After years of every female-fronted band under the sun being compared to Evanescence, we have a collaboration between not just Amy Lee, but two of the biggest names in modern heavy music. Poppy has been blending genres like a kid that got into the painting supplies, with 2020's I Disagree sending her stock into the goddamn stratosphere. Meanwhile, Courtney LaPlante and Spiritbox have drawn upon numerous influences to carve out their own sound, with her voice just as likely to scare as it is to soothe.
The result is "End Of You," and it may not have been everything we wanted, but it is everything we needed.
As some have pointed out (hell, some of our own have said as much), the production on "End Of You" is a bit overkill, a bit too pristine. With Zakk Cervini, Mike Stringer, and Jordan Fish cooking like chefs and being five-star Michelins at once, that's the cost of doing business. The stacking of the song, however, is where it shines. Amy's vocals start out, allowing the track to build up to a powerful chorus. For some reason, I keep getting pulled back to "Lithium" when thinking of Amy's vocals here.
Poppy's verse is a passing of the torch of sorts, and she runs with it. It's almost as if her voice is finding the confidence to follow up Amy's (and valid, it's Amy fucking Lee, after all). The switch in the breakdown to Poppy's screams into Courtney's is the stuff of beauty, and by the end, we get all three voices layered into something magical.
Is it the best thing ever? No, not even the best thing to come out this year overall. But as far as convergences and moments in time, this is a damn important one. Amy Lee and Evanescence are still going strong and putting out massive hits, and Poppy and Spiritbox are carrying the banner that Lee once held aloft all alone, more or less.
With the recent tease of further collaboration between the three acts plus K.Flay, who Evanescence partnered with for "Fight Like A Girl" earlier this year, "End Of You" becomes a first step in what will be an ongoing saga. K-pop might have HUNTR/X these days, but metal has Amy Lee, Courtney LaPlante, and Poppy to seal its own honmoon.
In case you've not been initiated, check out "End Of You" below:
Stay tuned to The Nu Metal Agenda to see what other Agendy Awards we hand out this year.
