Where Are They Now? - The Headliners Of Download 2003

11. Special Attraction #1: Evanescence

The doomsday opera vocals of Amy Lee catapulted Evanescence to the stratosphere on their debut album 'Fallen' and in particular, with the lead single "Bring Me to Life". The iconic track was played on just about every medium you could think of back in the early 2000s, and even today remains the trademark song of the band. Fun facts: the male rap parts in the song were performed by 12 Stones vocalist Paul McCoy, and the band categorically did not want them in the song, with Lee stating in an 2013 interview that they had to include a male singer, or else the label would've dropped the band. Lovely.

Regardless, their meteoric rise caught the attention of Download booker Andy Copping who brought the band across for their first ever UK performance, putting them on mid-way through the bill on the main stage of Sunday. They would return to the venue four years later in 2007, sub-headlining to Iron Maiden on the main stage.

In the years since, they have built a deep appreciation from the rock and metal community (a bit of a rarity for former nu metal acts) and despite hiatuses and numerous line-up changes, they're still continuing strong, releasing 'The Bitter Truth' in March 2021.