After Forever
After Forever | |
|---|---|
 After Forever live at the Masters of Rock festival in 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Apocalypse (1995) |
| Origin | North Brabant, Netherlands |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1995–2009 |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | |
| Website | www.afterforever.com |
| Past members |
|
After Forever was a Dutch symphonic metal band with strong progressive metal influences.[1] The band relied on the use of both soprano vocals and death growls.
In February 2009, it was announced that After Forever had disbanded. Singer Floor Jansen and keyboardist Joost van den Broek both collaborated again in ReVamp and Star One, before Jansen eventually joined Nightwish as lead singer in 2013. Former rhythm guitarist Mark Jansen founded Epica in 2002 after his departure from After Forever and, in 2010, founded MaYaN, which included former After Forever members Sander Gommans and Jack Driessen. Floor Jansen has appeared as a session or live vocalist for both Epica and MaYaN.
History[]
After Forever was originally assembled in 1995, under the name Apocalypse. They were originally a death metal cover band with harsh male vocals.[2] With the joining of vocalist Floor Jansen in 1997, their style and sound shifted towards symphonic gothic metal, in order to give emphasis to her soprano voice, in contrast with the grunts and screams provided by Sander Gommans and Mark Jansen. Their line-up at this point comprised Floor Jansen, Mark Jansen, Sander Gommans, Luuk van Gerven, Jack Driessen and Joep Beckers. Soon, the band began composing their own songs, and then they changed their name to After Forever. In 1999, the band recorded two demos entitled Ephemeral and Wings of Illusion, which drew the attention of the Dutch label, with whom the band signed a contract.
Their debut album Prison of Desire was recorded in 2000, featuring the guest appearance of Sharon den Adel of the Dutch band Within Temptation on the song "Beyond Me". The album obtained very good reviews in Europe.[3][4] By the end of the year, drummer André Borgman and keyboardist Lando van Gils joined the band, replacing Joep Beckers and Jack Driessen.
During the year 2000, Floor Jansen was invited to guest sing in Ayreon's Universal Migrator Part 1: The Dream Sequencer album. Ayreon is the most successful of the many projects by Dutch guitarist Arjen Anthony Lucassen and that album is only the first of many other collaborations with Floor Jansen.
In 2001, the band released the album Decipher, which featured for the first time live classical instruments and a live choir. The complex arrangements of the new compositions pushed After Forever's music even more towards the symphonic metal genre.
In 2002 Mark Jansen, one of the main composers and founder of the band, was fired from After Forever and subsequently assembled the band Epica,[5] where he continued to pursue the combination of symphonic metal with death metal elements, already present in the first two albums by After Forever. In a 2007 interview, Jansen described his departure from After Forever as coming as an unexpected shock to him at the time, with the news of his dismissal being delivered to him by fellow band members shortly before a band rehearsal. At the time of his dismissal, the band were preparing to participate in a series of major tours and concerts such as Pinkpop.[6]
Mark Jansen was replaced by Bas Maas, who had been a roadie for the band for years.[7] In 2003, the new line-up of After Forever released the EP and DVD Exordium.
In 2004, the concept album Invisible Circles was released. The album, that deals with childhood traumas and abuse, introduced progressive metal elements to the music of After Forever and the use of a clean male voice. The album reached No. 24 in the Dutch Top 100 musical chart.[8] In the same year, Lando van Gils also left the band and was replaced by Joost van den Broek, a keyboard player that Floor Jansen had met during her tour with Star One, another project by Arjen Lucassen.
In early September 2005, the band released their fourth album Remagine. The album was produced using pre-recorded drum tracks by André Borgman, who had to take a long leave of absence to cure his illness. The songs of the album are simpler and more straightforward than in the previous albums, preserving anyway the usual dual voice dynamic in the sound of the band.[9][10]
On 3 March 2006 the band left the Transmission Records label, due to the scarce promotion that the label was providing to their albums.[11] Following this departure, Transmission Records released the Mea Culpa compilation, with plenty of rarities and B-sides. By October the same year, After Forever had signed to the German label Nuclear Blast Records.[12]
In the end of 2006 the band recorded their final and only album on the Nuclear Blast label, self-titled After Forever. It features guest appearances from Annihilator guitarist Jeff Waters and Doro Pesch. Videos of the recording sessions were available for download on the band's website. The album was released on 23 April 2007.
