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''The Open Door'' is the second studio album by American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band
Evanescence Evanescence is an American Rock music, rock band founded in 1994 by singer and keyboardist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody in Little Rock, Arkansas. After releasing independent extended play, EPs and a Origin (Evanescence demo album), demo ...
, released on September 25, 2006, by
Wind-up Records Wind-up Records, LLC (legally known as Wind-up Entertainment Inc. until 2004) was an American record label founded by Alan and Diana Meltzer in 1997. It was based in New York City and was distributed by BMG Distribution. Wind-up's best-selling ...
.
Amy Lee Amy Lynn Lee (born December 13, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is the co-founder, lead vocalist, lead songwriter, and keyboardist of the rock band Evanescence. A classically trained pianist, Lee began writing music at ...
had full creative control of the record, incorporating new elements into their previous musical styles, including her classical influences, homemade sounds,
industrial rock Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten and Chrom ...
,
symphonic metal Symphonic metal is a cross-genre style designation for the symphonic subsets of heavy metal music subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guitars ...
,
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
,
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
and the use of choirs on several songs. The album was written in the course of 18 months, and the recording process was delayed as a result of guitarist
Terry Balsamo Terry Philip Balsamo II (born October 8, 1972) is an American musician who is best known as the former guitarist of the rock bands Cold and Evanescence. Biography Early projects and Cold After a brief run with the early lineup of Limp Bi ...
's
stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
. Most of the songs were co-composed by Lee and Balsamo, with production handled by
Dave Fortman Dave Fortman (born July 11, 1967) is an American record producer and musician. He is the guitarist for rock band Ugly Kid Joe, and has done production work for bands such as Godsmack, Superjoint Ritual, Snot (band), Snot, Watership Down (band), ...
. ''The Open Door'' received generally positive reviews from music critics. The song "
Sweet Sacrifice "Sweet Sacrifice" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their second studio album, '' The Open Door''. It was released on May 25, 2007, as the album's third single. The song was written by Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo, and produced by D ...
" received a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
nomination for
Best Hard Rock Performance The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards from 1990 to 2011. The academy recognized hard rock music artists for the first time at the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989. The category ...
, and the album won Album of the Year at the
MTV Australia Video Music Awards The MTV Australia Awards (previously known as the MTV Australia Video Music Awards or AVMA's) started in 2005 and were Australia's first awards show to celebrate both local and international acts. The last edition took place in 2009. History Th ...
. ''The Open Door'' debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling more than 447,000 copies in its first week. It topped the charts in Australia, Europe, Germany, Greece and Switzerland, and reached the top five in over 15 countries. The album was certified platinum by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
just over a month after its release, and has since been certified double platinum. As of 2011, it has sold more than six million copies worldwide. " Call Me When You're Sober" was released digitally as the album's lead single on September 4, 2006. The song peaked at number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and charted in the top 10 of multiple countries internationally. "
Lithium Lithium (from , , ) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard temperature and pressure, standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the ...
" was released as the second single on December 4, 2006, and "Sweet Sacrifice" was released as the third international single from the album on May 25, 2007. " Good Enough" was released in Germany as the final single on December 14, 2007. ''The Open Door'' was supported by a worldwide tour that ran from October 2006 to December 2007.


Background

Lee stated that Evanescence would begin writing material for the second album in March 2004, after finishing the tour for '' Fallen'' (2003). She said that it was "impossible to write on tour and riting isthe one thing I love more than anything else about my job", adding that "everybody's just ready to stop touring and go back to the studio". The album progressed slowly because of Lee's desire to maximize the creative process and not rush production, as well as
Terry Balsamo Terry Philip Balsamo II (born October 8, 1972) is an American musician who is best known as the former guitarist of the rock bands Cold and Evanescence. Biography Early projects and Cold After a brief run with the early lineup of Limp Bi ...
's stroke. In reference to the album's title, Lee said: "I feel like I have the ability to do a lot of things I couldn't do before, for a number of reasons ... A lot of doors have kind of been opened in my life—not just since everything has happened for us." The album cover, which was designed by Lee, was posted on Evanescence's official website on August 4, 2006.


