Much like frozen coffee, After Forever's latest shocks...delights...and Energizes!
Written: Jun 13 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Catchiest metal ever. Loud, abrasive, peaceful, soothing.
Cons: Doro's guest appearance drags "Who I Am" down. An unpopular opinion, to be sure.
The Bottom Line: Who knew metal could be this much fun?
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| blindsider's Full Review: After Forever - After Forever |
It's common knowledge that all bands of all musical genres hype their latest release up as their absolute best, most mature, and most diverse. Think of a positive descriptor of any kind, place "most" in front of it, and it's guaranteed that some artist in this world is using it right this second to promote their most recent work. So when members of the Dutch metal band After Forever promised their fifth full-length album would be their most eclectic and interesting to date, I didn't bat an eye.
Well, maybe I should have.
I've had this self-titled little number in high rotation over the past couple months, and I dig it more as time goes by. I'll note very quickly that it is not, and never will be, my favorite After Forever album (I will forever be a Prison of Desire girl). I'll also state that it is the most energetic, enthusiastic sounding After Forever album by a long shot. Two songtitles on this release contain some form of the word 'energize,' and it's easy to tell why. The song choruses are the catchiest that can possibly be found in modern heavy metal, the keyboard arrangements have clearly been doused with 93 cans of Red Bull, and Floor Jansen offers up some of her most outstanding, passionate vocals to date.
I should clarify a few things, specifically one thing After Forever no longer is, and something the band members have no intention of being again: gothic. The dark atmospheres of Prison of Desire and Decipher dwindled away the moment Mark Jansen (the band's founding guitarist/screamer/songwriter) left to form Epica. Those elements of After Forever's music are not coming back, and will only shine through in live performances of the old material. It has taken me a while to accept that, but I finally have. I think the refreshing sound of this album has helped me a great deal in accepting that. After Forever demonstrates more clearly than ever before that After Forever can now only be described as a METAL band that happens to be fronted by a female. They should not be lumped up with the other European female-fronted metal bands any longer, because frankly, they no longer share musical similarities.
Most of After Forever is quite aggressive, with symphonic elements that bring to mind Dimmu Borgir and wild guitar riffs influenced by metal legends like Judas Priest and Slayer. A good example is the opener, "Discord," which flawlessly blends the fury of guitarist/grunter Sander Gommans' raw growls and panicked double-bass drumming sections with the sly female touch of Floor and most importantly, Joost van den Broek's magnificently rich keyboard melodies.
Heavy on percussion and whirring, synthy sound effects, "Transitory" is sure to get any heavy metal fan's head nodding with the inescapable groove and commanding chorus, sung astonishingly well by Floor. Then there's lead single, the fast paced, ridiculously fun "Energize Me," which could be my pick for 'feel-good' song of the year. Floor explores the highs and lows of her vocal range in the '80s-inspired verses, while the chorus' main hook, "Energize me with a simple touch," is summed up perfectly through music as guitarist Bas Maas performs a smooth solo to cap off the song.
The highlights continue to pop up. The explosive main riff of "Equally Destructive" is rough as hell, which is why Floor's angelic vocals work with it so excellently. Contrast is a beautiful thing. One of the heaviest numbers, "Withering Time," really allows the choir to shine, though it doesn't ignore the other elements of After Forever's sound. Andre Borgman's drumming talent is put on clear display while Sander unleashes some of his most bone-chilling growls.
"De-Energized" may be my personal favorite, utilizing a slow, dramatic buildup to introduce what I would call After Forever's most punishingly heavy song. Jeff Waters of legendary metal band Annihilator is a notable guest here, playing lead guitars on the track. Most of the song's lyrics are roared, shrieked, and incredibly barked out by Sander, but Floor brings things full circle with the lovely, singable chorus:
I see a false alliance causing all this pain
I see a sick relation ending up in vain
I see a world at war because of pride and might
I feel we're all getting de-energized
As my previous descriptions may have indicated, there is rarely a truly mellow moment on After Forever. But ballad lovers, fear not, for the blissfully sad "Cry With A Smile" curiously follows "De-Energized" to offer a rare lighter-waving opportunity. Floor sings the sh*t out of this song, effectively switching from a warm, soft vocal tone in the verses to 'sing-screaming' the chorus in the way that only she can do.
And I can't forget about the eleven-minute epic "Dreamflight," which changes in mood, tempo, and atmosphere at least five times throughout its duration. The special thing about this song is that all of the changes are completely unexpected, and all of them are flawlessly executed. Gentle acoustic guitars guide Floor's vocals as she calmly invites you into this 'dream' world, but before the listener knows what's going on, we are thrown headfirst into a flurry of heavy riffs and Joost's frenzied keyboard melodies. The soft/loud transitions actually still take me surprise, even though I've listened to this song at least three dozen times by now. I guess After Forever really accomplished something marvelous here, then: I get so lost into one section of the song that I am oblivious to what is coming next! All of it is great, but I am most in love with Floor's soothing vocal passage in the middle of the song:
Silence I'm here
No voices, no music
I'm roaming through this soundless place
Leave me here
Where I am FREE...
Rarely has her voice sounded as flawless as it does at that point. Absolute bliss that anyone who has ever claimed to be an After Forever fan will adore.
As far as low points on After Forever go, I will admit to not being too devoted to "Who I Am," a thumping 'dance-metal' track which features a guest appearance by one of the 80s most well-known metal chicks, Doro Pesch. Doro's voice is a bit too scratchy and vague for me, and her vocals take up a lot of the otherwise pleasant song. I just can't get into it.
I must say, the consistency and VERY high listenable factor of After Forever surprised me. Now, I love this band, but I'll be the first to say that their post-Mark Jansen releases have each left quite a bit to be desired. Remagine, it seems, was a step back in the right direction and After Forever could very well be the complete, positive landmark, at which point the band regains its excellence. Of course this is a completely different type of excellence than, say, that of Prison of Desire, which was clearly a much better release because it catered right down to every one of my sick, sad musical needs. But I can't fault this album for being different -- it is so contagious, so energizing, and so, so metal, that I can't help but love it.
Five stars for After Forever, and I absolutely can not wait to hear this stuff live in October.
Metal fans, rock fans, you all need this. One of 2007's best and most fun releases.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
blindsider
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Member: Sheila Doki
Location: Sherman, TX, USA
Reviews written: 343
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Somebody check my brain.
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