In January 2008, After Forever announced on their website, that the band would be taking a break of at least a year, mainly to assess the health problems of vocalist and guitarist Sander Gommans, who had been absent during most of the tour supporting the album After Forever.[11] In an interview with Ragnarök radio, Floor said the band would get together early 2009 to discuss After Forever's future.[13]
On 5 February 2009, After Forever announced that they decided to call it quits.[14] The long break, during 2008 and 2009, had made them realize that they did not feel the passion towards the band any longer.[15]
After the split up of the band, Sander Gommans published in 2009 the album System Overload with his solo project HDK and continues working as a high school art teacher. Floor Jansen started a new band called ReVamp and signed a contract with Nuclear Blast in 2010 for their first eponymous album,[16] then from late 2012 to summer 2013 she toured with Nightwish and later became the permanent lead singer of the band.[17]
Joost van den Broek collaborated with both Gommans and Jansen on their new musical projects, meanwhile producing the Christmas Metal Symphony shows in 2008 and 2009[18] and Stream of Passion's second album The Flame Within. Guitarist Bas Maas joined the live band supporting German hard rock singer Doro Pesch in 2008.
Musical style[]
![[icon]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg/20px-Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg.png){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by . (October 2013) |
Personnel[]
- Final line-up
- Floor Jansen – lead vocals (1997–2009)
- Sander Gommans – lead guitar, vocals, screams (1995–2009)
- Bas Maas – rhythm guitar, vocals, screams (2002–2009)
- Luuk van Gerven – bass guitar (1996–2009)
- André Borgman – drums, percussion (2000–2009)
- Joost van den Broek – keyboards (2004–2009)
- Previous members
- Mark Jansen – rhythm guitar, vocals, screams (1995–2002)
- Joep Beckers – drums, percussion (1995–2000)
- Jack Driessen – keyboards (1995–2000)
- Lando van Gils – keyboards (2000–2004)
- Guests
- Sharon den Adel – guest vocals on song "Beyond Me" (Prison of Desire)
- Melissa 't Hart – soprano on songs "Mea Culpa", "Leaden Legacy", "Follow in the Cry", "Silence From Afar" and "Yield to Temptation" (Prison of Desire)
- Simone Simons – vocals on song "Beyond Me" (Live in Hardenberg 26 December 2007)
- Irene Jansen – vocals on song "Who I Am" (Live in Tilburg 23 December 2007)
- George Oosthoek – vocals on the 2007 tour, replacing Sander Gommans
- Doro Pesch – vocals on song "Who I Am" (Release Party @ Tivoli 17. April 2007 Tilburg)
- Mark Jansen – rhythm guitar and vocals on song "Beyond Me" (Live in Hardenberg 26 December 2007)
- Arjen Anthony Lucassen – guitars on song "Who Wants to Live Forever" ("Emphasis/Who Wants to Live Forever")
- Damian Wilson – vocals on song "Who Wants to Live Forever" ("Emphasis/Who Wants to Live Forever")
- Jeff Waters – guitars on song "De-Energized" (After Forever)
- Rannveig Sif Sigurdardottir – mezzo-soprano vocal (After Forever)
- Amanda Somerville – alto vocal (Remagine, After Forever)
- Yvonne Rooda – alto vocal (Prison of Desire)
- Caspar De Jonge – tenor vocal (Prison of Desire)
- Previn Moore – bass vocal (After Forever)
- Hans Cassa – bass vocal (Prison of Desire)
- Marko Hietala – guest vocals on single version of "Face Your Demons" (Mea Culpa)
Timeline[]
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLD [19] |
GER [20] |
FRA [21] |
BEL (FL) [22] |
BEL (WA) [23] |
JPN [24] | ||||
| Prison of Desire |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Decipher |
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Invisible Circles |
|
24 | — | — | 74 | — | 272 | ||
| Remagine |
|
21 | — | — | 55 | 96 | — | ||
| After Forever |
|
6 | 98 | 105 | 89 | 72 | 234 | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||
Compilation albums[]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLD [19] | |||||||||
| Mea Culpa |
|
69 | |||||||
| Eccentric |
|
— | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||
EPs[]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLD [19] | |||||||||
| Exordium |
|
56 | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||
Singles[]
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLD [26] | |||||||||
