Decipher

All of the better bands from Holland’s late nineties wave of female-fronted goth-ish metal bands had something special, often rendering them far less gothic than they were given credit for. After Forever’s debut album ‘Prison Of Desire’ seemed to suggest they only had one of the better singers of the genre to offer in the shape of Floor Jansen. ‘Decipher’ proved me wrong. By leaving the atmospheric gothic doom metal behind in favor of a more interesting blend of symphonic power metal and progressive metal, After Forever ended up sounding far more dynamic and powerful than many of their worldwide peers.

It would not be fair to compare After Forever to the other bigger names in the Dutch gothic scene at the time, but I always thought The Gathering pulled off the atmospheric take on the genre far better on ‘Nighttime Birds’ than After Forever did on ‘Prison Of Desire’. Because of that, the change on ‘Decipher’ was a welcome one. As soon as the first power metal-like opening riff to ‘Monolith Of Doubt’ starts, you already know you are in for something else. That and the fact that Floor Jansen sounds far more convincing when she can alternate her soprano voice with more conventional rock and pop vocals.

Musically, ‘Decipher’ is still quite complex, but even the songs that go through the largest number of changes have a fairly pleasant flow. This is what makes ‘Decipher’ deserving of the progressive label, in my opinion. There aren’t a whole lot of odd time signatures and the riffs sound closer to power metal and traditional heavy metal than anything else once you mentally strip away the classy orchestrations, but the shifts in the songs are really cleverly written. The aforementioned ‘Monolith Of Doubt’ goes through more changes in its three and a half minutes than some prog rock songs in twenty.

While all the songs on ‘Decipher’ are good – only the second ballad ‘Imperfect Tenses’ rubs me the wrong way – my preference admittedly goes out to the more riff-driven songs, such as the vaguely Arabic-sounding midtempo stomper ‘My Pledge Of Allegiance #1 -The Sealed Fate-‘, the rapidly galloping ‘Forlorn Hope’ and the incredibly dynamic epic ‘Estranged -A Timeless Spell-‘. ‘My Pledge Of Allegiance #2 -The Tempted Fate-‘, while still rather riff-heavy, is a good example of After Forever polishing their more atmospheric side a bit. Even the less renowned songs, such as ‘Emphasis’ and especially ‘Zenith’ are really good.

Looking back, it’s incredible how much progress After Forever made in only slightly over a year between their first two albums. While their later albums are nothing to scoff at either, ‘Decipher’ is easily the songwriting triumph of the collaboration between Floor Jansen and guitarists Sander Gommans and Mark Jansen, the latter would leave the band in order to start Epica before touring for the album even commenced. ‘Decipher’ is truly the album that proved After Forever was more than just another Dutch band with a female singer, excellent as she is. Certainly one of the top five Dutch metal albums of its era.

Recommended tracks: ‘My Pledge Of Allegiance #1’ -The Sealed Fate-‘, ‘Estranged -A Timeless Spell-‘, ‘Monolith Of Doubt’, ‘Zenith’

Originally written for my Kevy Metal weblog

Decipher isn't one of those albums I could drudge up a review for after a few listens. In fact, after I listened to the entire thing for the first time, I wasn't necessarily blown away, but definitely bewildered as to what the fuck I had just heard. I gotta confess that due to having little knowledge of the band other than the fact that the singer was a talented female before checking this out, I was expecting some sort of Lacuna Coil / Nightwish hybrid. Although some elements of both bands factored into After Forever's sound, considering that back in 2001 both of those aforementioned bands were still quality acts concerning their respective genres, there was a whole slew of cool additives and unique attributes in Decipher I wasn't remotely ready for.

