Sounding better than ever, Evanescence’s Amy Lee commanded the stage as the the band played at Philadelphia’s Electric Factory on Oct. 10.

Breaking into The Open Door opener “Sweet Sacrifice,” Lee began a barrage of near-perfect renditions of new tracks mixed with Fallen favorites, never missing a beat.
The Open Door’s tracks worked well live, especially “Weight of the World” and “The Other One” with their driving bass lines. A piano only rendition of “Good Enough” provided a jaw-dropping moment that had Lee’s lyrics coming to life with an emotional, warm delivery.
Warm is a good way to describe Lee’s voice throughout the night. While at other times she’s sounded gravelly and raw, certainly due to the demands of the material, her voice sounded more pure this time, with almost note for note matches of the album. I’d have considered she lip synced if not for one or two off-key moments that grounded the performance in the live setting.

Fallen favorites “Bring Me to Life,” “Going Under” and “Haunted” came over well, with the fans singing along loudly. At times the crowd sang over Lee in “My Immortal” which one gets the impression is not one of her favorites to sing. That she still sings it after former cowriter and Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody left shows she understands the importance of it to the fans.
While the band played 14 songs, the set seemed over too quickly, mostly because many of The Open Door’s tracks are shorter. Surprisingly, the band didn’t play “Snow White Queen,” a track it has played during other shows. Nor did the band add any surprises, like it did with non-album tracks “Farther Away” and “Missing” on its last tour.

Guitarist Terry Balsamo (who had a stroke last year), drummer Rocky Grey, guitarist John LeCompt and bassist Tim McCord (replacing the departed Will Boyd) provided a dose of energy, giving the material a heavier, more raw feel.
After such a tumultuous beginning after it released debut Fallen, it was unclear if Evanescence could keep the momentum going. But with its second album debuting at number one on the charts and a successful tour, during which the band sounds better than ever, there’s no doubt it can and will.