This midday random thinkling is brought to you by xmms's random mode.

Evanescence has made some damn sweet music. Anyone who cares to dispute this obvious fact may now report to Room 101 for a full lobotomy.

As I listen to electronic copies of their (rare and likely now very valuable) album releases which came out before Fallen, it's clear that many (the majority?) of the songs are varying arrangements on much of same essential material that made it onto Fallen. We're not just talking about remixes here. These are completely different recordings, with new (or rather, old) instrumentation, vocal tracks, and alterations on the recognizable themes from songs such as Bring Me To Life, Imaginary, Whisper, and others.

No wonder Fallen is such an awesome album. The stuff of which it is comprised has been going through beta releases for years! To come out with such a smashing wonder, Ben Moody and Amy Lee had likely been honing their technique on these pieces since the mid 90s.

So here's what might be a concern (or maybe not): What if this is all they have? Could it be that all their creative energies have been spent in one direction? Now that it has reached fruition, where else can they go? Is Evanescence to become relegated to one hit wonder status?

Were it only for the fact that they seemingly focused on the same set of songs for over half a decade, I wouldn't worry quite so much. Just because they decided to do the same stuff again and again during their formative years does not necessarily make them a one trick pony.

But here's the bigger kicker: As fans know, Ben Moody left the band many moons ago. What effect will his departure have on the future of Evanescence? The official word is that it will go on, but as what?

Reputedly, Ben Moody, a perfectionist, was at least as responsible for shaping the sound of the band as Amy Lee. While she contributed her vocal, lyrical, and compositional talents, he crafted the distinctive sonic shape. What will Evanescence (which might now be more aptly named "The Amy Lee Band") sound like in the future?

If Amy Lee's guest appearance in the Seether song "Broken" is any indication, probably not as spectacular (but still good). While her voice is great, it just isn't the same without that trademark Evanescence band sound.

Then again, maybe I'm talking out of my ass, and the new Evanescence will go on to create much more great music for years to come. We shall see...