One of the initial impressions I ascertained from this album is just how friggin' busy this music is. It's not a technical workout in the traditional sense, but the level of progressive metal was at a much higher tier than I anticipated. There's an abundance of tempo and stylistic shifts that occur out of nowhere, bolstered by odd time signatures and melodic passages that vary from violins to guitars, keyboards and sitars, all complimenting Floor's unquestionably superb pipes. What's interesting to note however is that despite the sheer complexities concerning a good number of these tracks, there's very little showboating and guitar soloing to be found. The impressive aspects as to the band's talents lie firmly within the compositions themselves, not by means of virtuoso leads involving one instrument over simplistic rhythms.

After a foreboding orchestral intro complimented by some operatic choir ringing out Latin jive, "Monolith of Doubt" begins and we're off on one hell of a journey. Galloping riffs set the course, and it's immediately apparent that regardless as to whether these songs linger in the mind or not, they sure possess some serious pizazz during their time to shine. No particular instrument appears to be favored production-wise, with a warm clarity being more of a focal point than sheer power, although the overall impression still constitutes a strong metal vibe. Every instrument is easily distinguishable, which is no small compliment considering the amount of layers involved in fleshing out these songs. The vocals are expertly mixed as well, with Floor up front but not overwhelming in volume and the growling male vocals pushed back a bit, which may seem to lessen an aggressive edge. In my opinion, though, having those guttural vocals and shrieks almost blend amongst the swirling keyboards adds a cold haunting atmosphere to their delivery rather than if they were pushed up front in an in-your-face fashion.

No doubt that with all the wild tempo changes, there's also some complete mood and atmospheric shifts as well, offering an engaging variety of musical ventures, often within the same track. "Intrinsic" plays like a ballad guided by a woodwind melody, but by around the two thirds mark, the entire piece has seamlessly evolved to a bouncy progressive style of metal, and the whole damn song works as this mini epic about the interweaving of reality and fantasy, at least that's what I think Floor is going on about. What also makes a song like this special as well is the notion that the individual passages are well constructed enough to be stretched into memorable songs of their own if the band were aiming for a simpler palette. A song like my personal favorite, "Estranged", is loaded with so many killer melodies, riffs and tonal shifts that it practically fucks with my sense of time. A seven minute song feels like a much longer track, in this case in a good way, because there's just so many ideas pouring out of this track that by the time my head is adjusted and digging the vibe, after a couple of bars a whole avalanche of new sounds tumble in with enough semblance of what I had just heard previously to keep the transitions surprisingly smooth. When the song finally finishes, I feel like I've just heard an album's worth of material compressed into one seven minute number.

It wouldn't matter how many notes, chords and tonal shifts were utilized within a single stanza if the songs themselves ultimately wound up being long-winded garbage, but After Forever, despite the strong progressive tendencies dominating certain tracks, were a band that valued song-craft over technical chops. "Emphasis", for example, doesn't play out in a familiar commercially minded format, but it's not a stultifying piece to follow either, incorporating well placed refrains within its standard running time that glue to the mind without resorting to a catchy hook. "Imperfect Tenses" is the one track that squarely spotlights the vocal capabilities of not just Floor, but guest singer Rein Kolpa, and normally these sort of duets irritate me with their wishy-washy melodrama, but in this case it gets a pass because the man wields quite a goddamn voice. Hell, I wish I could naturally sing like that since I can imagine after recording his track that Floor was ready to tear off her corset in front of him.

Decipher wasn't the easiest pill to digest. I actually preferred their self-titled final album for a period of time, but whilst that fine recording remained stable in regards to my enthusiasm, Decipher kept exponentially elevating itself in my estimation after each listen, ultimately passing it, and now it ranks comfortably within the upper echelons of symphonic metal in general. There's some gothic influences, galvanic power metal surges and technically exceptional expositions of merging intricate riff patterns with striking melodies. This shit is fucking good. Top things off with one of the premier and most gifted female vocalists in metal, and it's almost baffling to me that this album didn't immediately click. But it eventually did, and that's what counts.