Writing and recording

''The Open Door'' was written in 18 months. Lee composed nine songs with guitarist Terry Balsamo, "All That I'm Living For" with guitarist John LeCompt, and was the sole composer of "Like You", "
Lithium Lithium (from , , ) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard temperature and pressure, standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the ...
" and " Good Enough". She confessed that with former guitarist Ben Moody's departure, she was not restrained in the writing process, and Balsamo was open minded, supported her work, they collaborated, and he encouraged her to do something she would not have done with Moody. "I was really looking forward to being able to trust", she said of writing the album. "The studio was like a free place where we could just be musicians and see what came out". Lee was "finally creating in the same room with someone" when working with Balsamo, as previously she and Moody wrote separately as they "could never really sit in the same room and create" and had major creative differences. After his exit, she felt she reclaimed a creative freedom, and found it "liberating not to have someone standing over me constantly shooting my ideas down". Deeming writing a vulnerable process, Lee could only write music by herself in the past, and this album was the first time she wrote music together with another person. She called her musical partnership with Balsamo healthy and productive. It was a "completely different" writing environment with him; there was "no pressure of wanting to rule the world" and they were "having fun with it for a change". Lee regarded the writing process the best she had experienced as she had free rein and "could do whatever I wanted without being judged or being told it's stupid." Lee went through a spectrum of emotions throughout her experiences in the lead up to and development of ''The Open Door''. She said that the making of the album was "really intense" and she came out "feeling purified". She and Balsamo began working together at her rented home in California. After experiencing
cabin fever Cabin fever is the distressing irritability or restlessness experienced when a person, or group, is stuck at an isolated location or in confined quarters for an extended time. A person may be referred to as stir-crazy, derived from the use of ''s ...
, they rented a place in Florida, where they finished the album. Lee wrote her musical parts and Balsamo made "beautiful guitar weavings around what I was doing". The two would also "sit in a room and jam". They approached the songs in various way; aside from
programming Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program m ...
and keyboard melodies, some songs would begin with a bassline, guitar line, or vocal melody. Lee engineered demos for the songs and she and Balsamo worked with
Pro Tools Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed and released by Avid Technology (formerly Digidesign) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is used for music creation and production, sound for picture (sound design, audio post-productio ...
to be in control of what went on the album. As she had full control of the process this time around, she could do a lot more things than before "as a singer, as a music writer, even as an engineer". Lee said the songs she was working on for the album "still sound like the Evanescence everybody knows, but at the same time it's going in a new direction, and I love that direction." ''The Open Door'' was recorded from September 2005 to March 2006 at
Record Plant Studios The Record Plant was a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and last operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it produced highly influential albums, including the New York ...
in Los Angeles, California. In October 2005, as the album was being recorded and he was in the studio, Balsamo suffered a
stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
from a torn neck artery, and the left side of his body was paralyzed. Lee recalled the "horrifying" experience as it took over 12 hours for him to be able to receive an
MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and rad ...
, "meanwhile, the first 12 hours after a stroke, long-term effects are happening". She called his recovery a "huge miracle" after doctors did not think he would ever be able to play guitar again. Balsamo began physical therapy and the process of re-training his hand to play, stating that he was determined to overcome the paralysis. Lee considered his stroke to have been "the most difficult part" of the album process. Everything that occurred during the making of the record became inspiration and fuel for it, and made it "a really special" record. The record was produced and mixed by
Dave Fortman Dave Fortman (born July 11, 1967) is an American record producer and musician. He is the guitarist for rock band Ugly Kid Joe, and has done production work for bands such as Godsmack, Superjoint Ritual, Snot (band), Snot, Watership Down (band), ...
at
Ocean Way Studios Ocean Way Recording was a series of recording studios established by recording engineer and producer Allen Sides with locations in Los Angeles, Nashville, and Saint Barthélemy. Ocean Way Recording no longer operates recording facilities, but O ...
. Jeremy Parker handled the
audio engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduc ...
ing, Mike Houge and Wesley Seidman served as additional engineers, and
Ted Jensen Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' '' Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''. Early life ...
mastered Mastering is a form of audio post production which is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device called a master recording, the source from which all copies will be ...
the record at Sterling Sound, New York. The choral arrangements were made by Lee and recorded at
Capitol Studios Capitol Studios is a recording studio located at the landmark Capitol Records Building in Hollywood, California, United States. The studios, which opened in 1956, were initially the primary recording studios for the American record label Capi ...
in California, with the choir and strings recorded in an old chapel near Seattle, Washington.
DJ Lethal Leor Dimant (, , ; born December 18, 1972), better known as DJ Lethal, is a Latvian-American turntablist and producer and is best known as a member of the groups House of Pain and Limp Bizkit. Early life Leor Dimant was born to a Latvian- ...
programmed on every song on the album with Lee doing additional programming. John LeCompt is credited with additional programming on "Call Me When You're Sober" and "All That I'm Living For", which was programmed by
Bon Harris Bon Harris (born Vaughan David Harris; 12 August 1965 in Chelmsford, Essex, England) is an English composer, producer, singer and songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is a founding member of the British EBM group Nitzer Ebb, programming Ni ...
. David Campbell completed the orchestral arrangements, which were performed by Seattlemusic.


