Aftermath (Amy Lee soundtrack) explained

Aftermath
Type:soundtrack
Cover:Aftermath Amy Lee.jpg
Recorded:2013–2014
Length:29:47
Label:Self-released
Producer:
Chronology:Amy Lee
Next Title:Recover, Vol. 1
Next Year:2016

Aftermath is the soundtrack album for Mark Jackson's drama film War Story. It contains music from and inspired by the film, composed, produced and mixed by Amy Lee, cellist Dave Eggar and Chuck Palmer. Aftermath was independently released by Lee on August 25, 2014. It is Lee's first studio album release as a solo artist.

Background

Lee and Eggar were acquaintances of film director Mark Johnson, who informed them the feelings he wanted musically expressed for the characters. Lee said that "probably half of the music isn’t in the film, we’re just working in this big, black open playing field."[1]

A song with world music elements was requested for the film, and Dave Eggar suggested Moroccan singer Malika Zarra to sing the song. Lee wrote the lyrics in English and worked with Zarra, who used them to sing in Arabic, and then worked on the melodies, arrangement, mixing and production in her studio, building the framework of the song. Lee layered her vocals on it, Palmer added the drum loop, and other musicians played the oud and hammer dulcimer. The song, "Dark Water", was not used in the film, and Lee included it in the soundtrack album.[2] [3]

In a January 2014 interview with MTV News, Lee stated that the material has "a lot of blending of sounds, a lot of ominous tones. I play a lot of keyboard, and a lot of Taurus pedal. There's a lot of low drones." Apart from melodic playing, she and Eggar also "built walls of sounds, out of blaring cellos and trombones and synthesizers and harp, all on top of each other" that are atmospheric.[4] Lee also wrote the electronic song "Push the Button" for Jackson, who was looking for a song for a specific scene that was sonically different from the rest of the score. The song was mixed and produced by Lee.[4]

Lee announced the project on her Twitter account in December 2013.[5]

Critical reception

George Garner of Kerrang! praised Lee's efforts for edging away from the heaviness of Evanescence. He described the album as containing all minimalist pianos and eerie strings, and that it was the best representation of Lee's voice and talent to date.

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the album's liner notes and War Storys film credits.[6]

Charts

Chart (2014)Peak
position
UK Indie Chart (OCC)[7] 18
UK Indie Breakers Chart (OCC)[8] 2
US Billboard 200[9] 47
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[10] 15
US Top Soundtracks (Billboard)[11] 3

Notes and References

  1. Get Free: Amy Lee on Artistic Independence, the Future of Evanescence. Rolling Stone. August 11, 2014. November 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230709185559/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/get-free-amy-lee-on-artistic-independence-the-future-of-evanescence-55877/. July 9, 2023. live.
  2. Amy Lee on 'Aftermath' and Returning to the Road. Rolling Stone. August 14, 2014. November 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20200812100659/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/amy-lee-on-aftermath-and-returning-to-the-road-191134/. August 12, 2020. live.
  3. Web site: Amy Lee. 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20231127025436/https://independentmusicawards.com/amy-lee/. November 27, 2023. live.
  4. News: Evanescence's Amy Lee Is Making Music Again … Just Not For Her Band . MTV News . James . Montgomery . January 8, 2014 . January 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150831050530/http://www.mtv.com/news/1720104/evanescence-amy-lee-making-music/. August 31, 2015. dead.
  5. Web site: I'm very excited to tell you... . Twitter.com . Amy . Lee . December 1, 2013 . January 14, 2015.
  6. Aftermath . liner notes . Amy Lee featuring Dave Eggar. Amy Lee Music . 2014.
  7. Web site: Top 40 Independent Albums Archive 2014-09-06. Official Charts Company. September 4, 2014.
  8. Web site: Top 20 Independent Albums Breakers Archive 2014-09-06. Official Charts Company. September 4, 2014.
  9. Billboard 200: 2014-09-13 . . September 13, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140907204812/http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200?page=2 . September 7, 2014 . live .
  10. Billboard - Top Rock Albums: 2014-09-13 . . September 13, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140926055706/http://www.billboard.com/charts/rock-albums?page=1 . September 26, 2014 . live .
  11. Billboard Chart Archive - Soundtracks: Sep 13, 2014. Billboard. September 4, 2014.