Almost 11 years ago, Dutch gothic symphonic metal band ‘After Forever’ released their second studio album entitled “Decipher”. Being a gothic metal band, they have many things in common with other groups of the same genre. Things like beauty and the beast vocal type lead by stunning soprano Floor Jansen and her male counterpart and guitarist Mark Jansen, and heavy wind arrangements, but they do have a bit of an experimental sound. ‘After Forever’ doesn’t have the standard gothic sound because of the band’s progressive influences, often resulting in experimental riffs and melodies. Which is what makes ‘After Forever’ much more unique than ‘Within Temptation’ and other groups.

This album starts off with a short haunting Overture with a choir alternating parts between deep male vocals and soprano female vocals, this leads into the second track "Monolith of Doubt" which is a faster song with a choppy but beautiful violin part and an amazing violin solo. Once again, 'After Forever' puts an experimental touch in their writing, especially in their orchestral parts. For example in the songs "Zenith" and "Forlorn Hope", the violin part is both beautiful but all over the place which gives a chaotic touch while still showing off the melody and beauty.

Guitars supply both heavy riffs and beautiful melodies, you can always hear them when they're there and they give a sense of power and energy that other symphonic groups lack. Though at times the guitar riffs may come off poppy like in the chorus for "Estranged (A Timeless Spell)", but the poppiness isn't always a bad thing, the part makes the sound fuller and fits the harsh vocals well.

One of the most amazing thing about 'After Forever' is the vocals, I love Floor, but at this stage in her career, her singing wasn't as developed as it is now. Yes it was equally as powerful but it didn't this why of flying as it does now. But that doesn't mean she was bad, her voice still flies when she busts out her soprano vocal range and her operatic vocal style, usually she stayed in a mezzo-soprano range through this album sometimes going down to an alto, but the voice was still kick ass. But I feel Mark's growls weren't impressive here, they lacked solidity and harshness.

So, overall 'Decipher' is an amazing album, powerful, beautiful, energetic and almost perfect. Mark could've worked on his vocal skills a little bit.

Highlights: My Pledge of Allegiance - The Sealed Fate, Zenith, & Forlorn Hope

This is the After Forever album that everyone praises, and I guess I can see why, as it's a very complex, driving and masterfully written album, but it just leaves me cold. This was only the band's second effort, and I think that's the main reason why it's so impressive - this is like the complexity of a Dream Theater or Pain of Salvation fit into a typical Nightwish mold, for crying out loud!

However, as I mentioned before, I just can't really get into this. It isn't like other complex albums that require multiple listens to understand. I understand this album perfectly, and it just doesn't excite me or make me feel anything more than mild shock at how complex it is. There are a lot of different things crammed into Decipher's deep, watery palette, from beautiful symphonic keys to roaring harsh vocals, and everything else in between - the seeds are sown here for the band's later transformation into a more straightforward, ass-kicking beast. I think the thing I dislike about this is just how cold and turgid it all is. There is a lot of musical finesse here, and it's definitely impressive, but if it doesn't evoke any sort of emotion out of the listener, what's the point? There are some fine songs here like "My Pledge of Allegiance I" and the colorful "Zenith," but I don't think I'll be hauling this album out very often. Get it if you like this sort of symphonic coldness.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

Ahh, After Forever - home to Floor Jansen, owner of the finest vocal chords this side of the known universe and hands down the most ridiculous frontwoman in Scandinavian B&B metal (that is, beauty and the beast, for reasons which quickly become evident as one listens to the music). To put it simply, I just cannot appreciate any of the other female voices that have crossed my ears after listening to Floor wail away for an hour. Where their voices are pretty, soothing, and gentle; Floor's voice is a beautiful, powerful, and stunning force of nature. Her delivery is so pure and so unmarred by any detectable deficiency that it's like listening to angels roar in your ear... or at least, that's what I imagine it would sound like. Then there's her range - the notes she hits and holds with absolutely no strain are unreal.

Anyway, before this review becomes an obsessive essay about Miss Jansen...

