# The Open Door
**The Open Door** is the second studio album by the American rock band [Evanescence](https://www.edgepedia.org/evanescence), released on September 25, 2006, by Wind-up Records as the follow-up to their 2003 debut *Fallen*.[1](https://evanescence.info/projects/the-open-door/) It was the first album made after the departure of co-founder, guitarist, and co-songwriter [Ben Moody](https://www.edgepedia.org/ben-moody), and it marked the point at which singer [Amy Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/amy-lee) took full creative control of the band.[2](https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-open-door) • [3](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/evanescence-the-open-door-album-interview-2006) The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 447,000 copies, the band's first number one on that chart, and reached the top ten in 20 countries.[4](https://www.evanescencereference.info/wiki/index.php?title=The_Open_Door)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | Second studio album, September 25, 2006, Wind-up Records; produced by Dave Fortman[1](https://evanescence.info/projects/the-open-door/) • [2](https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-open-door) |
| US chart | Debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with more than 447,000 copies sold in its first week; *Fallen* had peaked at No. 3[4](https://www.evanescencereference.info/wiki/index.php?title=The_Open_Door) |
| International chart | No. 1 in five countries including Australia and Germany; top ten in 20 countries; Top 5 in more than 15 countries[4](https://www.evanescencereference.info/wiki/index.php?title=The_Open_Door) • [5](https://craftrecordings.com/blogs/news/evanescence-20yearsoftheopendoor) |
| UK chart | Peak position No. 2 on the Official Albums Chart, first chart date 14 October 2006, 20 weeks on the chart[6](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/evanescence-the-open-door/) |
| Singles | "Call Me When You're Sober" (a Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit), "Lithium," "Sweet Sacrifice," and "Good Enough"[7](https://evanescence.bandcamp.com/album/the-open-door-deluxe-edition) |
| Genre | Alternative metal, gothic rock, symphonic metal[1](https://evanescence.info/projects/the-open-door/) |
| Critical reception | Metascore 61 on Metacritic ("generally favorable," 12 critic reviews); user score 8.5[2](https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-open-door) |
## Background and creative control
*Fallen* had become a global phenomenon, earning two [Grammy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/grammy-awards) and selling 14 million copies worldwide, so the follow-up arrived with enormous expectations.[5](https://craftrecordings.com/blogs/news/evanescence-20yearsoftheopendoor) • [3](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/evanescence-the-open-door-album-interview-2006) The circumstances had changed sharply: Ben Moody, the band's co-founder and the debut's co-songwriter, left at the end of 2003, and Amy Lee was left in charge.[3](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/evanescence-the-open-door-album-interview-2006) Lee later described the period after *Fallen* as unstable, saying that *The Open Door* "was me taking control," and she has said that on this album she took full creative control of the band.[8](https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewfirriolo/evanescence-amy-lee-the-open-door-20th-anniversary-interview) • [9](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/interviews/evanescence-metal-hammer-cover-2026)
**Personal material shaped the lyrics.** Lee has said the first song written for the album was "Snow White Queen," written from the perspective of a stalker, because she had a couple of them; the Grammy experience brought excitement but also anxiety and extra security while she was writing the record.[8](https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewfirriolo/evanescence-amy-lee-the-open-door-20th-anniversary-interview) Her two-year relationship with Seether frontman [Shaun Morgan](https://www.edgepedia.org/shaun-morgan) turned sour, and the breakup is widely understood to have fueled the lead single "Call Me When You're Sober."[3](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/evanescence-the-open-door-album-interview-2006) Lee has described her songwriting method as making music out of what she needs, processing what is happening around her.[8](https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewfirriolo/evanescence-amy-lee-the-open-door-20th-anniversary-interview)
## Recording
The writing and recording of the album was slow for several reasons: guitarist [Terry Balsamo](https://www.edgepedia.org/terry-balsamo), recruited from Cold as Moody's successor, suffered a stroke in November 2005; Lee was involved in a lawsuit against her former manager; and she wanted to take her time making the album.[4](https://www.evanescencereference.info/wiki/index.php?title=The_Open_Door) Dave Fortman returned as producer from the debut.[2](https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-open-door) Lee said that making the record was intense but not particularly hard, and that touring had made her a better musician and singer.[3](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/evanescence-the-open-door-album-interview-2006)