Music and lyrics

In an interview with ''Rolling Stone'', Lee said the album was "a complete spectrum of darkness and scary stuff and emotion". She told ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'':
"So much has changed in my life - I was going through so many things in the making of the record, and before the making of the record. ... I just wanted to create and do something different and branch out. At the heart of it I know it's still Evanescence and it's still me, but structurally it's a lot more fun. We went a lot of different ways with it instead of constantly sticking to the same structure and the same pop formula. I think it's more mature and more brave all around; it's like the instruments actually go together, the piano and guitar and vocals, since they're written together - they intertwine. It's definitely even more personal. At least for me, because I was there, it sounds more fun because I was having so much more fun."
Lee said that she pushed her own limits, doing things she didn't have the courage to do in ''Fallen''. She also said her goal was to make a record that she loved even more than ''Fallen'', rather than to copy the formula which made the previous record successful. Lee incorporated her classical influences and new elements in the music, including home-made sounds. When asked whether ''The Open Door'' was thematically different from ''Fallen'', Lee said that Evanescence and music in general is her venue to "purge all of the negative and hard, difficult experiences" throughout her life, and while that is front and center in this album, it comes from a less hopeless attitude and with a more reflective outlook. Rather than "wallowing" in "the hard stuff", the record is characterized by her newfound resolution and is thematically in search of answers and happiness. "I had so much I needed to get off my chest," Lee explained. "It's very literal and specific." She said she was "sick of hiding behind metaphors" in everything she had written before. The lyrics on the album are a lot more confessional than she had written previously, and she chose to not censor herself as she felt she "really needed to get out of the whole space of negativity". "I could just have shut up and stayed stuck in a lot of negative situations and not done anything, and on the outside it would have looked like everything was fine for me", she stated. "I had to actually purge something out of myself and write a whole lot of music. This album is very special to me because I do open myself up a lot more." Part of her inspiration for the album was her experience as a lone female and her "hard adjustment" with the fame the ''Fallen'' era brought, as well as her perceiving a "cartoon version of yourself, the album cover version, the interview version. How can you feel like everyone knows me, but nobody knows me"? The album consists of
gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie an ...
songs with brooding lyrics, Lee's "searing fallen angel" vocals, and "epic melodies", accompanied by pianos, strings and choirs, while "there's no shortage of soaring, dynamic rockers", Richard Harrington of ''The Washington Post'' wrote. Aly Comingore of the ''
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'' said it is "rich in instrumentation", swelling with "organs, elaborate string arrangements, and lush
choral A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
vocals", and driven by Lee's "intense lyrics and classically trained piano skills." ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'' wrote that Lee's "emotional convalescence" gave way to "
symphonic metal Symphonic metal is a cross-genre style designation for the symphonic subsets of heavy metal music subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guitars ...
tunes and dark-hearted lyrics" that "are gloomier than ever".
Ann Powers Ann K. Powers (born February 4, 1964) is an American writer and popular music critic. She is a music critic for NPR and a contributor at the ''Los Angeles Times'', where she was previously chief pop critic. She has also written for other publicat ...
of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' described the record as a "whorl of personal confession, high theater and head-banging rock" with "youthfully earnest and sometimes obvious" lyrics. Jon Dolan of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' felt the music possessed the "same crush of chunka-chunka riffs, moody electronic churn, and
Valhalla In Norse mythology, Valhalla ( , ; , )Orchard (1997:171–172) is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. There were five possible realms the soul could travel to after death. The first was Fólkvang ...
-bound metal slam" of ''Fallen'', alongside Lee's "strikingly
operatic Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
singing".
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said the album "loses the punchy power rifts" of ''Fallen'' "and instead persuades the listener with piano and airy vocals". ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
''s Sarah Rodman summarized it as a "mix of Lee's ethereal soprano, piano interludes, and layers of serrated guitar crunch". Lee channels her frustrations "utilizing a few curious faith-based metaphors in the process", according to ''
Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "eva ...
''s Andree Farias, and "industrial backbeats" defer to "thick metal riffs,
orchestrated Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orch ...
grandeur, and ghoulish choral elements, all complemented by Lee's operatic soprano". Jordan Reimer of ''
The Daily Princetonian ''The Daily Princetonian'', originally known as ''The Princetonian'' and nicknamed the Prince, is the independent daily student newspaper of Princeton University. The newspaper is owned by The Daily Princetonian Publishing Co. and boasts a cir ...
'' said "haunting orchestral arrangements and
programming Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program m ...
" infuse the album, which is thematically defined by "tumultuous relationships and loneliness", while Lee's attitude sounds "more aggressive and less vulnerable than before" and her vocal melodies range from "sublimely minimalist to roaringly operatic." ''
The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
'' characterized it as a "heavy sounding" record, "still unmistakably Goth but with strings and choirs attached." Ed Thompson of ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' described the songs as "less radio-friendly" than those on ''Fallen'' and "all the more complete for their lack of bending to fit the hit song." ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' said the album is full of "blistering attacks on those who have betrayed" Lee, comprising a "successful set of melodramatic goth/ industrial anthems with touches of prog and even classical". ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'' described the mood of ''The Open Door'' as "elegant heaviness". The guitars are "far heavier than before" with some riffs of "melodic darkness", and the album also contains "much more prominent classical influence at work" with strings and choirs accentuated, alongside Evanescence's "trademark goth-edged metal", "trademark dark pop-driven hooks", and new Bjork-inspired
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
that "creates a subtle mood". Album opener "
Sweet Sacrifice "Sweet Sacrifice" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their second studio album, '' The Open Door''. It was released on May 25, 2007, as the album's third single. The song was written by Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo, and produced by D ...
" contains "rumbling guitars", a string section, and a "layer of programming" alongside Lee's "trademark haunting vocals and dark lyrics", according to IGN. The main theme of the song is recovery from an
abusive relationship Relational aggression, alternative aggression, or relational bullying is a type of aggression in which harm is caused by damaging someone's relationships or social status.McGrath, Mary Zabolio (2006). ''School Bullying: Tools for Avoiding Harm an ...
that was the source of Lee's writing on ''Fallen'', coming from a "much stronger standpoint" on this album. Lee said the song is also "almost sarcastic" to herself as she "needs to stop being that sweet sacrifice". ''Entertainment Weekly'' described it as a "bruising breakup lament that turns into an anthem of freedom". " Call Me When You're Sober" is a rock song that starts as a
piano ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Ballad ...
and mixes elements of several genres including
symphonic rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed "progressive pop", the ...
,
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
,
electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
,
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
, R&B, and
nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...
. Lee said the song is about "dealing with someone with an addiction, which is really hard, especially when you love someone", later confirming it was inspired by the end of her relationship with singer
Shaun Morgan Shaun Morgan Welgemoed (, born 21 December 1978) is a South African musician. He is the lead singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Seether. Early life Morgan spent most of his early life in South Africa.Bottomley, CSeeth ...
of rock band
