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Rating: 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.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
04 Living Shields (04:13)
Weak and frightened
Paralyzed and naked
they are children running for their lives
Lives are taken
Terrorists mistaken for they use the young ones
as refined living shields
Pain and deep fear
Hostage in an ancient rage between people torn by their ideals
Willing to die, willing to kill
Hopeless and blind in their world where innocence dies
Weak and frightened
Paralyzed and naked
they are children running for their lives
Lives are taken
Terrorists mistaken for they use the young ones
as refined living shields
Rage and deep hate
Isolated in an ancient war with people not so different from you
Willing to fight, willing to try to win an endless battle of
pride
while innocents die
And then we see them running
See the world is watching this
And we can only try to understand what causes it
And then we see the living
See then crying for their dead
Are we the ones to understand how crazy pain can get
Some people turn in circles
They can never break it through
Some people lost their lives before they died
and now they want it back!
Loss and deep grief
Engulfed in an ever present pain, ancient in practice
Weak and frightened
Paralyzed and naked
they are children running for their lives
Lives are taken
Terrorists mistaken for they use the young ones
as refined living shields
06 Attendance (03:29)
Beauty and destruction
Pride and honour
Freedom, elimmination
Speek out loud, Hide
Now enter, here is our dreamworld
View the splendid sights
You can always tell we never learned, we'll never learn
Blindness and silence
No one dares
Action and reprisal
Raise your voice, die
Now enter, here is our dreamworld
View the splendid sights
You can always tell we never learned, we'll never learn
Now enter, here is our dreamworld
View the splendid sights
You can always tell we never learned, we never will
Oh how will the earth be; seen for the first time?
Oh how will the earth feel; Touched for the first time?
Entwine and Iconize
Passion ignites
Suspicion and betrayal
The voice of violence speaks again
Now enter, here is our dreamworld
View the splendid sights
You can always tell we never learned, we'll never learn
Now enter, here is our dreamworld
View the splendid sights
You can always tell we never learned, we never will
10 Face Your Demons (04:57)
Jack in a box and here I am
Your favourite mirror and
your only honest reflection and your guide
I am your deepest fear, the one you´ll always hear
I am the devil in disguise, I am your dream
I am the sneaky connection to your most devilish reflection
The scary imagination of the real you
I represent what you deny
You´re never scared so why are you running away
from the temptation of my words
Oh you don´t know what I could do for you
Or I could put you through...
And you don´t really understand that only fear leads this game
Face your demons
Hear that inner voice
It calls, it cries for you
Just listen well
I´m the one who´ll tell terrifying, scary, dreadful tales
You´d better listen
That´s some free advice
So what scares you the most
Let me know, be a good host
I want to tell you how your fear looks and how to play this game
Face your demons
Hear that inner voice
It calls, it cries for you
Just listen well
I´m the one who´ll tell terrifying, scary, dreadful tales
War is breaking loose, it cannot be stopped
Cars are racing by and you´re getting crushed
Friends are dying slow with a lot of pain
You just fear it all
Bleeding from a wound that you cannot see
And you´re seeing things that can never be
God is not made up and he wants revenge
You just fear it all
Fear
You just fear, you can only fear
Face your demons
So did you know that all your memories
Color all you´ll ever be in a dark and misty cloud that I am
floating on
I´m still the voice that speaks inside your head
The demon under your bed
I´m still the one who haunts your soul with devlish lust for
fright
Face your demons
Hear that inner voice
It calls, it cries for you
Just listen well
I´m the one who´ll tell scary, dreadful tales
Face your demons
Hear that inner voice
It calls, it cries for you
Just listen well
I´m the one who´ll tell terrifying, scary, dreadful tales
11 No Control (03:18)
I fight
I sweat
I drag the whole world along
I care
I break
I'm spiritless but strong
My will stands strong
I ache for inspirational and additional hearts to help me fight
Deep in my mind lies the map of my destiny
Deep in my heart lies the strenght to conquer myself
In your nightmares
In your dreams lies the deepest fear
In ambitions
In belief lies the deepest strenght
I doubt
Don't care
Don't see what has ever driven me
A wall
Will stand
All rending thoughts can't end
I'm paralized but strong
In need of comprehensible but sensational plans to fight
Deep in my mind lies the map of my destiny
Deep in my heart lies the strenght to conquer myself
12 Forever (07:42)
Dead Girl:
I can see your pain
I can feel your loss
I can hear your words
I can but you are out of reach and so am I
Man:
You and me living in a dream
This end could not have been foreseen
The pain won't go away
No one understands my grief
All I've got is my belief
Still mis you every day
Dead girl:
I can't heal your pain
I cannot return, I cannot reply
I can't since you are out of reach and so am I
Man:
There is nothing left to be
You were all the world to me
The pain won't go away
No more reason to survive
Why am I the one alive
I miss you every day
Dead girl:
You know I am beyond reach forever
Man:
All these emotions create deeper oceans to drown in
My aspirations became unimportant once you were gone
Now the repression of all my agression is hounding me
And all our devotion to love and each other
Burried with you, Dead!
Bridge:
I feel the same tormenting pain
Don't stay behind so bitter
Dead Girl:
I have paid enough
I would have dries your tears if I could
I would be at your side
I would be there, forever more, that never came
Man:
I pay in pain
You have left me alone
My tears can't dry, I need you
Forever more, that never came
Dead Girl:
I'll love you always
Love me forever!
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