Sanctuary (Evanescence album)
2026 studio album by Evanescence
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Sanctuary is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Evanescence, released on June 5, 2026 through BMG. The album is produced by Jordan Fish, Nick Raskulinecz, and Zakk Cervini, and it is the band's first to feature bassist Emma Anzai.
- MDDN Studios (Los Angeles, California, US)
- Steakhouse Studios (Los Angeles, California, US)
- Rock Falcon Studio (Nashville, Tennessee, US)
| Sanctuary | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 5, 2026 | |||
| Recorded | November 2024 – 2026 | |||
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| Length | 48:56 | |||
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| Producer |
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| Evanescence chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Sanctuary | ||||
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Sanctuary has been supported by two singles: "Afterlife", released on March 28, 2025 as part of the Devil May Cry soundtrack; and "Who Will You Follow", released on April 10, 2026. The band will embark on a world tour in promotion of the album starting June 11, 2026.[1]
Background and conception
In September 2024, the band stated that they would be entering the studio to record new music for their sixth studio album that November.[2][3] The song "Afterlife," from the Netflix animated series Devil May Cry, was released as a single on March 28, 2025. Amy Lee called it "the first of many" new songs that were to be released.[4] In December 2025, Lee stated that there would be a new Evanescence album released in 2026.[5] The album's title and artwork was announced in April 2026.[6]
Speaking about the album's title during an interview with Kerrang! in April 2026, Lee said she had referenced it in a November 2015 concert where she said "This is our sanctuary, we find comfort and connection through the power of music."[6] With the record, she aimed to make music that was more open and honest. Made in the midst of American president Donald Trump's re-election, Lee said that the band was concerned by the political turmoil in the country and wanted to channel their emotions into their songs, saying:
Turn on the news and you can get inspired to write a heavy rock song with plenty of rage, especially as a woman. It's just really hard, because I'm not political. I don't want this. This was put upon us all. How we react and respond to this moment has nothing to do with if we want to be a 'political voice'. I absolutely do not, but I do want to rise to the moment. We don't have a choice. We've been forced into this situation where if we don't speak up and fight back against tyranny, against human rights violations, against blowing people up, we're next.[6]
Release and promotion
Sanctuary was released on June 5, 2026, through BMG Rights Management.[7]
"Afterlife", the first song released from the album, was released on March 28, 2025 as part of the soundtrack of the adult animated series Devil May Cry.[8][9] The album's second single, "Who Will You Follow", was released on April 10, 2026.[10][11]
The album will be promoted by a headlining world tour set to begin on June 11, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Florida.[1] Openers across select dates of the tour include K.Flay, with whom the band released the non-album single "Fight Like a Girl" from the soundtrack of Ballerina (2025);[12] Spiritbox; Poppy; and Nova Twins.[13]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [14] |
| The Arts Desk |  [15] |
| Blabbermouth.net | 8.5/10[16] |
| Kerrang! | 4/5[17] |
| Metal Hammer | [18] |
Writing for Blabbermouth.net, Anne Erickson called Sanctuary a "fairly heavy" record that sees the band experimenting while carrying over their brand of gothic hard rock.[16] Steve Beebee from Kerrang said the album "investigates new paths" and has influences of producer Jordan Fish's electronic stylings, commending the band's forward-facing approach and finding the music prime for a live setting.[17]
Commercial performance
In the United States, Sanctuary debuted at number 38 on the Billboard 200 with just over 21,000 album-equivalent units.[19]
In the United Kingdom, the album debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number 10, selling 7,334 total units.[20][21]
In Japan, Sanctuary peaked at number 35 on the Oricon Albums Chart, selling 1,229 copies in its first week.[22]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beautiful Lie" |
| Nick Raskulinecz | 4:11 |
| 2. | "Tell Me When You've Had Enough" |
|
| 3:18 |
| 3. | "Who Will You Follow" |
|
| 3:55 |
| 4. | "Rapture" |
|
| 3:29 |
| 5. | "Afterlife" |
|
| 4:09 |
| 6. | "Sanctuary" |
|
| 4:16 |
| 7. | "How Do I Heal" |
|
| 3:49 |
| 8. | "About Us" |
| Raskulinecz | 4:50 |
| 9. | "Calm Down" |
| Raskulinecz | 4:19 |
| 10. | "Self Destruct" |
|
| 3:52 |
| 11. | "Forever Without You" |
| Raskulinecz | 5:13 |
| 12. | "Wide Open Heart" |
|
| 3:35 |
| Total length: | 49:06 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Forever Without You" (Solo Performance Mix) |
| 5:13 |
| 14. | "Fight Like a Girl" (featuring K.Flay) |
| 3:06 |
| Total length: | 57:25 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Beautiful Lie" (instrumental) | 4:11 |
| 14. | "Tell Me When You've Had Enough" (instrumental) | 3:18 |
| 15. | "Who Will You Follow" (instrumental) | 3:55 |
| 16. | "Rapture" (instrumental) | 3:29 |
| 17. | "Afterlife" (instrumental) | 4:09 |
| 18. | "Sanctuary" (instrumental) | 4:16 |
| 19. | "How Do I Heal" (instrumental) | 3:49 |
| 20. | "About Us" (instrumental) | 4:50 |
| 21. | "Calm Down" (instrumental) | 4:19 |
| 22. | "Self Destruct" (instrumental) | 3:52 |
| 23. | "Forever Without You" (instrumental) | 5:13 |
| 24. | "Wide Open Heart" (instrumental) | 3:35 |
| Total length: | 98:12 | |
The deluxe edition of the Japanese CD includes a bonus blu-ray disc of a concert recorded in Amsterdam.
