 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Open Door
- By Evanescence
- Genre: Rock
Common Sense Media says
Brooding, poetic songs ease a breakup's pain.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this album contains 13 variations on one theme: the end of a love affair. There are a couple of drug and drinking references (mostly referring to a lover's drinking) and a couple of mildly violent metaphors.
What's the story?
THE OPEN DOOR tackles themes of devastation, despair, but also the ultimate hope and redemption inherent in any great personal loss. Fans of Evanescence will know that guitarist Ben Moody left the band mid-tour in 2003 after his breakup with lead singer Amy Lee, and the songs -- darkly poetic and beautifully performed -- are all about the end of this troubled romance. Lyrics contain a couple of mild references to drugs and drinking. For example, "Just didn't drink enough to say you love me…Lithium -- don't want to forget how it feels without lithium/I want to stay in love with my sorrow" ("Lithium"). There are also many poetically depressing moments ("We're all grieving/lost and bleeding" on "The Only One" is an example).
Is it any good?
Filled with anxious, brooding messages of self-obsession, The Open Door will be most appealing to dramatic teenagers suffering through their own losses and heartbreaks. If they come away with a view of the bigger picture -- that creative expression is better than self-destruction as a tactic for dealing with life's hard stuff -- it's well worth the price of admission into Amy Lee's house of pain. One might think that this collection would grow tedious, but Amy is such a passionate and skilled singer that she pulls off this self-indulgence with perfect emotional pitch.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the idea of dealing with breakups and other losses creatively rather than self-destructively. Do Amy's expressed emotions ring true for you? Can you think of other positive ways to deal with breaking up?
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AGE
Haunting, Poetic... Beautiful.
I love Evanescence to death. It was my first favorite band and that was when I was around 14. This band got me interested in music, and now I cannot imagine my life without music. I would say it's more iffy for 10+ but definitely okay for 12+. It depends on a person's level of maturity in my opinion. At first, I interpreted it as a very dark, gloomy, depressing album, (especially since I was a bit depressed myself and had never listened to rock or "goth rock" before) but after listening to the songs, I realized how happy I was when I did. If I could describe this album in a few words, it would be "haunting and poetic." What I like about Amy Lee is that she doesn't use sex, money, and drugs to appeal to her audience. She uses real talent to get through to us, and her voice is one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. Yes, there are some instances in which dark imagery is used and there are a couple references to alcohol, but I never thought about that because I was obsessing over how much I love Evanescence.
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AGE
GREAT ALBUM!
Even though there is dark poetry, it's still beautiful. Now I am 13 myself, but that does NOT mean I can't listen to my FAVORITE band. Evanescence is amazing! They are so unique, not metal, rock, pop, and not even electronica, they are their own genre. TOD is beautiful, and Fallen was a masterpiece too.
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AGE
Dark and gloomy, but a great album!
Yes, "The Open Door" is grim and very dark, but it's relatively clean, with a few exceptions. "Lithium" could be interpreted as being about someone trying to break away from a drug addition, and the song "Snow White Queen" is about a woman who is being stalked/sexually harassed. " Lock the door/Don't look back/Undress in the dark/And hide from you, all of you/You'll never know the way your words have haunted me/I can't believe you'd ask these things of me/Wake up in a dream, frozen fear/All your hands on me and I can't scream." Some of it may go over the heads of the younger crowd, but this album is probably best for teens and up.
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AGE
Something eveyrone would enjoy.
This is totally amazing. Amys vocal skills are like sitting in an opera sometimes. [Just without the boring ness! :)] WHile the same theme is in every song of hte album (Heartache and Heartbreak) its amazing non the less. The alcohol refrenses aren't much to get worked up about, they are portrayed as being part of the ending relationship. Quite melo-dramatic though, but isn't that what music is about? :)
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AGE
Beautiful!
A beautiful album from an amazing band who never fail to deliver. Full of soulful, meaningful songs that will capture your heart. Absolutely stunning and I'd definately recommend you listen to Lithium and Call Me When You're Sober.
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AGE
♫It's true, we're all a little insane. . .
The Open Door is much darker than Evanescence's previous album, Fallen. Most of the songs are about Amy Lee's break-ups with Ben Moody (who abandoned the band on top of it all) and Shaun Morgan ("Call Me When You're Sober").
"Lithium" uses the idea of being "addicted" to the person in the relationship as being similar to a drug addiction (at least, that's what I see in it). "Snow White Queen" is about being stalked and/or raped. Not truely graphic, but haunting. "Lose Control" is obviously about wanting to throw self-control to the wind and. . . you get the picture. It isn't graphic in any sence. "Like You" is a very saddening song, and like "Hello," for Fallen, it's about her late sister, Bonnie. Those are the only songs I can think of that people might have issues with. And if they have issues with Evanescence. . . there must be something wrong with them. ;-)
I love "Good Enough." Amy wrote this song about her husband (then friend/boyfriend), and is about her finally feeling good enough for him to love her. Personally, it makes me feel confident that I'm good enough for the ones I love as well.
Amy's vocals are hauntingly beautiful. It's a dark album, and for some, it's depressing, but I think it's just as much a masterpiece as the Fallen, if not more so.
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AGE
untitled
There's been a lot of chatter about the song "lithium" but what you don't understand is that lithium is actually a mood stabilizer for people with bipolar distorter "Lithium, don't wanna lock me up inside
Lithium, don't wanna forget how it feels without
Lithium, I wanna stay in love with my sorrow" Amy lee is stating that she does not know how it feels without lithium, have you people considered that she or someone close to her may be suffering from bipolar distorter? are people to heartless to understand her pain in a interview she said "i refuse to sing about Sex or selling my image for money only emotion" this states that she is not like other singers compared to lady gaga or kesha who sing about sex like its for recreation! the nerve of some people...
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AGE
Riviting and inspiring
This is an amazing piece of art that any kid with an artistic passion would love.
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AGE
For older tweens, a sad, beautiful, heavy rock album
Amy Lee tackles heartbreak and bad relationships with strength and passion. Because the album is focused on a romance gone wrong, it will probably be more relevant to slightly older tweens (say, 13). The music is beautiful and heavy, and although it deals with Lee's grief, her singing is moving and inspired. Excellent for a good vent on one of those black days.
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AGE
Beautiful, poetic :)
I think this album, while melodramatic (duh, it's Evanescence. That's just what Amy Lee does), is beautiful musically. Its poetic lyrics are somewhat depressing and metaphorically violent, but Amy Lee is living her own message by writing music about an upsetting situation. So what if that's the basis for all of the songs? Writing them was a way for her to express her emotions in a positive way, which is something more people in this world should learn to do.
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| Artist: | Evanescence |
| Release date: | October 3, 2006 |
| Label: | Wind-Up Records |
| Genre: | Rock |
| Parental advisory: | No |
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