|
PRISON OF DESIRE
After Forever are a Dutch band who are described by their label as 'melodic dark metal with soprano vocals'.
I would agree with this description, but there's a lot here which fans of prog - particularly progressive metal - will appreciate.
The 'soprano vocals' are supplied by Floor Jansen, who appeared (briefly) on Ayreon's 'The Dream Sequencer' album.
She has a wonderful voice with a fantastic range and power, which really adds a further dimension to the band's music. On many tracks her voice is contrasted with the two guitarists' (and I quote from the CD booklet) 'grunts and screams'; I know this is common in music of this type, but I felt that while this vocal style works on 'Prison of Desire' in parts, it is sometimes distracting and not in keeping with the rest of the material and could put off those who would otherwise enjoy the album.
After the gothic chanting on intro 'Mea Culpa', the opening track proper 'Leaden Legacy' is typical of the material throughout the album - a stately, symphonic opening, with Floor's vocals starting out subdued and
restrained, before soaring as the music gradually increases in intensity. This builds to a tradeoff between Floor's voice and the male vocalists, before a wonderful staccato vocal section, featuring the 'After
Forever Choir' (who appear on several other tracks). Halfway through, the song takes off on various instrumental tangents introducing the superb interplay between the guitars and keyboards.
Generally on this album (there are exceptions) the guitars provide the rhythm, often carving out crunching riffs over which keyboards are used to provide the melody (and the lion's share of the solo's).
Particular praise is due to synth man Jack Driessen, who knows exactly when to layer on the bombastic choral keyboards, and when to keep things sparse and haunting.
I won't do a track by track run through as I feel this album is very much a piece to be listened to all the way through, with the tracks sharing a similar mood and feel.
Songs that stand out particularly for me are 'Follow In The Cry', an uncharacteristically short and immediate track, opening with an excellent one handed keyboard riff before coming on a little like Metallica in the verse sections (where the gruff male vocals do work); 'Silence From Afar' with its orchestral feel and nicely understated use of acoustic guitar, and 'Yield to Temptation' which features a wonderful opening vocal intro (aided by the 'choir') and some of the most intricate and challenging instrumental interplay and pace changes.
Lyrically this is no barrel of laughs as can be gauged from titles like 'Tortuous Threnody' and 'Semblance of Confusion', the subject matter is generally fairly weighty, doom-laden and, it must be said, pretty
pretentious - but then this does suit the music very well.
Extra marks should be given for the crisp and sharp production. Every instrument can be heard clearly in the mix, and there's none of the muddiness often associated with albums of this genre.
Overall 'Prison of Desire' is an excellent effort, which should appeal to fans of progressive/ symphonic metal, and is well worth checking out.
Tom 30th March 2001
As we go to press, After Forever have announced that they have released a limited (1.000 copies) blue colordisc edition of this album under the same catalogue number TM-023.
|
