The Bitter Truth

The Bitter Truth is the fifth studio album by American rock band Evanescence. It was released on March 26, 2021, through BMG Rights Management and was produced by Nick Raskulinecz. The album is the band's first in more than three years, following 2017's "Synthesis", as well as their first full album of new material since their self-titled third album (2011).
Background and recording.
Lead vocalist Amy Lee first spoke about a new studio album for the band in July 2018. In an interview with Detroit radio station WRIF, Lee confirmed that the band planned to work on a new album following the end of their tour in support of "Synthesis".
In an interview with Sirius XM backstage at Epicenter Festival at Rockingham Speedway in May 2019, Lee again confirmed that a new album was in the works. Blabbermouth.net reported that Lee was hoping the album would be ready for release in 2020. "We're just gonna get together and see what happens this month," she said, "and start doing that more regularly until we feel like we're ready to do it."
Lee then provided an update on the album in November 2019, while taking part in a Reddit AMA. Responding to a question pertaining to new music from the band, Lee commented that she was "absolutely living in it" and was "listen[ing] to our new music every day."
The band entered the studio in January 2020 with Nick Raskulinecz, with whom they had previously worked on 2011's "Evanescence". Although originally planning to work with several producers across the album, the band's plans changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This then turned Raskulinecz into "The Bitter Truth"s sole producer. In August, the U.S.-based band members returned into the studio to finish writing and recording after taking COVID tests, and German guitarist Jen Majura had to work remotely. On September 9, the album was nearing completion, with "70% done". Recording was completed in November.
The album was announced in April 2020, and was originally planned for release in late 2020. The pandemic delayed the album's completion, however, and eventually pushed it to a March 2021 release.
Lee talked about the core theme of the album:
Release and promotion.
"The Bitter Truth" was first announced with the release of its lead single, "Wasted on You", in April 2020. Its second single, "The Game Is Over", followed in July. The band released an additional two singles in August's "Use My Voice" and December's "Yeah Right" (as a promotional one). The former featured guest vocalists from bands such as Veridia, Within Temptation, The Pretty Reckless and Halestorm. The latter, meanwhile, was released to coincide with the announcement of the album's tracklist and release date. The fourth single, "Better Without You", was released on March 5, 2021.
To promote the album in advance, the band performed the first single "Wasted on You" at the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" show on February 19, 2021. The band is scheduled to tour Europe in March and April 2022 in a co-headlining tour alongside Within Temptation.
Critical reception.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics upon the album's release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 78 based on 8 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". AllMusic gave the album a positive review, saying, "Altogether, "The Bitter Truth" carries listeners on a journey both familiar and fresh, recapturing the heavy-yet-melodic hallmarks that made Fallen one of the most successful albums of the 2000s and pushing Evanescence into the future with a graceful maturity and worldly perspective."
"Consequence of Sound" rated the album A- and said: ""The Bitter Truth" is reminiscent of the band's older material but also entirely fresh. It does not feel like a band going through the motions. Lee told Heavy Consequence that time away and perspective on the band's career added to the "fire and passionate energy" on "The Bitter Truth", and that sentiment is clearly evident throughout the album."
"Kerrang!" gave the album 4 out of 5 and stated: "Weirdly, the feeling of it all is a mixture of things, most of them positive. There's catharsis and darkness, but they are of the most forward-looking variety, fringed at times with something approaching hopeful joy. In a time where Evanescence's usual emotional touch could easily speak to feelings of isolation, fear, confusion, hopelessness, loss and fragility, "The Bitter Truth" gets on that frequency and interrupts it. It's not an album that lies and tells you everything is fine, but reminds that, even in the darkest points of life, things do and will get better. And in another 10 years if they haven't, Amy Lee will doubtless have a comforting, ambitious, emotionally articulate way to navigate that as well."
"Metal Hammer" gave the album a positive review and stated: "They might have made them wait for it, but "The Bitter Truth" delivers everything Evanescence fans would want and expect from the band's comeback record: an album that’s emotive, stirring and just a touch overwrought, nestled between the bold and the familiar."
Personnel.
Credits adapted from Tidal and the liner notes of "The Bitter Truth".
Evanescence
Additional musicians
Additional personnel