After Forever
Remagine

THE REVIEW

The anticipation was sky-high for the fourth studio chapter from the Dutch band. I wondered if After Forever would also be hit by the crisis that has struck the symphonic scene this year (this year, Epica and Within Temptation have released the worst works of their careers). After purchasing and digesting the work, I can tell you no: After Forever has released another masterpiece. We can call it the band's most modern work (as seen from the very futuristic artwork, especially when compared to the previous ones), and also the most choral (maybe that's why Mark Jansen, the former mastermind of the band now with Epica, fell in love with this CD). Unfortunately, the prog rhythms have completely disappeared, but this doesn't mean that the beloved time changes of the band are missing, quite the opposite. The double bass drum is present like back in the Decipher days, but I wouldn't call the sound power since it is much heavier, very close to heavy metal. It is naturally needless to say that it is not gothic. The CD, above all, is EMOTIONAL, granting us ever-changing emotions.

After the intro "Enter," we have "Come," a heavy track opened by keyboards and orchestrations dominated by choirs. Floor's interpretation is divine, not to mention her shift from opera to pop. "Boundaries Are Open," another great heavy track but still catchy. The interlude, adorned with electronic inserts, is beautiful. "Living Shields" is the heaviest track on the album, which focuses on choirs, voice and tempo alternations, and electronics. The solo. Excellent track. "Being Everyone" is the first single and is a very soft and melodic piece. "Attendance" is a mid-tempo with oriental influences. "Free of Doubt" is a sublime piece opened by orchestrations. Floor returns to an operatic singing style. The central part features almost prog arrangements, giving the listener strong emotions. But the crown of the best piece on the CD is the terrifying "Only Everything," a more modern "Intrinsic," a kaleidoscope of feelings and sensations. "Strong" is also beautiful, the most beautiful ballad ever written by After Forever, providing emotions similar to a piece like "Tallulah" (Sonata Arctica) can offer. "Face Your Demons" is a very aggressive piece, and many might be taken aback by Floor's interpretation, which has never been so versatile. "No Control" is a piece where, for the first time on the CD, Bas's clean singing appears, while "Forever" closes the CD in the best way: the centerpiece of the piece is the spine-tingling duet between Floor and Bas. The interlude, contaminated by electronics, and the reprise are stunning.

Overall: As usual, After Forever is light years away from any release in the symphonic realm: the metal component is never secondary (many riffs are beautiful), and the tracks shake and move the listener. Always a cut above the rest.