Seether Seether are a South African Rock music, rock band founded in 1999 in Pretoria, Gauteng. The band originally performed under the name Saron Gas until 2002, when they moved to the United States and changed it to Seether to avoid confusion with ...
. She also said that it is about "more than the most obvious thing", deeming it "empowering" for herself as it represents "leaving a whole world behind that was really hurting me", and "getting to the place with yourself where you're finally willing to stand up for yourself. Put your foot down when you know you need to." Dubbed a "chick anthem" by Lee based on the reception she received from female fans, the song is "a literal snapshot of one's frustration of dealing with the addiction of someone they love", ''The Washington Post'' wrote. "Weight of the World" is a "relentless rocker with
Eastern Eastern or Easterns may refer to: Transportation Airlines *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 192 ...
motifs and distorted vocals". Lee's inspiration for the song was the pressures of fame, including the pressure she felt from fans "who feel I can solve their problems". She said she wants "to be there for people and tell them what I think" but she is "not a therapist" and doesn't "have all the answers", noting that she understands that sometimes "the only thing that seems to really help is that someone else who has felt that low expressing those feelings to you". In the song, Lee used a
music box A music box (American English) or musical box (British English) is an automatic musical instrument in a box that produces Musical note, musical notes by using a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder (geometry), cylinder or disc to pluck ...
and toy piano that she had kept since childhood. In "Lithium", Lee sings about "the choice between the comfort of sorrow and the possibility of happiness". It represents her habit of letting sorrow "be an excuse to make music", a "cycle" she admits she does not want to be stuck in. Lee originally wrote its chorus on guitar when she was 16 years old, but later changed it to piano when she wrote the verses. ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'' described the song as "sweeping, churning", with its "refrain of 'I want to stay in love with my sorrow / Oh God but I want to let it go'" getting "to the heart of Lee's life story so far." ''Entertainment Weekly'' described it as a "tortured
Queensrÿche Queensrÿche () is an American progressive metal band. It formed in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington, out of the local band the Mob. The band has released 16 studio albums, one Extended play, EP, and several DVDs, and continues to tour and record ...
-style pain strummer". Sam Law of ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'' said "Lithium" showcases Lee's "classical powerhouse, built around a tinkling piano" and her "wide-ranging vocals", with "crashes of metallic instrumentation". "The Last Song I'm Wasting on You", the
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
track on the "Lithium" single, was written by Lee during the ''Fallen'' tour. She recorded it at the time in a bathroom on an
analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...
device. When asked if the song was about Moody, Lee said, "If I answer that, then I'm not hiding anything anymore. But I just sort of answered it, didn't I?" She later deemed it "one of those personal, hard moments, when beauty is born out of pain". "Cloud Nine" was inspired by a break-up. Lee said she was "struggling with a relationship and felt like a waste of space." The song uses strings, studio effects, dirty bass, electronic drums, and Lee's "layered moaning". ''The Boston Globe'' said it features "woozy, horror-movie keys". The first song Lee wrote for ''The Open Door'', "Snow White Queen" was inspired by Lee's experiences with stalkers. Lee said that her privacy had been "completely invaded" to the point she could not stay in her house. She wrote the song from the perspective of a stalker and herself. Lee sent Balsamo loops, drum beats, melodies and keyboard parts to which Balsamo wrote guitar. The ''Los Angeles Times'' described it as a "harrowing account of a stalker and his victim", ''Entertainment Weekly'' called it a "crazy" song that "gets inside the mind of a male predator", and ''Rolling Stone'' deemed it "seriously disturbed." Musically, it is a rock song with industrial beats in its composition. Incorporating the ''
Lacrimosa The ''Lacrimosa'' (Latin for " weeping/tearful"), is part of the Dies Irae sequence in the Catholic Requiem Mass. Its text comes from the Latin 18th and 19th stanzas of the sequence. Many composers, including Mozart, Berlioz, and Verdi have set ...
'' sequence of Mozart's Requiem (1791), Lee's favorite piece of music, " Lacrymosa" contains electronic backing beats, symphonic string section, heavy guitar and a haunting choir. ''Kerrang!'' said the classical parts and heavy guitars in the song "entwine perfectly to create a stunning
Wagnerian Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most ...
wall of choir-led dark majesty". The vocals make a contrasting representation of light and dark, according to IGN. Lee gave Lacrimosa a "dramatic
prog-rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed "progressive pop", the ...
makeover", ''The Washington Post'' wrote. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' described it as "grandiose ... an audacious, exhilarating blast". The song features a 22-piece orchestra arranged by David Campbell and background vocals performed by The Millennium Choir. The "spare and sombre" "Like You" is about the death of Lee's younger sister, following "Hello" on ''Fallen''. Regarding this theme, Lee said, "I can't help but be affected by that, and if it's my place to express myself and all the things that have been most deep and the most painful and have just touched me, I feel like it does honor her". Composed solely by Lee, and one of the most intimate songs on the album, "Like You", contains lyrics which yearn for death so Lee can be with her sister. ''Rolling Stone'' described it as a "teen-death trip" and among the "creepiest" songs on the album, while ''The Boston Globe'' called it "plaintive" and spooky. "Lose Control" uses "half-step two chords", Lee said, musically influenced by Portishead. Lee wrote the song about wanting to be less apprehensive and let loose, and a desire to let things go sometimes and not always bear the responsibility. According to ''Kerrang!'', the track features "distorted, sleazy vocals", "thick groovy riffs" and "orchestral flourishes". "Almost sacrilegious", ''Entertainment Weekly'' wrote, it "finds childlike release in sin". "The Only One" lyrically depicts Lee's past experiences with close-mindedness and people around her who "seemed lost in a world" in which she felt she did not belong. In the song, Lee "decries human guidance" with the chorus lines, "All our lives / We've been waiting / For someone to call our leader / All your lies / I'm not believing / Heaven shine a light down on me", according to ''Christianity Today''. Nick Catucci of ''
New York magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...
'' described the song as an "almost sultry, industrial-inflected entreaty to an absent God, animating the mighty struggle with faith that the religious and lapsed all share." "Your Star" was motivated by Lee's loneliness during the band's tour in support of ''Fallen''. She was inspired to write the song in
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
, where she was jet-lagged and depressed, and could not see stars when she looked at the night sky. Other musical inspiration came from the works of
Pantera Pantera () is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, an ...
. "All That I'm Living For" describes Lee's night-time writing process, showcased in the opening line, "I can feel the night beginning / Separate me from the living". The song contains a "salvo of guitars" that contrast with Lee's "delicate delivery", alongside
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
elements. Background vocals on the song were performed by The Millennium Choir. Album closer "Good Enough" was solely composed by Lee and placed at the end of the album by her to symbolize its theme and a new beginning for herself. Featuring a string section, the song is entirely a piano composition, with "gentle vocals", ending the album on a hopeful note. Lee called it a "completely different" kind of song from her as it "sort of has a happy ending". It represents her mindset after completing the album: "I had gone through a lot of difficult things during the writing of the whole album, and by the end of it, I had stepped away from those bad situations ... For the first time I felt like I could write a song based on how good I felt." "Good Enough" is the last song Lee wrote for ''The Open Door''. ''Entertainment Weekly'' described it as a "deceptively soft" song that "flirts again with the dark side" and "strikes a final note of cathartic badness." A "haunting ballad", ''The Washington Post'' wrote, "Good Enough" is a "different creature" among the other songs on the record. ''The Boston Globe'' called it a "moment of romantic peace" on the album, featuring an "incongruously downtrodden groove" alongside Lee's "most luxurious vocal to date". Although Lee's voice gives the song "a funereal cast", IGN said, it is lyrically optimistic and "the most unique song Lee has ever released".


