Amy Lee says having a rap forced into Bring Me To Life was "a difficult pill to swallow", doesn't agree with genre "boxes"

Evanescence frontwoman Amy Lee has reaffirmed her discomfort at being pressured into having a rap segment added to the band's breakout single Bring Me To Life. The rap, performed by Paul McCoy of Louisiana rockers 12 Stones, has become a beloved part of the song and helped the single gain traction in a rock climate still in the grasp of nu metal, but was a creative decision led by the band's label at the time, rather than Evanescence themselves.

When asked in a new interview with Metal Hammer how she feels about the Bring Me To Life rap today, Lee responds:

“I stopped performing it a long time ago. We never really did perform it. When we're on tour and we have somebody that fits into that spot, they jump up on the song. We were on tour with P.O.D and we had Sonny [Sandoval, vocalist] get up a few times. And obviously, if we're ever in the same town as Paul [McCoy, 12 Stones vocalist], who originally did the part, we will have him come up, because it's fun and it's cool and nostalgic. But that part, that sound, that's not my style. That's why it was such a difficult pill to swallow, even on one song. But we won because we didn't have to change our whole sound.”

Indeed, McCoy's bars were the only time Evanescence truly veered towards nu metal territory, understandably having not repeated the trick since. When asked what she thinks of nu metal itself, Lee answers:

“Those are just words. I don't super get or agree with the boxes that we feel the need to put things in. If you're doing it right, every band is unique and is a slightly different colour than anything else. One of the questions I have been asked a lot in my life is, 'How would you define your sound? What would you call your genre?' I don't know how to do that. I want to always maintain the ability and the freedom to do something I've never done before.”

Bring Me To Life was the lead single from Evanescence's 2003 debut album, Fallen, which launched the band to instant superstardom and went on to achieve diamond status in the US. Evanescence will hit Europe for dates this summer, including a stop-off at the first ever four-day Download in June.

Read more from Amy Lee in an upcoming issue of Metal Hammer magazine.

Artists

Merlin was promoted to Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has written for Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N' Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He has also presented and produced the Metal Hammer Podcast, presented the Metal Hammer Radio Show and is probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.

With contributions from

Dannii Leivers