My Heart Is Broken," which was originally featured on the 2011 self-titled album. "My Heart Is Broken" has always been one of my favorite Evanescence songs, especially since it has personally helped me through some very difficult times, so I was pretty excited to hear the Synthesis version. While this is another song that I think sounds better backed by heavy guitar, I still very much appreciate the Synthesis version. The raw emotion is still there, and even though the beautiful piano accompaniment persistent throughout the original version is only featured minimally in this version fairly close to the end, it is played on the harp and is absolutely beautiful. I cried the first time that I heard it because of how beautiful that it sounds on the harp, and it is also beautiful because it is almost a dream realized for Amy Lee. She originally wanted to play the part on the harp on the Evanescence version but opted to play the piano instead because she still wasn't all that proficient on the harp. Although it still is not her playing it on the Synthesis version, it is the woman who taught her to play harp who is playing, and there is still a beauty to that.
"Lacrymosa" serves as the album's third single and is its fifth track, probably deliberately placed as the third song in a row that could easily be interpreted as a song about a failed relationship. ("My Heart Is Broken" was actually written in response to sex trafficking being on the rise, but it can easily be interpreted as being about having lost a loved one in some way in a more universal way.) The song, which was originally featured on the 2006 album The Open Door, was originally an epic metal piece that managed to successfully synthesize hard rock and classical music, as the song features elements of Mozart's Lacrymosa from his Requiem mass. This is yet another song of which I prefer the original version. I find the song to be much more dramatic backed by heavy guitar, and the killer guitar solo that screeches out of control near the end of the original version is noticeably absent. The Lacrymosa chorus of Mozart's is also much more prominent and easily heard on the original version. It is difficult to see the re-recordings of separate bodies of work independent of their original versions, and this is one that seems to be drastically lacking something. With that being said, near the end of the Synthesis version, Lee operatically sings in a hauntingly high register that sends chills down my spine, so this version of the song, a song which speaks of finding strength and independence at the end of a failed relationship, does have an evident strength. Following "Lacrymosa" is the new version of "The End of the Dream," a song that I might just prefer on Synthesis to the original version, which was found on the 2011 self-titled album. This new version is darker and sounds very eerie with its low electronic droning. The piano part in the original version is brought to the foreground and played on what sounds like a xylophone, and it's stunningly beautiful. My favorite part of this version is near the end when the chorus is broken by thumping strings and what sounds like a little bit of electric guitar.
The seventh track on Synthesis is the first single released from the album, the new version of the band's first ever single, "Bring Me to Life" (which I reviewed here). We then move into a new instrumental interlude titled "Unraveling," a beautiful blend of piano and strings. I saw one fan say that they could hear elements of "Call Me When You're Sober" in this piece, but I honestly don't hear that; I do, however, definitely hear elements of "Bring Me to Life," which is why I find it interesting that this piece was originally meant to open the album, with the following track "Imaginary" being the first song heard. It, to me, makes sense to have this piece either before or after "Bring Me to Life" because of its obvious melodic allusions to it. The next two tracks on Synthesis are two revamped versions of older songs, revamped versions which I love. "Imaginary," originally from the 2003 major label debut album Fallen, reminds me a bit of demo versions that were recorded prior to Fallen. This new version is very electronic driven and very upbeat, and the coolest part of the song is, perhaps, when the instrumental break from the Fallen version, then played on electric guitar, is now played by horns. I felt absolutely floored when I first heard that part. "Secret Door," a lulling and beautiful song about the escapism that dreams can sometimes offer, was originally on the deluxe version of the band's 2011 self-titled album and then re-released on last year's Lost Whispers compilation of b-sides. "Secret Door" is probably the only song that has had something added to it on Synthesis rather than being stripped down. On Evanescence, the song featured only piano, strings, harp (the first ever Evanescence song to feature harp after Amy learned how to play), and a very light beat; on Synthesis, however, a stronger and much more prominent beat has been added, breathing new life into a beautiful song that has always been one of my favorite Evanescence songs.