Personnel
Credits are adapted from Tidal.[25]
Evanescence
- Amy Lee – vocals (all tracks), keys (all tracks), programming (tracks 1, 8, 9), string arrangement
- Troy McLawhorn – guitar
- Emma Anzai – bass
- Tim McCord – guitar
- Will Hunt – drums
Additional musicians
- Jordan Fish – programming (1, 8, 9)
- Tiago Nunez – programming (1, 8, 9)
- Will B. Hunt – programming (9)
- Carrie Lee South – additional vocals (1)
- Lori Bulloch – additional vocals (1)
- Susie Benchasil Seiter – conductor, orchestration (6, 7, 10–12)
- Chad Seiter – additional orchestration (6, 7, 10–12)
- Connor Bamsey – score crew (6, 7, 10–12)
- Hannah Kacmarsky – score crew (6, 7, 10–12)
- Michael Wandmacher – string arrangement (6, 7, 10–12)
- Adam Millstein – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Aiko Richter – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Ana Landauer – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Anna Kostyuchek – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Ben Jacobson – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Chad Cannon – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Christian Hebel – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Ellen Jung – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Eun-Mee Ahn – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Fernando Lascura – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Gallia Kastner – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Haesol Lee – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Leah Zeger – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Marisa Kuney – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Mark Robertson – violin (6, 7, 10–12), concertmaster, contractor
- Mona Tian – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Nina Evtuhov – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Stephanie Matthews – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Yvette Holzwarth – violin (6, 7, 10–12)
- Andrew Duckles – viola (6, 7, 10–12)
- Carolyn Riley – viola (6, 7, 10–12)
- Corrine Sobolewski – viola (6, 7, 10–12)
- I-Ting Huang – viola (6, 7, 10–12)
- Luke Maurer – viola (6, 7, 10–12)
- Stefan Smith – viola (6, 7, 10–12)
- Ben Lash – cello (6, 7, 10–12)
- Dave Eggar – cello (6, 7, 10–12)
- Evgeny Tonkha – cello (6, 7, 10–12)
- Hillary Ahn – cello (6, 7, 10–12)
- Sarah Kim – cello (6, 7, 10–12)
- Vanessa Freebairn-Smith – cello (6, 7, 10–12)
- Eric Shetzen – bass (6, 7, 10–12)
- Steve Pfeiffer – bass (6, 7, 10–12)
Technical
- Nathan Yarborough – engineering (1, 8, 9)
- Julian Gargiulo – engineering (2–4, 6, 7, 10, 12), mixing assistance (all tracks)
- Nick Raskulinecz – engineering (5, 11)
- Justin Moshkevich – engineering (6, 7, 10–12)
- Dinos Alvanos – engineering assistance (6, 7, 10–12)
- Zakk Cervini – mixing
- Luc Alexiades – mixing assistance
- Ted Jensen – mastering
Charts
| Chart (2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[26] | 2 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[27] | 6 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[28] | 21 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[29] | 7 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[30] | 80 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[31] | 46 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[32] | 23 |
| French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP)[33] | 1 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[34] | 5 |
| German Pop Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[35] | 2 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[36] | 35 |
| Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[37] | 18 |
| Japanese Rock Albums (Oricon)[38] | 7 |
| Japanese Top Albums Sales (Billboard)[39] | 28 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[40] | 5 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV)[41] | 45 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP)[42] | 38 |
| Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[43] | 8 |
| Spanish Albums (Promusicae)[44] | 72 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[45] | 7 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts)[46] | 10 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (Official Charts)[47] | 1 |
| US Billboard 200[48] | 38 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[49] | 5 |
| US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard)[50] | 8 |