Decipher is a very elegant album. The mixture of metallic and symphonic elements is presented in a way that seems perfectly natural, as if metal and symphony were destined at some point to join impeccably; that point, of course, being Decipher. It does not lean heavily toward the power metal side as with Nightwish, nor does it ever feel as watered down as Within Temptation, nor as overly dreamy and forgiving as Leaves' Eyes... it is a very delicate balance of all associated elements - composed intelligently, produced professionally, and performed flawlessly - and the average age of the band at the time of this recording was 19!

The listener is initially greeted with "Ex Cathedra", which is an orchestral chamber piece filled with choirs, chanters, violins, and otherwise lush classical instrumentation. It builds, swelling dynamically until it finally bursts into "Monolith of Doubt", which is certainly a change of pace. Double bass drums, crashing cymbals, and powerful riffs provide a driving metallic foundation that's strikingly enhanced by symphonic flourishes and, soon after, Floor's glorious voice harmonizing with the soft yet sinister growls of Mark Jansen (no relation to Floor). The highlight here is at around 2:53, where Floor holds a most intense note (I'm not sure which exactly, but probably high enough to shatter glass) for about 10 seconds - it really needs to be heard to be believed. The first of the two-part "My Pledge of Allegiance" is also very noteworthy. The song has a Middle Eastern theme, and features several breathtaking moments from Floor (possibly even more so than on "Monolith of Doubt") where she hits and holds a note so high, perfect, and tranquil that it makes me shiver.

The remainder of the album moves through similar arrangements. Floor and Mark continually trade off vocal duties in dramatic fashion atop exquisite musicianship that focuses as much on power and impact as it does on beauty and elegance. "Imperfect Tenses" is a pretty duet between Floor and a guest tenor vocalist... it doesn't do much for me in particular, but it's quite touching. "Forlorn Hope", the album closer, has a similar feel to "Monolith of Doubt" with a tad more drama, and is an excellent finish. Of note is the drumming of Andre Borgman - his style is far more varied and dynamic than what you normally hear from bands like this; his foot and cymbal work is very interesting, and his rhythmic phrasing is a pleasure to listen to.

All in all, After Forever don't win any points for originality, as this style of music is damn popular over in that region of the world... but, to put it bluntly, Floor Jansen obliterates her peers in such embarrassing fashion that there really is no question as to who's at the top of the symphonic metal food chain over in the mighty Netherlands.

With Decipher, After Forever takes a step further in the gothic metal scene. Prison of Desire was a good debut, but Decipher simply is better that its predecessor. Heavy songs full of real classical arrangements without becoming epic as Rhapsody. That’s what is within this album. A sweet string section perfectly matches with heavy guitars, and mellow melodies are lead by a chorus and, of course, the divine voice of Floor Jansen, which at times is so operistic, dramatic, but at times it just gets killer, rocking the house. Versatility gives her a special taste that leads this soprano to the heights of people like Tarja Turunen. There are no guitar solos on this album, but instead of that there’s a discharge of rhythmic fury in the riffs. The drums are just one of the best I’ve heard not only in the gothic scene, but in the whole metal world. The grunts are not special, just another version of many “beauty and the beast” bands, but After Forever doesn’t abuse of them, so you really enjoy when harsh vocals arise from Mark’s and Sander’s throats.

Decipher begins with Ex Cathedra, an intro not too different from others, but then Monolith of Doubt breaks in with a melody driven by the string section followed by an awesome guitar riff. This song is one of the best in the album. Other great tracks are the “duologies”: My Pledge of Allegiance # 1 & # 2, with oriental riffs and impressive choruses at the beginning of each one respectively; and the mid tempo Intrinsic, in which Floor’s voice really can be appreciated on the opera side, followed without a break by Zenith, with a string section climax so bright and perfectly created. More songs to be listened: Estranged and the closing track Forlorn Hope, with a strong line ending the album: “Let them suffer!”.

I am really impressed with this album and this band. What they show isn’t new in the metal scene, but the devotion on the way they deliver (music and lyrics) it is what causes sensation and expectance about them. These guys are a great promise in the genre and in music in general. Better keep an eye on what they will bring in the future.