Search - After Forever :: Decipher

A rose and its thorns.

Lord Chimp | Monkey World | 05/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's not like After Forever scores any points for originality. Their approach to music is actually quite prevalent in the European metal market -- they call it B&B metal (for beauty & the beast). These bands combine a heavenly female vocalist with some throaty, growling male vocals; the music is gothic, operatic, and heavy all together. Principally stemming from its goth metal roots, the music is heavy on atmosphere and melancholy, with standard metal instruments accompanied by strings, keyboards, and other nonmetal components.Honestly, it is a genre I have never cared for much (Theatre of Tragedy, in particular, was one of the most horrifying experiences in my life). However, After Forever is nothing short of stunning, yet it's a bit difficult to say why they appeal to me while others do not. It's easiest to credit the band's vocal power, namely soprano Floor Jansen. Her accuracy is simply preternatural and her tone is achingly beautiful. She is beyond compare. I know it's not a competition, but her singing ability is truly remarkable. Her peers are destroyed with every heavenly note. Most remarkable of all? I believe she was only around 20-years old when this album was recorded. Unless her voice is tragically destroyed someday, she could become a force to be reckoned with in the future. As for the growling and screaming guys, they're tolerable. After Forever makes it work because this album is 95% Miss Jansen. However, throw Mikael Akerfeldt in this band and they'd be the ultimate force. (That said, however, the "beast" element of the band is used sparingly.) Many B&B bands just don't have the powerful vocal element of After Forever -- their female singers sound pretty rather than beautiful; gentle instead of powerful. If that might not be enough to make After Forever especially distinguished, but I'm not sure what else does it. All I know is that this album is hot. The songs are theatrical and powerful, orchestrated with exquisite drama. It begins with "Ex Cathedra", which sounds like gothic chamber music with opera choirs. The album then segues into "Monolith of Doubt", which _will_ convince you of the band's goodness immediately. Driving metal is accented by orchestral sparkles, with sinister growls harmonizing with an angelic vocal -- a striking effect. A killer transition into a short, soft piano passage highlights the chilling caress of Jansen's gorgeous voice, and towards the end of the track she executes a high F that may shatter windows. The scary thing? She makes it sound easy!And it gets better. "Fornlorn Hope" sets some gorgeous, lugubrious string arrangements against brisk metal rhythms, and the chorus' mournful, inebriating beauty will make you shiver. "Imperfect Tenses" is amazing -- a torrid, dramatic duet between Jansen and guest tenor Rein Kolpa. I can almost imagine this song being performed in an opera house with a wintry set and dim lighting, and the chemistry between the two singers is so salient I can visible see it. The final note they carry together is magical. Its vaporous layers of strings are very gentle, and only the light drumming around the edges suggests that a metal band is performing this song. "My Pledge of Allegiance" parts I and II are tinged with Arabian influences, featuring sitar and Middle Eastern percussion. The band's latest single, "Emphasis", is infectiously orchestrated with more of those beautiful vocals. "Instrinsic" is slow and moving, with a reflective lyric and a huge, powerful chorus. It breaks into the intense, clomping metal of "Zenith", with omnipresent soaring soprana and some growls.From what I gather, this album isn't that popular...even among the folks who normally listen to this kind of music. This is incomprehensible. This band should be huge. Give this album a try, and you're likely to agree."

BUY THIS CD AT ANY PRICE AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN!!!!!!

Just Bill | Grand Rapids, MI United States | 02/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Decipher, the second album from the Dutch band After Forever, is nothing short of breathtaking. It gripped me the second I heard it and hasn't let go after nearly three days of non-stop listening.The music is perfect. Right down to the soaring, flawless soprano voice of lead singer Floor Jansen. She is easily on par with Annie Haslam of Renaissance. There isn't a voice like hers out there right now. It's stunning.The bed her beautiful voice lies on is a complex, but compelling, mixture of classical music, heavy metal, even gothic metal but done so tastefully that you'd swear the London Symphony Orchestra had put its seal of approval on it.The orchestration is gorgeous. They keyboard work is stellar. The guitars -- similar in sound and tempo to Symphony X (but without the Yngwie histrionics) -- drive each song forward. And the double-kick drum work of Andre Borgman is equal to some of the best you'll find anywhere. Even the recording is fantastic.And get this: According to their web site the average age of this band is 19. Nineteen?!?!? When you hear this you will not believe it. There's something extremely -- and I emphasize the word extremely -- special about this group. I have never heard anything like them...and I've been a music nut for 30 years.The 11 tracks on Decipher begin with lush orchestration on "Ex Cathedra" that slowly builds to a crescendo ushering in "Monolith of Doubt" -- an incredible guitar-riffing song that doesn't disappoint from the first note. I get the chills when I listen to this song. Literally. I'm listening to it now and the break at 1:50 got me...and you won't believe the note Floor holds (for 10 seconds!) that begins at 2:54. What an incredible range she has!Decipher contains enough musical diversity to interest even the most jaded listener...and enough musical mastery to astound even fellow musicians. The only part about After Forever I'm not as enamored with are the occasional male vocal growls, snarls and yells that sound like they'd fit better on a black metal album. I know they make an incredible juxaposition against Floor's perfect voice (like on the song "My Pledge of Allegiance #1" where the two vocal styles trade lyrics -- and Floor hits the stratosphere with a few of her notes), but After Forever could eliminate that side of their sound and not miss it at all. In fact, it may even help them reach even wider audiences without compromising their hard-edged sound.If there's not something on this CD that appeals to you, please rush to your nearest doctor for an ear test. You'd have to be deaf not to hear the magic in this band.The bottom line: this is the most electrifying group I've heard in years! They have never toured the U.S. and -- to my knowledge -- are still virtually unknown here. That, my friends, is a crime we owe it to ourselves to rectify.Please do yourself a favor: buy this CD immediately. Then play it for everyone. Tell everyone. Get in touch with radio stations. Put up posters. This band deserves the widest possible audience."