Release and promotion

''The Open Door'' was first released in Poland on September 25, 2006, then Japan on September 27, Ireland and Germany on September 29, Australia on September 30, and North America on October 3. The digital version of the album was made available for pre-order on August 15, 2006, on
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
. If purchased before October 3, 2006, the pre-order included an interview with Lee and a bonus track titled "The Last Song I'm Wasting on You", which later appeared as a
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
track on the "Lithium" single. On July 17, 2006, a clip of "Lacrymosa" was used in a video teaser for ''The Open Door''. " Call Me When You're Sober", the album's lead single, had a limited radio release on July 31, 2006, which preceded a wider release the following week. As the track leaked onto the Internet two days before its scheduled release to radio airplay, Wind-up allowed radio stations to play the song ahead of schedule. Subsequently, the recording was made available for digital download on September 4, 2006, and a physical release as a single followed on September 25. For the week ending September 9, 2006, the song peaked at number 10 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number three on the
New Zealand Singles Chart The Official Aotearoa Music Charts, formerly the Official New Zealand Music Chart (), is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The M ...
, number five on the
Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...
, and at number four on the UK Singles Chart. It also charted within the top 20 of many other international charts. The song was certified
Platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
in 2009, and Gold by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA). The second single, "
Lithium Lithium (from , , ) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard temperature and pressure, standard conditions, it is the least dense metal and the ...
", was released on December 4, 2006, in the UK. It peaked at number 26 on the Australian Singles Chart, number 32 on the UK Singles Chart and at number 16 on the New Zealand Singles Chart. The album's third single was originally planned to be "All That I'm Living For", but after considering the wishes of Evanescence and its fans, the label released "
Sweet Sacrifice "Sweet Sacrifice" is a song by American rock band Evanescence from their second studio album, '' The Open Door''. It was released on May 25, 2007, as the album's third single. The song was written by Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo, and produced by D ...
" instead. The song was first released in Germany on May 25, 2007. It charted in Germany, Turkey, and on ''Billboard''s
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the " active rock" and " heritage rock" ...
. " Good Enough" was released as the fourth single exclusively in Germany on December 14, 2007. "Weight of the World" was released as a
promotional single A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...
in October 2007 exclusively in Colombia. In 2009, it was released for download on the video game ''
Rock Band 3 ''Rock Band 3'' is a 2010 rhythm game developed by Harmonix. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, on October 26, 2010. Mad Catz took over both roles and re-released the title on Novembe ...
'', along with "Call Me When You're Sober" and "Bring Me to Life". The track "Together Again" was one of the songs Lee said she had originally written for the film '' The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'', which was rejected, and the song was later recorded for ''The Open Door'' as a B-side. It was made available as a free digital download on January 22, 2010, to benefit the
United Nations Foundation The United Nations Foundation is a charitable organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., that supports the United Nations and its activities. It was established in 1998 with a $1billion gift to the United Nations by philanthropist Ted Turn ...
for their recovery efforts following the
Haiti earthquake Some of the earthquakes in Haiti have been very destructive to the country. The widespread damage and high-number of casualties of events in 2010 and 2021 can be partially blamed on the fact that most of the population in Haiti resides in structur ...
. Lee stated: "I am deeply moved by the tragic loss and devastation in Haiti. We hope to be able to make a positive contribution to the UN's emergency response by teaming with the UN Foundation through our music." On February 23, 2010, "Together Again" was released as a digital download by online retailers."Together Again" – digital single on various online retailers: * * It peaked at number 86 on the
Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...
.


