Most of EVANESCENCE Becomes The Fallen, With an IDOL Finalist

     MUSIC NEWS-  After performing EVANESCENCE’s “Bring Me to Life” on the 2008’s American Idols Live tour, 7th season IDOL finalist Carly Smithson (6th place)  will now join up with three out of the four original members of the alternative band EVANESCENCE in a new band called The Fallen.

Smithson had released her first studio album for MCA Records in 2001 but was dropped from the label the following year.  Smithson found the former Evanescene guys as she knew the band's co-founder and guitarist Ben Moody’s housemate.  "I met him once or twice (at the house) before the band thing," says Smithson.

He quickly arranged a meeting with her after seeing videos of her performances. “Carly is a rock star. She was one of us,” Moody told USA Today.  The Fallen is comprised of Smithson, Moody and former Evanescence members, guitarist John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray, as well as bassist Marty O’Brien with the name coming from Evanescence's 2003 major-label debut album, Fallen.

Moody left the band following the release of Fallen due to creative differences with singer Amy Lee. LeCompt and Gray left the band in 2007.  The band’s first song “Bury Me Alive” is available for free download at WeAretheFallen.com (to the first 100,000 who register) with plans to tour beginning in September and to release new songs every few months.

On Friday, Amy Lee posted on Evanescence.com that the band's need to evolve and is currently working on new material, the first since their 2006 The Open Door.  Click here for USA Today story.