"Lithium" is another song that has always been one of my favorite Evanescence songs of all time. The melody is gorgeous, and the raw emotion in the lyrics is evident, such as when Lee sings "Come to bed; don't make me sleep alone" and "Just didn't drink enough to say you love me." Featured originally on the 2006 album The Open Door, Lee seemed to be baring her soul much more transparently than she did on Fallen, as this was one of several songs on the album written about her ex-boyfriend Shaun Morgan, the frontman of Seether. I have always vehemently related to this song on a personal level, as the song is basically stating that she would rather feel melancholy than feel nothing at all. (As a side-note, the song's music video is more than likely my favorite music video of all time.) Heavy guitar has been removed from the Synthesis version, and harp has been added as well as what is probably a xylophone, as heard in "End of the Dream." As is the case with several other songs on the album such as "Bring Me to Life," Lee's vocals are a lot more raw and live-sounding than they are on the original version of the song. We then hear "Lost in Paradise" and "Your Star," which flow together with no gap. "Lost in Paradise" was originally featured on the self-titled album and was one of the softer songs on the album. The chiming probably played on a xylophone (although I could definitely be wrong about that) are heard once again, but as is the case with most of the new versions on Synthesis, it is stripped down and is even softer than the Evanescence version. The original version brings in electric guitar and a more prominent orchestra after the chorus is heard the first time, but that break on Synthesis brings in a much more intense orchestra than heard before in the song but no electric guitar. The Synthesis version is definitely beautiful and raw, but this is another song that I think sounds better as a rock song.
As previously mentioned, "Lost in Paradise" transitions smoothly with no gap into "Your Star," originally featured on The Open Door. Layered with piano, electric guitar, strings, and choir, it is a breathtaking song and definitely in my top five favorites. The Synthesis version is, of course, stripped back, relying more on synth than on guitar. The chillingly beautiful piano break heard about halfway through the original version is still present, but the choir that eventually joins it is much more subdued and nowhere near as prominent. I was so happy when I found out that "Your Star" was on the tracklisting, but it unfortunately is lacking something on here and is weakened. The fourteenth track might be the only track on Synthesis that feels unnecessary. Fans have heard multiple versions of the band's smash hit single "My Immortal." It was first recorded in a very raw and underdeveloped stage in 1998. (I love the lyrics that are in that version and later unfortunately removed.) It was then re-recorded and further developed for Origin and was then placed on Fallen only slightly changed. The song was then released as a single from Fallen, and the single version was a different recording with heavy guitar added near the end. "My Immortal" went on to become the band's best known single, being partially responsible for Fallen being certified 7x platinum in the United States. It is almost always included in setlists when the band goes on tour and was, of course, included on their live album Anywhere but Home. Including it on Synthesis consequently felt like beating a dead horse (if you'll pardon the crudity). Lee has even said that she has grown to hate the song, especially since the lyrics were written by Ben Moody, so I am thinking that she felt obligated to include it because of how popular that it is. It wouldn't be so bad if the Synthesis version were drastically different from what we have heard before, but it's really not. It's driven by strings and piano, just like we have almost always heard in the past. As I said, it feels unnecessary.
Synthesis ends with a new piano solo titled "The In-Between" which transitions into the album's second single, the new song "Imperfection" (which I reviewed here). "The In-Between" is, as just mentioned, a piano solo which features the piano melody from "Hello" drastically slowed down, so Lee playing the piano is the only sound that is heard up until the end when strings begin to transition into "Imperfection." The piece sounds very classical in nature and picks up in in intensity as it progresses. I find myself wondering if the title of the piece is intended to be a reference to a place between life and death, since the intended audience of "Imperfection" (which is, without a doubt, one of the most intense songs on the album) is those who suffer from mental illness and suicidal thoughts. I am overall pretty pleased with Synthesis, although there are definitely some things that I would have done differently. "Whisper," one of Evanescence's heaviest and most intense songs to date, seems to be sacrilegiously missing, and "My Immortal," as previously mentioned, seems to be wholly unnecessary. I also wish that another Evanescence song in my top five favorites, "Disappear," were on Synthesis because it features a beautiful piano part that I would love to hear more isolated. I have always felt like that song would sound great stripped back. I finally find myself wishing that the album went farther back in the Evanescence catalogue than just Fallen and had included some revamped songs from Origin. They re-recorded the Origin song "Even in Death" for the Lost Whispers compilation, so it doesn't seem like too ridiculous of a thought to me. It would have been a real treat to hear songs like "Where Will You Go?" or "Away from Me" on Synthesis, but at least we finally got a new Evanescence album after six years; beggars can't be choosers, I suppose. The rumor is that yet another Evanescence album featuring strictly new songs, apparently in the same vein as that of "Hi-Lo" and "Imperfection," is in the works and should be dropped next year (as in 2018). Here is to hoping for that!
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