After Forever, Holland's other Symphonic Femme Gothique Band

Mr D. | Cave Creek, Az United States | 03/15/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are actually some people who prefer After Forever to Within Temptation, however, chances are if you like After Forever you also like Within Temptation. Why? Because they have so much in common, that's why. What do they have in common? Well, for starters they each have one of the best lady singers in the Galaxy. After Forever's fabulous singer is Floor Jansen and W.T. has the incomparable Sharon den Adel. Both bands are Dutch and they both play similar music, Melodious, Symphonic Metal. They are each acquainted and each band has had band members guest on one of Arjen Lucassen's grand productions. In turn he has guested on one or more of their songs. This type of musical symbiosis is not uncommon in Northern Europe and Scandinavia and seems to contribute to the great music that emerges from the area. The only difference between A.F. and W.T. is that for their sophomore release W.T. dropped the growling male vox and After Forever only reduced theirs. Decipher is their second album and a third, Excordium, is due out shortly. Decipher has been a very good seller and has spawned several singles. SONG LIST
"Ex Cathedra: Ouverture", is just what the name implies, an interesting instrumental symphonic, Overture. "Monolith of Doubt", We get to the best song fast, a furious medium fast but varied tempo tour de force, with violins, choirs, Floor's magnificent voice, heavy double bass drums and ... the works. "My Pledge of Allegiance No.1: The Sealed Fate", a definite Eastern slant on this number. Starts out with a sitar and the refrain carries the theme through. We do have a few raspy growls but not the detriment of the music, and of course we have Floor, who simply outdoes herself. "Emphasis", A good song, actually released as a single but not up to the previous two pieces. A medium fast number with Floor and some background singing and some double tracking of Floor. "Intrinsic", is the counterpart to the heavier numbers of before, a calm, emotional beginning with acoustic guitars, oboe, the strings and after that some suiting e-guitars, the pace picks up to finish powerfully, with some glorious violin work and more. "Zenith", Starting with a raspy vocal augmented and somewhat neutralized by accompanied violins, this is a powerful, intriguing piece with ups and downs and multiple tempos and moods. "Estranged: A Timeless Spell", another brilliant song, with lots of feeling and change of pace and again a few raspy growls but not much. This is a long song which feels like a musical saga. "Imperfect Tenses", is the requisite male/female ballad, pretty but nothing special. "My Pledge of Allegiance No. 2: The Tempted", a continuation of No. 1 sans the Eastern flavor. "The Key", as with Ex Cathedra The Key opens with a cello which continues for a little as Floor starts singing. This is another song I like a lot with a catchy beat, lots of variety and a grand closing. I especially like the excellent keyboards. By the way, I like the growls in this song. "Forlorn Hope", another five star song which again excels in the great alternation between heaviness and speed on the one side and atmosphere and emotions on the other. Conclusion I have mixed emotions regarding After Forever. One cannot deny the goddess like voice of Floor Jansen or the tight musicianship, excellent compositions and arrangements. This is a band that is growing every day. Some songs were wonderful, perhaps superlative but others were less impressive. Although I like many of the songs on Decipher, a lot, I feel there are other similar recordings I like better as a whole. On a sidenote, founding member Mark Jansen has left the band due to artistic differences and has formed his another band, known as Epica. I will be posting a review on their debut, Phantom Agony, shortly. This of course is the same thing that happened to Tristania when Morten Veland left and formed Sirenia.
All I can say is good show, the more new bands playing this fantastic style of music the better. Similar Bands Within Temptation, Penumbra, Epica, The Sins of Thy Beloved, Tristania, Nightwish, Dreams of Sanity, Artrosis, Edenbridge, Sirenia, Odes to Ecstasy, Pettalom, Delight, Moonlight, Darzamat, Orchrist"