Tour

Extra time was given for Balsamo to recover more from his stroke before touring began. Lee said that "there was so much pressure", but she did not want to hire another guitar player; it was important for her to have Balsamo on tour and she was confident he was going to get better. "So much of his heart went into this record, and I don't think it would be right to go without him", she added. "We hadn't played together since the stroke, and a few weeks ago efore October 2006we had our first rehearsal and it was an amazing feeling." Lee said Balsamo was still recovering but he and guitarist John LeCompt "worked it out as to who's going to play what and what's going to be the best for alsamo" In October 2006, Balsamo stated that he was only about 60 percent recovered and still had paralysis in his left arm. A month after touring began, Balsamo said that he still had paralysis in his left arm and hand. "I'm like at enough where I can get by on tour. Basically this tour is like therapy right now for me. I'm hoping it will get better." The "knowledge" of guitar playing was still there, he noted, and "my mind would tell my hand what it should do, but it wouldn't do it"; the process was about retraining his hand "to do what it's supposed to do." The first leg of The Open Door Tour began on October 5, 2006, in
Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Canada, and finished on December 15, 2006, in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. After touring North America during October, Evanescence traveled to Europe during November before returning to the United States to play at large arenas. The leg of the tour continued on January 5, 2007, and consisted of appearances in Canada, Japan and Australia. When performing in the United States, Canada and Australia, Evanescence was supported by Revelation Theory,
Stone Sour Stone Sour was an American rock band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1992. The band performed for five years before disbanding in 1997. They reunited in 2000; since 2015, the group has consisted of Corey Taylor (lead vocals, guitar), Josh Rand ...
and The Black Maria, and
Shihad Shihad were a Rock music, rock band formed in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1988. The band consisted of founders Tom Larkin (musician), Tom Larkin (drums, backing vocals, samplers), Phil Knight (lead guitar, synthesiser, backing vocals) and Jon To ...
, respectively. The tour's second leg commenced on March 16, 2007, in
Fresno, California Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...
, and continued in North America, South America, South Africa, and back to North America, and finished in Europe. The United States gigs included support from Chevelle and
Finger Eleven Finger Eleven is a Canadian Rock music, rock band from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 1990. They have released seven studio albums (six as Finger Eleven and one as Rainbow Butt Monkeys), with their album ''The Greyest of Blue Skies'' bringing th ...
. In
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
, Evanescence played at a rock festival with
Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
,
Velvet Revolver Velvet Revolver was an American hard rock supergroup consisting of Guns N' Roses members Slash (lead guitar), Duff McKagan (bass, backing vocals) and Matt Sorum (drums, backing vocals), alongside Dave Kushner (rhythm guitar) formerly of pu ...
and Ratones Paranóicos. Between the European gigs, the band took part in the Family Values Tour 2007 alongside
Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, originally formed in 1993 by James Shaffer, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria, who were members of the band ...
. After Family Values, the band continued touring through
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and the U.S. The final leg of the tour began on October 23, 2007, in
Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida and is located southwest of Greater Downtown Miami, Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...
; the band was supported by
Sick Puppies Sick Puppies are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1997. After releasing their debut album '' Welcome to the Real World'' in 2001, the band rose to prominence in 2006 when their song " All the Same" was uploaded, along with a video, t ...
and
Julien-K Julien-K is an American electronic rock band based in Long Beach, California, that began as a side project for electronic music created by Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck from Orgy, alongside Anthony 'Fu' Valcic. The band's name comes from the mo ...
, while
Shiny Toy Guns Shiny Toy Guns is an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, in 2002. The band comprises guitarist/vocalist Chad Petree, vocalist/bassist/keyboardist Carah Faye Charnow, keyboardist/bassist Jeremy Dawson, ...
made a guest appearance during the December 1, 2007, show at
University Park, Pennsylvania Penn State University Park, also referred to as University Park, is the main campus of Pennsylvania State University, located in both State College and College Township, both in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. The campus post off ...
. After over a year of touring, the last show was played in
Kingston, Rhode Island Kingston is a village and a census-designated place within the New England town, town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, South Kingstown in Washington County, Rhode Island, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, and the site of the mai ...
on December 9, 2007. New additions to the setlist of the tour's final leg included "Lose Control", "Missing" and "Understanding".


