"I can't look behind because I'm living in the past..."
Written: Oct 18 '06 (Updated Oct 12 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Floor Jansen's great voice; Sander Gommans & Mark Jansen's growls and shrieks; flawless, heavy music
Cons: In my eyes, they have not yet quite duplicated this awesomeness
The Bottom Line: Evade the leaden legacy...
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| blindsider's Full Review: Prison of Desire by After Forever |
First impressions don't necessarily mean anything.
Just take my experience with Dutch metal band After Forever. My first exposure to After Forever's work came in the form of their 2003 "mini-CD" Exordium, and to say the very least, I was not impressed by it. I was more than ready to write them off forever.
Luckily, a few longtime fans of the band persuaded me to do otherwise, and before I knew it I was special-ordering After Forever's first two albums: 2000's Prison Of Desire and 2001's Decipher. Both of these albums are simply spectacular. During this time period, Mark Jansen (now in Epica) was in the band. Mark is a true musical genius, with a knack for writing wonderful lyrics -- not to mention he's got one of the most interesting styles of growling/shrieking I'm aware of.
And Mark's presence is all over Prison Of Desire. It's a beautiful thing. Prison Of Desire is a punishingly heavy piece of brilliance, with a great balance of melodic and aggressive songs. On this particular album, After Forever displayed influences of various metal genres: you'll find everything from dashes of symphonic metal to blast beats that aren't too unlike what you'd find on an average black-metal record.
"Mea Culpa (The Embrace That Smothers - Prologue)" kicks things off with a haunting array of male and female choirs singing in Latin. This intro has a very "horror movie soundtrack" vibe, especially reminiscent of The Omen's score. It leads seamlessly into "Leaden Legacy," a song that temporarily fools the listener into thinking they're in for a ballad. "Leaden Legacy" is slow-paced for a minute or two, showcasing Floor Jansen's strong, passionate voice before Mark interjects with his trademark growls. The song then explodes into a masterpiece of symphonic metal, complete with frantically chanting choirs, sinister guitars, and speedy drumming.
Nightwish fans will surely enjoy the unbelievably rapid pace of "Semblance Of Confusion," a flawlessly arranged song with quieter verses and an overpowering, singable chorus courtesy of Floor. And things get especially good with the one-two punch of "Black Tomb" and "Follow In The Cry." The dark guitar tones and dramatic soft/loud transitions used in "Black Tomb" work beautifully, and all of that goodness is topped off by Floor's most impressive vocals to date. Her voice is captivating, and allow me to assure you that there's no better example of that than right here.
Full of double-bass drums and guitar riffs rough enough to crush the toughest of skulls, the outrageously heavy "Follow In The Cry (The Embrace That Smothers, Pt. 2" allows Mark a chance to vent away about the occasionally sheeplike ways of organized religion. Included in this song are some of his finest lyrics: "I embrace you, accept my soul / I shall make my life subordinate to you..." The sorrowful "Silence From Afar," penned by Mark about a friend that passed away, pairs melancholic, Within Temptation-esque piano melodies with a solemn vocal performance from Floor, proving once more that sometimes -- even with elaborate bands such as After Forever -- simplicity is most effective.
Sharply contrasting the accessibility of "Silence From Afar," "Inimical Chimera" pops up to prove that, well, After Forever's music ain't for the faint of heart. Rocketing off with music fast and intense enough to rival even the world's most feared black-metal bands, this song will melt your flesh off with the unstoppable combination of Mark's demonic shrieks and the hammering guitar riffs. Album closer "Beyond Me" deals with being in the presence of a ghost/strange spirit of some sort, and it features a remarkable guest vocal appearance from fellow Dutch musician Sharon den Adel of Within Temptation. To no surprise, Sharon's angelic voice sounds great with Floor's -- this is a song that rocks me time after time.
Prison Of Desire is a fantastic album capable of pleasing everyone from fans of highly melodic music to those who frequently venture into the darkest, heaviest realms of Norwegian black metal. Any fan of Epica should make it a point to check into this, because Mark Jansen composed similar styles on Prison Of Desire. Clearly, this is not something you'll be finding in American music shops, but it is certainly worth special-ordering. I would recommend this to anyone, with the exception of people who can't handle a high dosage of growling and screaming. Music this excellent is a very, very rare thing these days, so latch on to it any chance you get.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
blindsider
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 in Music |
 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Sheila Doki
Location: Sherman, TX, USA
Reviews written: 342
Trusted by: 132 members
About Me:
Somebody check my brain.
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