The Open Door by Evanescence

The Open Door is the second album by the American rock band Evanescence, released on October 3, 2006 by Wind-up Records. This album was initially set to be released in March of 2006, but was postponed as a result of guitarist Terry Balsamo's stroke, the loss of the band's former manager, and Will Boyd's and Ben Moody's departure from the group. The record symbolizes a new beginning for the band, incorporating new elements into their previous musical styles, including gothic rock and symphonic metal, as well as the use of choirs on several songs. The writing process for the album took over 18 months to complete; most of the songs were written by Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo, while production was handled by Dave Fortman. The Open Door received mixed to positive reviews from music critics, who generally praised its lyrical content and the instrumentation accompanied by Lee's vocals. Some critics gave negative reviews regarding the band's sound, which differs from that of the band's previous album, Fallen (2003). The record was nominated at the 50th Grammy Awards for Best Hard Rock Performance for "Sweet Sacrifice". The band also won in the category of Album of the Year at the 2007 MTV Australia Video Music Awards. The Open Door debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling more than 447,000 copies in its first week. It topped the charts in Australia, Europe, Germany, Greece and Switzerland, and reached the top five in over 15 countries. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) just over a month after its release, and has since been certified double platinum. The record has sold more than five million copies worldwide. "Call Me When You're Sober" was released digitally as the album's lead single on September 14, 2006. It peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and charted in the top 20 of several charts internationally. "Lithium" was released as the second single on January 1, 2007, and "Sweet Sacrifice" was released as the third international single from the album on May 5, 2007. "Good Enough" was scheduled to be released on December 14, 2007, but was ultimately cancelled. The Open Door was supported by two worldwide tours, The Open Door Tour and the Evanescence Tour.