Critical reception

Review aggregator
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, which applies a
weighted average The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gave the album a score of 61 based on 12 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' music reviewer Ed Thompson rated the album 7.9 out 10, writing that ''The Open Door'' "is everything that you could ever want in a follow-up album—and more", and Lee and Balsamo "seem to have a better understanding of each other than Lee and Moody ever did. The tracks are less radio-friendly ... but they are all the more complete". Rob Sheffield of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' said the best songs on it "are the creepiest. Lee has got a touch of the magnetic and destructive herself. But that's what makes the breakup songs feel mighty real." Jon Dolan of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' felt that the record is "more personal and, by accessing a deeper emotional palette, maybe even more universal". Lee "isn't just drawn to melodrama; she thrives on it", ''
Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer (from Latin ''mixus, the PPP of miscere eng. to Mix)'' or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary ...
'' wrote, and the album is "denser and more scuzzed-up" than ''Fallen'' while "amp ngeverything up to gloriously epic, over-the-top proportions". Gary Graff of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' said ''The Open Door'' shows that Lee "was as much a part of ''Fallen'' as Moody", and she translates her "heartache into another successful set of melodramatic goth/ industrial anthems with touches of prog and even classical". ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
''s Mellisa Maerz regarded it a "post-dysfunctional kiss-off that builds from ethereal Sunday-mass uplift into full-eff-you guitar dirges, revealing an angrier, more self-assured Lee who waxes sardonic but still misses the comfort in being sad". Eric Danton of ''
Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is advertised as the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven and ...
'' said a "new, stronger Lee" is evident, "one who scarcely sounds like the uncertain performer from 2003. She is clearly in command on her band's sophomore effort". Reviewing for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', Kelefa Sanneh wrote that it is "no surprise" that after Moody's departure "Evanescence sounds gloomier and thornier than the old one", with Lee "finally free to be as bombastic as she wants to be", although the album is "less fun". Sarah Rodman of ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' found the final track "Good Enough" to be the "lone glimmer in the gloom", adding that "if he albumfeatured more open-throated crooning and less teeth-gritting anger it would be a much more interesting record". ''
St. Louis Post-Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the '' Belleville News-Democra ...
''s Sara Berry opined that while the record is "overwhelmingly dark", the band "manages to escape the 'sophomore slump'", complimenting the music and deeming it "an ideal soundtrack for life's moodier moments." Nick Catucci of ''
New York magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...
'' remarked that the album "bristles with righteous anger" alongside "meticulously produced arrangements" that echoes
Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
n art-metal while Lee "whispers and wails with a pain and ambivalence closer in spirit to the
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
". ''
Santa Barbara Independent The ''Santa Barbara Independent'' is a news, arts, and alternative newspaper published every Thursday in Santa Barbara, California, United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a ...
'' Aly Comingore said ''The Open Door'' "successfully slammed in the face of ee'sdisbelievers", and "moved in a direction that is simultaneously new and reminiscent of the potential at which ''Fallen'' once hinted." Andre Farias of ''
Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "eva ...
'' found the album "an extension" of Evanescence's previous work, and complimented Lee's "operatic soprano" and "enigmatic and sinister" way of channeling her frustrations. Jim Farber of the '' Daily News'' commented that the "hybrid" of musical styles "offers a genuine alternative to everything else that's out there" and the "production has more heft than 'Fallen''s, but felt the "jerry-built" sound the band used "isn't anything to be admired". Andy Gill of ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' criticized the album, opining that the band "never strays outside the short distance from paranoid to apocalyptic, concerns addressed in as bombastic and tune-dodging a manner as possible".
MusicOMH ''MusicOMH'' (stylized as ''musicOMH'') is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History ''MusicOMH'' was founded an ...
's Alex Nunn panned it, believing that the band needed ex-member Moody. Writing for ''
Miami New Times The ''Miami New Times'' is a newspaper published in Miami, Florida, United States, and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami metropolitan area, and is headquartered in Miami's Wynwood Art District. Overview It was acquired ...
'', John Hood said that Balsamo and Lee "proved to be a dreamily creepy team — harder, earthier, and infinitely more shadowed", and "there's something almost life-affirming about Lee's dark dig into the deep." Christa Titus of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' called the album a "far more nuanced, moody and richly textured effort" than ''Fallen''.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
's
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
said that much of ''The Open Door'' is "a muddle of affections" and it sonically "captures the Evanescence mythos better and more consistently than the first album – after all, Lee now has no apologies of being the thinking man's nu-metal chick".
Ann Powers Ann K. Powers (born February 4, 1964) is an American writer and popular music critic. She is a music critic for NPR and a contributor at the ''Los Angeles Times'', where she was previously chief pop critic. She has also written for other publicat ...
of ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' called ''The Open Door'' an ambitious album, with Lee "firmly at the center of its whorl of personal confession, high theater and head-banging rock", while it's "exciting to hear, throughout this avid music, a major young talent kicking against the restrictions of the rock she loves." ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'' felt that the songs are "gloomier than ever" while the album is ambitious, noting "Lacrymosa" as its centerpiece and deeming "Lithium"'s refrain as getting "to the heart of Lee's life story so far". Reviewing for
Blabbermouth.net ''Blabbermouth.net'' is a website dedicated to metal and rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. It is run by the website's founder Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was launched in March 2001. In October 2001, the rec ...
, Don Kaye considered the album "superior" to ''Fallen'' "in almost every respect", praising the instrumentation, production, and Lee coming "fully into her own". Edna Gundersen of ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' rated the album three out four stars, writing, "Less spiritual than ''Fallen'' (and in fact downright decadent in spots), Lee's songs dwell in romantic purgatory" and "her operatic wail is lashed to the band's brand of ethereal goth-metal". ''
Metal Edge ''Metal Edge'' was a magazine covering heavy metal music published by Zenbu Media. The magazine was founded in the summer of 1985, during the height of glam metal's success. While its sister publication, ''Metal Maniacs'' focused more on extreme ...
'' regarded the album a "worthy follow-up that carves out its own distinct niche", and "all the requisite Evanescence ingredients are to be found, but this time, they serve up a tasty concoction of a different flavour". Nick Ruskell of ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'' wrote, "not only does ''The Open Door'' well and truly wipe the floor with ''Fallen'', it's also a massive creative leap into territory far more epic, exciting and musically fulfilling than its somewhat restrained predecessor", concluding that it "presents a watertight case that Moody buggering off was perhaps the best thing that ever happened to this band." In a 2021 retrospective, ''
Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...
'' ranked ''The Open Door'' as Evanescence's best album, highlighting Lee's songwriting and vision, the album's ambience, and it standing the test of time, "stepping up as Evanescence's most enduring statement." "Sweet Sacrifice", was nominated in the category of
Best Hard Rock Performance The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards from 1990 to 2011. The academy recognized hard rock music artists for the first time at the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989. The category ...
at the
50th Grammy Awards The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 10, 2008. It honored musical achievement of 2007 in which albums were released between October 1, 2006, through September 30, 2007. The primary ceremonie ...
. At the 2007
NRJ Music Award An NRJ Music Award (commonly abbreviated as an NMA) is an award presented by the French radio station NRJ to honor the best in the French and worldwide music industry. The awards ceremony, created in 2000 by NRJ in partnership with the televisio ...
s, ''The Open Door'' received a nomination for Best International Album of the Year and "Call Me When You're Sober" was nominated for Best Video. The album also won Album of the Year at the 2007
MTV Australia Video Music Awards The MTV Australia Awards (previously known as the MTV Australia Video Music Awards or AVMA's) started in 2005 and were Australia's first awards show to celebrate both local and international acts. The last edition took place in 2009. History Th ...
.