| 2000 | "Follow in the Cry" / "Silence from Afar" | — | Prison of Desire | ||||||
| 2002 | "Emphasis" / "Who Wants to Live Forever" | — | Decipher | ||||||
| "Monolith of Doubt" | — | ||||||||
| 2003 | "My Choice" / "The Evil That Men Do" | — | Exordium | ||||||
| 2004 | "Digital Deceit" | 41 | Invisible Circles | ||||||
| 2005 | "Being Everyone" | 54 | Remagine | ||||||
| 2006 | "Two Sides" / "Boundaries Are Open" | — | Mea Culpa | ||||||
| 2007 | "Energize Me" | 94 | After Forever | ||||||
| "Equally Destructive" (DVD single) | 89 | ||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||
Music videos[]
- "Emphasis" (2002)
- "My Choice" (2003)
- "Digital Deceit" (2004)
- "Being Everyone" (2005)
- "Energize Me" (2007)
- "Equally Destructive" (2007)
- "Discord" (2007)
Demos[]
| Title | Demo details |
|---|---|
| Ephemeral |
|
| Wings of Illusion |
|
Interviews[]
- Interview of Floor Jansen (August 2007)
- Ragnarok Radio Interview with Floor Jansen and Lori Linstruth (December 2008)
References[]
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 November 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ Betteiger, Paul (5 April 2003). "Review: After Forever - Prison Of Desire". The Metal Crypt. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ Elliot, R.W. (16 June 2004). "After Forever". Musical Discoveries. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ "Sahara Dust". Tartarean Desire Webzine. July 2002. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ "Epica interview - Mark Jansen (part 1)". YouTube. FaceCulture. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- ^ "After Forever (1996 - 2009)" (in Dutch). Muziek Centrum Nederland. Archived from the original on 15 August 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ "AFTER FOREVER - INVISIBLE CIRCLES (ALBUM)" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts.nl. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ "Sander Gommans". FaceCulture.com. 8 November 2007. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ Grant, Sam (11 December 2005). "After Forever - Remagine". Sonic Cathedral.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Vermeere, Ralph (21 May 2007). "After Forever with Sander Gommans". Rockezine.com. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ D., Zack (7 November 2006). "After Forever Sign to Nuclear Blast and Start Recording New Album". Metal Underground.com. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ "Episode 30 - Women In Metal Part One". Ragnarok Radio. 12 December 2008. Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ "After Forever quits". 5 February 2009. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ "After Forever disbands after nearly fifteen years". Drummerszone.com. 6 February 2009. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ Jansen, Floor (12 February 2010). "News: Floor Jansen signs up with Nuclear Blast for her new band 'ReVamp'". Revampmusic.com. Archived from the original on 19 February 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ "Press Statement". Nightwish official website. Archived from the original on 25 June 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
- ^ "Christmas Metal Symphony". MySpace.com. 4 November 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Steffen Hung. "Dutch Charts". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ "charts.de". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ^ Steffen Hung (28 April 2007). "Les charts français". Lescharts.com. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop Belgian Charts". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop Belgian Charts". Ultratop.be. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ "アフター・フォーエヴァーのCDアルバムランキング │オリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE". ORICON STYLE. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ^ "iTunes - Music - After Forever by After Forever". iTunes. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Dutch Charts". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to After Forever. |
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- Dutch symphonic metal musical groups
- Dutch progressive metal musical groups
- Musical groups established in 1995
- Musical groups disestablished in 2009
- Dutch gothic metal musical groups