Disco de After Forever: “Decipher [Sweden Bonus Tracks]”

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.

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

"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.

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

Decipher was the first album I listened to from After Forever. At first I was not sure if I liked it because it was just so different from anything I had ever heard before. But it grew on me and I absolutely love their music now. I have almost all of their cd's now, including the new one, Remagine. But Decipher is still my favorite - the songs are just so complex and diverse. I just can't wait for the day when they tour in the US!!

I would recommend Decipher as your first AF purchase!

Ahh, After Forever - home to Floor Jansen, owner of the finest vocal chords this side of the known universe and hands down the most ridiculous frontwoman in Scandinavian B&B metal (that is, beauty and the beast, for reasons which quickly become evident as one listens to the music). To put it simply, I just cannot appreciate any of the other female voices that have crossed my ears after listening to Floor wail away for an hour. Where their voices are pretty, soothing, and gentle; Floor's voice is a beautiful, powerful, and stunning force of nature. Her delivery is so pure and so unmarred by any detectable deficiency that it's like listening to angels roar in your ear... or at least, that's what I imagine it would sound like. Then there's her range - the notes she hits and holds with absolutely no strain are unreal.

Anyway, before this review becomes an obsessive essay about Miss Jansen...

Decipher is a very elegant album. The mixture of metallic and symphonic elements is presented in a way that seems perfectly natural, as if metal and symphony were destined at some point to join impeccably; that point, of course, being Decipher. It does not lean heavily toward the power metal side as with Nightwish, nor does it ever feel as watered down as Within Temptation, nor as overly dreamy and forgiving as Leaves' Eyes... it is a very delicate balance of all associated elements - composed intelligently, produced professionally, and performed flawlessly - and the average age of the band at the time of this recording was 19!

The listener is initially greeted with "Ex Cathedra", which is an orchestral chamber piece filled with choirs, chanters, violins, and otherwise lush classical instrumentation. It builds, swelling dynamically until it finally bursts into "Monolith of Doubt", which is certainly a change of pace. Double bass drums, crashing cymbals, and powerful riffs provide a driving metallic foundation that's strikingly enhanced by symphonic flourishes and, soon after, Floor's glorious voice harmonizing with the soft yet sinister growls of Mark Jansen (no relation to Floor). The highlight here is at around 2:53, where Floor holds a most intense note (I'm not sure which exactly, but probably high enough to shatter glass) for about 10 seconds - it really needs to be heard to be believed. The first of the two-part "My Pledge of Allegiance" is also very noteworthy. The song has a Middle Eastern theme, and features several breathtaking moments from Floor (possibly even more so than on "Monolith of Doubt") where she hits and holds a note so high, perfect, and tranquil that it makes me shiver.

The remainder of the album moves through similar arrangements. Floor and Mark continually trade off vocal duties in dramatic fashion atop exquisite musicianship that focuses as much on power and impact as it does on beauty and elegance. "Imperfect Tenses" is a pretty duet between Floor and a guest tenor vocalist... it doesn't do much for me in particular, but it's quite touching. "Forlorn Hope", the album closer, has a similar feel to "Monolith of Doubt" with a tad more drama, and is an excellent finish. Of note is the drumming of Andre Borgman - his style is far more varied and dynamic than what you normally hear from bands like this; his foot and cymbal work is very interesting, and his rhythmic phrasing is a pleasure to listen to.

All in all, After Forever don't win any points for originality, as this style of music is damn popular over in that region of the world... but, to put it bluntly, Floor Jansen obliterates her peers in such embarrassing fashion that there really is no question as to who's at the top of the symphonic metal food chain over in the mighty Netherlands.

even if Decipher takes a more symphonic direction , after the more black metallish debut, Prison Of Desire, this very talented, sextet still shows the likes of Sins of thy beloved, Sorg, within temptation and (YES), even the mighty Tristania, that competition is about to get very fierce indeed. one reviewer put it rightly that After Forever are at the same time, at both ends of the light/dark musical spectrum: their music can be depressive, but also uplifting, while other similar bands tend to stay in the 'darker' side of that style of music.

Floor jansen has got to be one of the most versatile singers ever; her voice goes from operatic soprano (like Nightwish's Tarja) to a more 'poppy' sound (a bit like Lullacry), while remaining strong and crystal clear. But the comparison stops here! Sander's growls; even if they're less present on that album, still are menacing enough and give much character and power to A.F's music. dangerously catchy riffs are EVERYWHERE on this album, just like on "Prison of desire" but the true highlight is the demonically riffing "my pledge of allegiance pt 1", which takes you by surprise after the oriental-sounding intro. with all the variation in their music, A.F. 's playing remains surprisingly tight and neat. if you've gotten that far reading this review, you are URGED to discover one viciously addictive symphonic/gothic/black metal band, starting by any of their 2 available full lengths (a third LP is scheduled in march 2004). i assure you that you wont regret it!