Commercial performance

''The Open Door'' debuted at number one in the United States, Australia, Germany and Switzerland, and charted in the top five in Austria, Canada, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom. On the US ''Billboard'' 200, ''The Open Door'' debuted at number one, selling over 447,000 copies in its first week. Additionally, the record opened at the top position on the
Rock Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
chart and at number two on the Digital Albums. Two weeks after its availability in the United States, the album sold approximately 725,000 copies, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 6, 2006. ''The Open Door'' became the 38th best-selling album of 2006 in the U.S.; it was the 52nd best-selling album for 2007. On June 24, 2009, the album was awarded double platinum certification by the RIAA. It sold 2.1 million copies in the U.S. by October 2011. On the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, ''The Open Door'' debuted and peaked at number two on October 14, 2006. In Canada, the album debuted at number two, selling over 43,000 copies in its first week. It was later certified double platinum by the
Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 in Toronto to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It also offers benefits to some of Canada's leadin ...
(CRIA). In Australia and New Zealand, the album peaked at numbers one and two, respectively. It was later certified double-platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
(ARIA) and platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded ...
(RIANZ). By October 2011, the album had sold six million copies worldwide.


Track listing


Notes

* Lee confirmed three planned B-sides for the album: "The Last Song I'm Wasting on You", which served as a B-side to "Lithium", "If You Don't Mind", and "Together Again". * The two-disc Japanese limited edition was released on September 27, 2006, and includes the music video for "Call Me When You're Sober" and behind-the-scenes footage. The CD also contains a bonus track.


Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''The Open Door''. Evanescence *
Amy Lee Amy Lynn Lee (born December 13, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She is the co-founder, lead vocalist, lead songwriter, and keyboardist of the rock band Evanescence. A classically trained pianist, Lee began writing music at ...
– vocals, piano,
choral A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
arrangements, additional programming,
organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...
*
Terry Balsamo Terry Philip Balsamo II (born October 8, 1972) is an American musician who is best known as the former guitarist of the rock bands Cold and Evanescence. Biography Early projects and Cold After a brief run with the early lineup of Limp Bi ...
– guitar * John LeCompt – guitar; additional programming * Will Boyd – bass * Rocky Gray – drums Additional musicians * David Campbell – orchestral arrangements * Seattlemusic – strings * Simon James – concertmaster * Millennium Choir – choir performance: Susan Youngblood, Talaya Trigueros, Mary Gaffney, Alyssa Campbell, Bebe Gordon, Melanie Bruno, Dwight Stone, Eric Castro, Darryl Phinnessee, Tamara Berard, Kevin Dalbey, Marcella Carmona, Tania Themmen, Joanne Paratore, Lisa Wall-Urgero *
DJ Lethal Leor Dimant (, , ; born December 18, 1972), better known as DJ Lethal, is a Latvian-American turntablist and producer and is best known as a member of the groups House of Pain and Limp Bizkit. Early life Leor Dimant was born to a Latvian- ...
– programming *
Bon Harris Bon Harris (born Vaughan David Harris; 12 August 1965 in Chelmsford, Essex, England) is an English composer, producer, singer and songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is a founding member of the British EBM group Nitzer Ebb, programming Ni ...
– additional programming * Carrie Lee – background vocals * Lori Lee – background vocals Technical *
Dave Fortman Dave Fortman (born July 11, 1967) is an American record producer and musician. He is the guitarist for rock band Ugly Kid Joe, and has done production work for bands such as Godsmack, Superjoint Ritual, Snot (band), Snot, Watership Down (band), ...
– production, mixing * Jeremy Parker – engineering * Mike Hogue – engineering assistance * Wesley Seidman – engineering assistance * Rory Faciane – drum teching *
Ted Jensen Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' '' Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''. Early life ...
– mastering Artwork * Gail Marowitz – art direction * Ed Sherman – package design * Frank Ockenfels 3 – photography * Karl Larsen – photography * Beth Wilson – photography * Amy Lee – album cover design


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Open Door, The 2006 albums Albums produced by Dave Fortman Evanescence albums Gothic metal albums by American artists Industrial rock albums Wind-up Records albums