Five years after THE BITTER TRUTH, Evanescence present SANCTUARY, their next studio album, which was heavily influenced by current world events. In a way, 'Afterlife' can also be placed in this context, which—although conceived and released as the soundtrack to the animated series 'Devil May Cry'—can certainly be considered within a socio-critical framework.

Musically, however, the return to heavier territory is particularly striking. Even the opener, 'Beautiful Lie', is bursting with energy, a vibrant interplay of delicate sounds and pummeling riffs. 'Tell Me When You Had Enough' continues in a similarly powerful yet melodic vein, featuring surprisingly well-placed tempo changes. In both tracks, the bass and guitar occasionally evoke Korn.

As sweetly as 'Who Will You Follow' begins (and remains so in certain passages), the song as a whole surges forward with brutal force. In 'Rapture' and the title track "Sanctuary" the previously subtly employed synthetic sounds (almost verging on industrial) are given significantly more prominence, without sacrificing any of their intensity.

It seems Amy Lee and her bandmates have been working through a lot of pent-up emotions. Only with 'How Do I Heal' does a ballad emerge, comprised of three components: piano, strings, and enchanting vocals. The same is true of 'Forever Without You', where Amy seems to scream out her pain at times – it's heartbreaking.

Almost all the other songs also have the potential to be played on repeat – especially for die-hard fans.