page_title: Fallen (Evanescence album)
section_title: Background and recording
hierarchical_section_title: Fallen (Evanescence album) / Background and recording
caption_attribution_description: Evanescence performing in 2003.
context_page_description: Fallen is the debut studio album by American rock band Evanescence, released on March 4, 2003, by Wind-up and Epic Records. After releasing several EPs and a demo CD, the group signed to Wind-up in January 2001. Writing songs for Fallen started near the time of the band's formation; several of the songs that would feature on the album appeared on the band's earlier releases. Fallen was recorded between August and December 2002 in several locations, including Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. This was followed by a two-week period of mixing at Conway Recording Studios in North Hollywood. It is Evanescence's only album to feature guitarist Ben Moody, who left the band later in 2003.
  Fallen is the band's most commercially successful album to date, selling over 8 million copies in the United States and over 17 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century. It debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 with 141,000 copies sold in its first week, peaking at number three in June 2003.
context_section_description: After Evanescence was formed by Amy Lee and Ben Moody in 1995, the band released three EPs and one demo CD. In January 2001 they signed with Wind-up Records, their first major label. Composing Fallen took eight years; in an MTV interview, Ben Moody said that he wrote with Lee "maybe two or three times in eight years".
  The album was recorded in California at Track Record Studios, NRG Recording Studios, Ocean Studios, and Conway Recording Studios. Songs were recorded as demos before the recording sessions, and "My Immortal", "Imaginary", and "Whisper" appeared on earlier Evanescence recordings. The album was recorded and mixed from late August to early December 2002. Recording began at Ocean Studios in Burbank, where "Bring Me to Life" was recorded. This recording was later used for the Daredevil soundtrack. For that song, Jay Baumgardner used a mix at his studio (NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood) on an SSL 9000 J. Drum tracks were recorded at Ocean Studios, with Josh Freese playing on selected songs to click tracks of stereo guitars and vocals.
  Dave Fortman said that for the rest of the drums, he used a D112 on the inside of the kick drum, a U47 on the outside, and an NS-10 speaker as an outside mic. The producer used 414 microphones on the ride and hi-hat cymbals, recording the drums on two-inch tape on a Studer recorder and inputting the results into Pro Tools. The guitars (Gibson Les Paul, Gibson SG, Mesa Boogie, Marshall Amplification) for the album were cut at Mad Dog Studios in Burbank with an old Mesa Boogie guitar cabinet. Lee's vocals, pianos and the background vocal by the Millennium Choir were recorded at NRG Recording Studios. The orchestral parts were arranged by David Hodges and David Campbell except for "My Immortal", which was arranged by composer Graeme Revell. Fallen was mixed over a two-week period at Conway Recording Studios in North Hollywood and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in New York City.
caption: Evanescence performing in Denver in 2003
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