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Rating: "Invisible circles": a masterpiece by After Forever. A concept divided into twelve episodes that speak of human life, represented by an invisible circle where ambitions, mistakes, hatred, anger, bitterness, frustration, and painful memories dwell… A circle that, developing, describes others, similar and concentric, closing around us, eventually engulfing us in an eternal vortex. Through the story of the protagonist of the concept, wounded souls that never had the courage to speak will find a voice; dark and fragile souls trying to find a meaning to their existence but see any possibility of success fade away. This wound is always there: tangible... in the heart and soul. And with every argument, every clash, it will be coldly torn open.
Born into a context where a feeling like love is stabbed in the back to make room for ambition and aware of being brought into the world without being desired, we are accused of all the evils that afflict those who should love us, and instead, pour their pain onto us, creating first perplexity and guilt, then hatred. To forget the rancor, all that's left is to find a grip, but everything surrounding us is soaked in falsehood. TV and computers do nothing but delude us into thinking we've found a glimmer of serenity. The inner voice makes space and tries to scream its dark omen, but it faces a stubborn character that will not listen. Then the omen will become reality, and friendly faces will suddenly transform into evil grins always ready to harm us. It's a dark tunnel, a nightmare with no way out destined to repeat itself, but we must nevertheless confront it, because pain is blind and spares no one. Aware that all the mistakes others have made will be the same we will make in the future, when we push other lives, other victims into the eternal vortex of hatred that we have created.
On a musical level, the band undergoes a radical change compared to the previous "Decipher", as the emotions that this story wants to convey were not part of After Forever's past music, anchored to Mark Jansen's neoclassical vein, who, after leaving, had the chance to express himself best with Epica. The band's musical scores are now between progressive, gothic, and death metal and incorporate the best symphonic aspects of the past. Finally, bass and drums find their space, but the real surprise is the guitars, which often push to the limits of death. Technique is not always in the foreground, but the skills of Sander Gommans and Bas Maas are undeniable. Cinematic samples are also added (in the protagonist's mind echo the memories of a painful childhood: the voices of other children, untouched by negative feelings, are clear and unsettling, as well as the sound of a music box vanishing into nothingness, a symbol of innocence that prematurely found its death) and devastating dialogues to give the work a more realistic aspect (like scenes from a movie seen long ago, arguments, screams, and slamming doors return to mind). The orchestral compositions are superb, abandoning the mystical-ecclesiastical aura of previous albums to become impetuous in verses and refrains but also airy in creating openings to allow the listener to breathe, as in "Digital deceit". The contribution of the keyboards is precious, reaching its compositional peak in "Eccentric", a dramatic ballad that tells of a troubled soul desperately looking for an escape route among the unmerciful eyes of people. The variety of vocal styles used is incredible; it would even make certain pompous progsters envious, who for their monumental works call upon a parade of guests to interpret a vast range of vocal lines that couldn't be covered by a single singer. In the presence of After Forever, the magnitude of such a problem is ridiculous. The scream is more furious, raw, and ruthless than ever, but the true vocal protagonist is Floor Jansen, holder of the best female vocal cords in the metal scene. The young singer showcases unmatched talent that allows her to move seamlessly from impressive soprano tones to raw and aggressive, purely rock sounds, and to soft interludes in the more reflective, intimate, and sophisticated moments. Even the unequivocal (and unchallenged until the release of "Invisible circles") qualities of Tarja Turunen fade away in front of a performance like the one crafted by her Dutch colleague in "Sins of idealism". To support the marvelous performance of the singer are added, besides Gommans’ grunts, magnificent polyphonic choirs and, on rare occasions, the beautiful clean voice (prog-power influenced) of Bas Maas.
