Amy Lee's "Aftermath" starts out with a song straight out of a sex scene. "Push the Button" is chock full of sensual and sexy vocalizations contributed by Lee herself. A huge step away from her typical Evanescence sound, one could even say this song is tinged with an 80's feel. This is definitely a song you would hear at a hole in the wall dance club in the racy part of town.
Amy then takes us through "White Out" which is a short instrumental interlude that sets a mood of anxiousness. The feeling is brought on by gorgeous and eerie cello work by Mr. Eggar. The only discernible motif is the foreshadowing ostinato pattern in the cello which becomes a recurring theme throughout the rest of the album.
Up next is "Remember to Breathe" which is another minute and a half long interlude with nothing but cello and emptiness. It is simple yet intricately beautiful. The cello creates a feeling of nothingness and seamlessly leads into "Dark Water".
"Dark Water" is heavily influenced by world (specifically Eastern) music. This could very well be a song fit for a belly dancer's repertoire. The song features world singer, Malika Zarra, while Lee steps into the background to support Malika with atmospheric vocals.
"Between Worlds" is the highlight of the instrumental pieces. The recurring theme from "White Out" returns. This time, Lee and Eggar expand and develop the theme using the cello and synthesizer work. The piece creates a feeling of a harsh reality and enlightenment. The piece has a very sinister feel towards the very end which comes suddenly and ends the piece with mourning.
"Drifter" brings a very melancholic piano to the forefront assisted by an equally solemn cello filling in the emptiness. The mood for "Drifter" is just as the title suggests. The listener is slowly drifting away to a place of sadness.
The song transitions suddenly into "Can't Stop What's Coming".
"Can't Stop What's Coming" is the most atmospheric of the non instrumental pieces. Lee plays with surround sound in this piece (listen with headphones). The song features a chorus of Lee's vocal lines weaving and intertwining with each other like a spiderweb. This song is reminiscent of some moments in Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon"....
Lyrically simple, one can hear hints of Lee's musical influences like Björk, Trent Reznor, and Deftones in this piece.
"Voice In My Head" is another piece featuring Dave Eggar. The cello makes more use of it's rich lower range while the piano works its way through an ostinato for most of the song. Familiar themes come into play in the piano.
The next song is an instant favorite.
"Lockdown" begins with a low synth followed by Amy's trademark haunting vocals. Lyrically, this is the strongest song in the album. Actually, this may be the centerpiece of the work that is "Aftermath".
The best thing about this song is that it changes drastically right in the middle as if the song were really two fused together. Vocally, this is also the most demanding song in the album. Lee really emotes the feeling of despair through her vocals which is the cherry on top of an already great song. The song has moments reminiscent of "Field of Innocence" from Evanescence's "Origin".
Next, we hear what sounds like a construction site used as an intro for "After", another solemn piece featuring Mr. Dave Eggar on cello. If you were expecting a happy ending, you won't find it here. The cello soars beautifully through dissonances while evoking a feeling of hopelessness and sadness. The listener is left without a sense of closure and an unfulfilled need for resolution much like "War Story"..
