Evanescent, a gothic rock band from Little Rock, Arkansas, prove that in the deepest, most private recesses of our minds, a sinister beauty slips elegantly between the the darkness of our most intimate terrifying nightmares. Tapping into the intense pain of tragedy and loss in her life, singer Amy Lynn Hartzler (formerly known as Amy Lynn Lee) effortlessly creates a spark of morbid curiosity in the minds of her aficionados that quickly blossoms into a majestic flow of flowing lyrics . . For some, the exquisiteness of such a dark and poetic genius attracts and fascinates, generating deeply moving feelings. For Hartzler, however, the music she created offered her a form of therapeutic comfort that stayed with her in the years following the loss of her younger sister in early childhood. Thanks to the commanding atmosphere that radiates through her haunting, siren-like melodies and the emotionally charged strength behind her music, I believe she is, what I consider, one of the greatest musicians of today. In early February of 2003, a ride full of suspense and adrenaline-pumping action hit theaters in the form of Mark Steven Johnson's Daredevil. Among the songs listed on the film's soundtrack was none other than Evanescent's single "Bring Me to Life." Up until that point in my life, I had never been exposed to anything outside of the country music genre, as it was the music of choice in my childhood. However, after hearing the song for the first time, I was completely captivated by the otherworldly beauty of the piece. Evanescent's music can generally be described as a complex blend of symphonic rock, opera, piano rock, hard rock and goth rock. with a...... means of paper... the lover repeatedly tries to get the speaker to take him back, but without success. Rather than putting themselves back in a dangerous situation or resorting to physical confrontation, the speaker looks inward and realizes that they ultimately have control over the situation. During their final meeting, the speaker states that it's over and simply leaves. Thanks to the combination of all these elements, I have come to consider Evanescent as my favorite band of all time. The way Hartzler channels all of his emotions and feelings into his art, bringing together influences from aggressively different artists, truly inspires me on a personal level. Through his music, he shows that there is still some glimmer of hope on the edge of it all and that we still have to move forward and find our own form of emotional release even when things seem at their darkest...