"Open your eyes and embrace our so-called paradise" with After Forever's Decipher
Written: Oct 22 '06 (Updated Oct 12 '07)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: AMAZING vocals, lyrics, arrangements
Cons: Not as good as Prison of Desire
The Bottom Line: A must-have for fans of Epica and Nightwish
|
|
|
| blindsider's Full Review: Decipher - After Forever Movies |
The first time I listened to Dutch metal band After Forever's 2000 debut Prison Of Desire, I was blown away. I instantly assumed that nothing could top it, and that the band just could not ever have another album that dared to scrape its perfection.
I was right.
2001's Decipher, AKA the last album featuring founding member/guitarist/growler/songwriter Mark Jansen, seems to take the band's sound in a less "all over the place" direction, focusing primarily on symphonic metal instead. In no way is this a bad thing, but one of the main reasons I love Prison Of Desire so much lies in the way it displays influences from dozens of different metal subgenres. And Decipher is impressive in its own way, but it's not quite as growl-heavy as its predecessor and not nearly as powerful or consistent.
Decipher opens with "Ex Cathedra: Ouverture," a sophisticated two-minute introduction heavy on the violins, and showcasing both male and female choirs. It lacks the extremely dark vibe of Prison Of Desire's opening, setting the tone instead for a more melodious, symphonic feel this time around. And this introduction accomplishes this wonderfully, as proven by the flawless way it segues into Decipher's most excellent song, "Monolith Of Doubt." Complete with the suspenseful sound of double-bass drumming, highly memorable/catchy guitar riffs, a chunky bassline and Floor Jansen's heavenly operatic voice, "Monolith Of Doubt" simply couldn't get any better. The highlight comes at the song's conclusion, at which point Floor effortlessly hits a high F note for over ten seconds. It is amazing.
"My Pledge Of Allegiance No. 1: The Sealed Fate" follows, providing an exotic Middle-Eastern flair with the usage of a sitar in the song's introduction. Throughout the six-and-a-half-minute duration, things alternate swiftly from bouncy, rhythmic guitars to panicked double-bass sections, flowing flawlessly all the while. One of Floor's most stunning vocal performances is accentuated perfectly here by Sander Gommans' rough growls. "Emphasis" is another speedy one, rolling the pace steadily along with a rattling drum introduction and yet more of the hammering, yet melodic, guitars. Floor really belts it out here.
Hearkening back to the more aggressive nature of Prison Of Desire, the furious "Zenith" has an explosive beginning and doesn't decrease in pace until the latter half, during which the pretty guitar melodies really shine. "My Pledge Of Allegiance No. 2: The Tempted Fate" lacks the swirling groove of No. 1 -- this one's much heavier and louder, with a lot more musical complexity. Album closer "Forlorn Hope" is a whirlwind of eerie keyboards, thumping drums, and duel guitars that can only be described as menacing. Floor's vocals here are top-notch, occasionally reminiscent of ex-Nightwish vocalist Tarja Turunen's commanding operatic tones. To say the very least, "Forlorn Hope" closes out Decipher with a bang.
When I think about what keeps Decipher from pure excellence, nothing comes to mind that strikes me as really awful. It's very consistent, with the exception of "Imperfect Tenses," which is a cheesy, pseudo-Broadway sobfest that should have never, ever happened. After Forever has proven that they are quite capable of doing better, but Decipher still rocks. Fans of symphonic metal should not hesitate to check it out.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
blindsider
|
 in Music |
 - Top 1000 |
|
Member: Sheila Doki
Location: Sherman, TX, USA
Reviews written: 342
Trusted by: 132 members
About Me:
Somebody check my brain.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.