Serendipity Media

Years before the massive success of their Wind-Up Records debut record Fallen, bandmates Amy Lee and Ben Moody were busy honing their craft on limited EPs (1998's Evanescence and 1999's Sound Asleep) as well as a 2000 demo album. Titled Origin, the surprisingly diverse eleven-track independent release offered a glimpse of their potential and proved that they could expertly navigate through several genres of music. With just 2,500 copies in print and never available in stores, fans who have recently discovered the band have been paying $200 and up on Internet auction sites for their chance to own this rare album. At the time of Origin's release, the only other member in Evanescence was David Hodges, who has since left the group. Together, the trio designed a fusion of songs covering fear, regret, love and loss. The title track opens the album, and it may come as a bit of a surprise to discover that it's a 35 second smash-up of whispers, screams, movie clips and creepy music. Immediately the song create an atmosphere of dread, as it sounds like it came straight out of a horror film's depiction of hell. And that isn't the only surprise Evanescence have in store. With its unnerving music and grieving lyrics, the creepy "Even in Death" finds Lee at the grave of the one she loves, and she has no intention of letting a little thing like death keep them apart. While the rest of the album isn't nearly as alarming, the band never flinches while addressing what they have to say. Lee admits her frustration of finding success empty in "Away from Me" and "Field of Innocence" describes longing to unlearn what the years have taught you and go back to seeing life through a child's eyes. The album closes with "Eternal," a seven minute instrumental blend of electronic keyboards, piano, rain and thunder. Origin isn't without flaws, as the production is a bit uneven at times and a few of the tracks lack the magic to make them very memorable. But when it comes down to it, Origin is a strong and diverse debut that is sure to please fans of their later work.