## Music and themes
While distorted guitars still featured, the record also embraced lush orchestral arrangements, electronic elements, choir parts, and tracks built around piano, opening up a broader space for Lee's vocals.[5](https://craftrecordings.com/blogs/news/evanescence-20yearsoftheopendoor) It was the band's first album with really recorded strings, conducted by David Campbell, rather than orchestral synths.[10](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-open-door-mw0000445527) Reviewers noted the range: "Sweet Sacrifice" opens the record at full force, while "Lithium" brings piano and orchestration to the foreground, and "Lacrymosa" incorporates Mozart, lifted from the operetta of the same title.[5](https://craftrecordings.com/blogs/news/evanescence-20yearsoftheopendoor) • [10](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-open-door-mw0000445527)
Lee has said that "All That I'm Living For" stands at the heart of the record's central theme: working through and coping with relationships beneath the enormous weight of celebrity, public exposure, and all the strain that comes with it.[8](https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewfirriolo/evanescence-amy-lee-the-open-door-20th-anniversary-interview) She also declined to repeat the male rap-vocal formula of "Bring Me to Life," saying that was something requested of the band on the debut and not something they wanted to repeat.[3](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/evanescence-the-open-door-album-interview-2006)
## Commercial performance and reception
The album debuted at number one on the [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) 200 with more than 447,000 copies in its first week, topped charts around the world, and reached the Top 5 in more than 15 countries.[5](https://craftrecordings.com/blogs/news/evanescence-20yearsoftheopendoor) In the United Kingdom it entered at number 2 on 14 October 2006 and spent 20 weeks on the Official Albums Chart.[6](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/evanescence-the-open-door/) "Sweet Sacrifice" earned a Grammy nomination.[7](https://evanescence.bandcamp.com/album/the-open-door-deluxe-edition)
Critical reception was mixed. Metacritic recorded a Metascore of 61, based on 12 critic reviews, against a user score of 8.5.[2](https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-open-door) Some reviewers judged it a worthy continuation of the band's blend of nu-metal, goth rock, and classical elements with an increase of classical and goth; others found the songs less distinct than those on *Fallen*.[10](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-open-door-mw0000445527) • [11](https://adventures-in-pop-culture.com/2006/10/19/the-open-door-by-evanescence-and-a-thousand-different-ways-by-clay-aiken-%E2%80%93-music-review/) A 2026 Metal Hammer feature notes that although Lee was proud of the album, it sold a fraction of *Fallen*.[9](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/interviews/evanescence-metal-hammer-cover-2026)
## 20th anniversary
Twenty years after its release, the album returns in a newly remastered and expanded 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, arriving November 6, 2026, via Craft Recordings on 2-LP, CD, and digital formats.[5](https://craftrecordings.com/blogs/news/evanescence-20yearsoftheopendoor) The set pairs the original album with four bonus tracks: the era rarities "If You Don't Mind," "Together Again," and "The Last Song I'm Wasting On You," plus a never-before-released demo of "Good Enough."[5](https://craftrecordings.com/blogs/news/evanescence-20yearsoftheopendoor) The 2-LP set comes in a deluxe gatefold jacket with a range of color variants, including a Craft-exclusive Metallic Blue and a Barnes & Noble Sea Glass edition.[5](https://craftrecordings.com/blogs/news/evanescence-20yearsoftheopendoor)
## References
1. [The Open Door, Evanescence.info](https://evanescence.info/projects/the-open-door/)
2. [The Open Door by Evanescence, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/music/the-open-door)
3. [The Evanescence album that saw Amy Lee take control of her band and her life, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/evanescence-the-open-door-album-interview-2006)
4. [The Open Door, The Evanescence Reference](https://www.evanescencereference.info/wiki/index.php?title=The_Open_Door)
5. [Evanescence: 20 Years of The Open Door, Craft Recordings](https://craftrecordings.com/blogs/news/evanescence-20yearsoftheopendoor)
6. [The Open Door, Evanescence, Official Charts Company](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/evanescence-the-open-door/)
7. [The Open Door (Deluxe Edition), Evanescence, Bandcamp](https://evanescence.bandcamp.com/album/the-open-door-deluxe-edition)
8. [Evanescence's Amy Lee Looks Back On "The Open Door" 20 Years Later, BuzzFeed](https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewfirriolo/evanescence-amy-lee-the-open-door-20th-anniversary-interview)
9. [Amy Lee reflects on 20-plus years of Evanescence, Louder / Metal Hammer](https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/interviews/evanescence-metal-hammer-cover-2026)
10. [Evanescence: The Open Door Tracks & Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-open-door-mw0000445527)
11. [The Open Door by Evanescence, Adventures in Pop Culture review](https://adventures-in-pop-culture.com/2006/10/19/the-open-door-by-evanescence-and-a-thousand-different-ways-by-clay-aiken-%E2%80%93-music-review/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Albums and recorded releases › Studio albums › New wave and post-punk albums › Gothic rock albums*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license