It's pointless to look for a flaw or analyze every single track. Symphonic metal with female vocals (note, despite the frequent confusion of the two musical realities, this is not talking about Gothic Metal) has certainly produced works of dubious value (among which I would like to mention the irritating Edenbridge, the gaudy Nemesea, the cold Leaves' Eyes, and the embarrassing Xandria), but in 2004, with the release of albums like the one in question and Nightwish’s "Once", it became a genre of high quality (despite a noticeable decline in the following years). Listen carefully to the twelve episodes of this album, read the lyrics, and try to go beyond the music. These are the only pieces of advice I feel compelled to offer listeners in the face of such a masterpiece. Impeccable from any musical perspective you analyze it, but most of all, deep and emotionally heavy. So heavy, at times, as to be unsustainable.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Beautiful Emptiness (05:25)
Child:
You're the worst of all
with all your accusations and compunction
I can't suffer this duress from someone
so deprayed and selfish
You embody all that I've been through
Without you I am sure I will be loved
My existence conforms to your distress
Your ambition, the cause of mine
A disruption, I'm nothing, even less
Misfortunes never come singly, and I was there to stay
You don't allow me a single place,
nor any love into your lives
An unperceived, annoying presence you'd rather ignore
But in my life you know you'll leave a beautiful emptiness
Where you used to be
Impotent screams
will turn into the love of silence
My liberation, then silence,
will be perfect and pure
It's all in my dreams;
I'll remove you
and all our mutual disgust
In my dreams,
I solve the problem by removing it
My wish is to see you grovel
like you once forced me to!
There's no other way, here's my course of life
A path without the sickening trace of you
I need the beauty of a cleared, pure world
This eternal interruption of your rash life can save me!
You don't allow me a single place,
nor any love into your lives
An unperceived, annoying presence you'd rather ignore
But in my life you know you'll leave a beautiful emptiness
It's sad to feel you don't believe in love
It's sad that you're so cold,
and I'll be the same if you keep on poisoning my life
Drowning in self-sacrificing visions
When you're gone, then we will all be released
It's sad; my life has been like hell so far
It's sad that you're the cause
And I'll be cured in this beautiful, empty world
Floating, floating away with your perilous visions and hate
When you're gone, silence will fill up the emptiness
When you're gone, we all will be released
In my dreams I shall rinse my body and soul
My wish; the accomplishment lies here before me in my hands
I will be released from your accusing eyes
and torrents of verbal abuse
You'll know the causes are your own mistakes
while life flows out of you
and exempts me forever!
04 Sins of Idealism (05:22)
(Child) Hello father, hello mother;
there is so much I don't get
Please don't be mad at me; I will try harder,
I'll really do the best I can
(Mother) That's not enough
You're the cause of my domestic captivity
(Child) And I will close my eyes and fantasize
of a world that's not so cold
(Mother) That's how it will be
Suffer the causes of my personal misery
I've sacrificed my beauty,
my freedom, my dreams,
the independent me
(Child) Hello father, hello mother;
Don't blame me for things I didn't do
Yes, I will go now and I'll be silent;
please stop your screaming, and love me
(Mother) That's all you can see
Speak of love while you've ruined
what's meant to be
(Child) And then I'll close my eyes
to fantasize of a world
Where I can be free
And free to be
(Contemplative) Sinner or righteous,
the line is so thin
Can you condemn it
Can you be the one to judge it all
Or accuse yourself if the sentence is your life?
(Child) Hello father, hello mother;
forgive me for standing in your way
I just wanted someone who'd hold me and listen,
are these illusions, are they
(Mother) Only fantasies?
Imagine how my life could have been
I would still have my beauty,
my freedom, my dreams,
the independent me
(Contemplative) Our course in life is a path we must take alone
No one can choose what to do,
only you, so the sins we commit are the struggles within
There is no judge to decide what is right, what is wrong
Tell me, can you live in freedom
knowing that your choice hurt someone
(Father) Once we had a life and now we have you
The saviour of love is a catastrophe
I'll leave you both if I must give up my dreams
My chances aren't here with you
I won't be chained because of this
The sins of all, the sinner in me
I follow my dreams, you call it blasphemy
If my ideals are sins
To me they are the strength within
Then I shall stay a sinner
(Child) I can be free
And free to be
(Contemplative) Sinner or righteous,
the line is so thin
Can you condemn it
Can you be the one to judge it all
Or accuse yourself if the sentence is your life?
