After Forever
Invisible Circles

THE REVIEW

"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.