06 Digital Deceit (05:38)
Come enter, here's my world
Closed off from pain and cold
Come enter, come inside
A secret place of light
'Cause in this world I'm rid of you, you can't get through
So here I am and I'm beautiful
and all my friends would say the same
So here I am; and you cannot deny that I am someone you'd embrace
I am the queen; I'm pure and loved by everyone
Come enter, here's my code
Through the world wide wire you'll know me
The queen of her own world
My story; meet my life
So now you see, there is another me
Not someone insecure and strange
My father's will in here, it doesn't mean a thing
And I don't fear his violent rage
I am the queen; you know I'm loved by everyone
Come enter, here's my code
Through the world wide wire you'll know
The queen of her own world
Stop dreaming and wake up
Your silly world is not what's real
This world of fake friends
and computers - digital deceit
This cyber wall (this cyber wall)
is built to break out or hold
The choice is yours (the choice is yours),
will you dream or see what's real?
Oh...no, no more
Just let me be alone with myself
These conflicting thoughts increase my doubts
I am the queen, I must be loved
This so-called 'wall' is there to protect
a life controlled by keys, closed off from pain and cold
Digital deceit...
digital, digital, digital...
08 Blind Pain (06:47)
(Child) Everything keeps getting worse
The terror at home, the dread at school
I mustn't count on much support,
I'm still locked out; it's up to me,
how to face the teasing and the pain
Hate, one thing we have in common
Play your game
Beat me, hurt me
A physical release from mental pain
Don't make me explode in your way
(Contemplative) This is a chain of torture,
a line of pain, no other way to show how you feel
This is the rebel in her, the torment from him,
the absence of help, the mother's care
(Child) Rage, it burns all around us
Blind pain
So abuse is only weakness
It feels more like a cry of distress, an act of incapacity
Feel the threat
Feel the oppressed ambience of having no place to go,
no one who'll take care of my salvation
(Contemplative) This is a chain of torture,
a line of pain, no other way to show how you feel
This is the rebel in her, the torment from him,
the absence of help, the mother's care
(Child) Here comes the final episode
of terror and pain, abuse and hope
Here comes the fight between us all
A fight between a love long gone
I'm to blame, but it's their own blind pain
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Spoken outro:
(Mother) Now look where you and your selfish ambitions have gotten us!
It's never been worse! You gotta work, work work, come back without
even noticing me or that ignorant kid of yours! You only think about
yourself.
(Father) I only think about myself, it's me again? You self-centered bitch!
You're the one complaining all the time, but when that kid freaks out, who's
supposed to take care of her, huh?! Besides, it's not my child! Wasn't it ours,
our little 'saviour' of a love we never had? A fucking...
(Mother) Yeah, there is no 'us' anymore, darling! Ever since she was born
and I was left at your apparment raising her, I think about all I ever dreamed
of because of 'our' decisions! We both should have made compromises,
but the only one who did was me!
(Father) Oh, there you go again! You feel awfully sorry for yourself; why
don't you take a look at my side of the story for once?
(Mother) Ah, yeah sure, 'your side'... well, excuse the fuck out of me for being
in your way! A child you never wanted, living in a smaller house than you've
ever dreamed of, and all the while I'm getting old and ugly, right?
You must really long for somebody young and fresh, or if this means already...
(Father) Enough!! Don't you dare accuse me of being unfaithful! That's
how you ruined my loyalty; I can't believe I once fell in love with a...
(Mother) Oh, neither can I, you bastard! Neither can I! And loyal? I dind't
know you're familiar with that word!
(Father) There's a lot you don't know, a lot you'll never understand!
We've lost contact, baby.
(Mother) Oh yeah, really? Well, that doesn't seem to bother you. Why don't
you just go on? Go, go! Drift off away on that little island of yours and don't
forget to drown on your way to a better life!!
(Father) Maybe I will, maybe I will! I'd rather drown than be locked up with
such a freaed up bith and a freaky daughter! I can't believe we're still
holding a conversation about something so stupid!!
(Mother) Fine, go! Just GO!! Drown! I hope it'll be slow and painful!
(Father) Shut your fucking mouth!
(Mother) Asshole... Asshole!
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