After Forever

The band, not the Sabbath tune. Any fans? I began listening to this band a few years back after hearing Floor Jansen on Arjen's Star One album. Her voice simply blew me away! I love artists like Charlotte Martin, Tori Amos, Emm Gryner, basically chicks with pianos do it for me (as long as it's not poppy). So throw some metal guitars and drums on that style and you've found my soft spot for female-fronted metal bands.

Anyway, After Forever is simply killer, if you like this sort of style. The early stuff has a bit more of that early Tristania feel, dark, doomy, with death metal grunts and operatic female vocals. They've gotten away from that doomy style, but they're still heavy, still have the death metal vocals, but they play more of just a symphonic heavy metal style now.

What sets the band apart from others, I think, is the vocal work of Floor Jansen. Since first hearing her she has become my favorite metal female vocalist, hands down (her pants). Much like Lana Lane's vocals, Floor's are simply powerful, commanding and captivating. And I think she's hot as hell, even if she has a butt chin. Haha! If you've not heard this band, check out these videos:

DIGITAL DECEIT
EMPHASIS
BEAUTIFUL EMPTINESS (Live)
WITHERING TIME (Just the song)
ENERGIZE ME
EQUALLY DESTRUCTIVE (Really cool fan-made video)
EQUALLY DESTRUCTIVE (Live Acoustic)

And a couple live covers:

THE EVIL THAT MEN DO (Iron Maiden…duh!)
SHE IS MY SIN (Nightwish)

She would have been awesome in Nightwish. Anyway, discuss if you'd like.

Yes awesome band Floor is up there with Sharon from Within Temptation. Hopefully see them this month!

Their new cd is great!

Wargod48

I am quickly warming up to this band. I got the album Invisible Circles last year but didn't listen too much to it afterwards as I felt they were like all the other female fronted symphonic metal bands. However, recently I've been giving albums that I didn't listen to much new spins and that particular album is one of the top ones. Your right though, her voice is one of the most powerful female voices in metal and the music is also high quality. I expect to listen to their material more often and seek out some of their other music in the future.

After Forever is great and so is Within Temptation.... Epica is amazing too.... I know Sharon from back when I was spending my time at the university.... great girl....

I met Floor as well, some time ago at a party... she's pretty cool as well!

There's tons of new bands coming up from our little country right now: Delain, Autumn, Kingfisher sky.... check 'm out! My friend Ariën played drums on the last Epica cd as well as the Delain cd!

DallasBlack wrote:

I am quickly warming up to this band. I got the album Invisible Circles last year but didn't listen too much to it afterwards as I felt they were like all the other female fronted symphonic metal bands. However, recently I've been giving albums that I didn't listen to much new spins and that particular album is one of the top ones. Your right though, her voice is one of the most powerful female voices in metal and the music is also high quality. I expect to listen to their material more often and seek out some of their other music in the future.

That's actually the album I started with, or it may have been the Exordium EP. Either way, it's a killer album! Those spoken parts, though, with the husband and wife, are just laughable bad. Haha. I cringe every time I hear it.

Seed of Pain wrote:

After Forever is great and so is Within Temptation.... Epica is amazing too.... I know Sharon from back when I was spending my time at the university.... great girl....

Did you touch her sweaty spot?

Quote :

I met Floor as well, some time ago at a party... she's pretty cool as well!

Did you touch her sweaty spot?

Quote :

There's tons of new bands coming up from our little country right now: Delain, Autumn, Kingfisher sky.... check 'm out! My friend Ariën played drums on the last Epica cd as well as the Delain cd!

The Delain CD is killer. Sadly I only own the single for See Me In Shadow. I have the album downloaded, but can't find it around here.

I can get you the cd and the singles.... just name 'm and I'll track 'm down!

I touched neither girls sweaty spot.... Though technically I have been on a date with Floor ages ago Sharon is just a sweet girl....

I just got After Forever's new album the other day! I haven't been able to hear it yet though, as I can't seem to pry the new Nightwish out of my stereo.





I'll let you know what I think though ... I think I'm gonna like it.

Seed of Pain wrote:

I can get you the cd and the singles.... just name 'm and I'll track 'm down!

I touched neither girls sweaty spot.... Though technically I have been on a date with Floor ages ago Sharon is just a sweet girl....

Technically? Lunch under the tree at recess in grade school?

What are the prices for CDs over there, in USD (if you know)?

It depends..... new prices are high but a grade A second hand (aka mint/near mint) should go for less.... we can always trade some stuff.... I can get my hands on most of the rarer stuff they released, limited pressings and cd singles

I had that date way back when she broke up with someone.... it was just to cheer her up. I wasn't available then and even if I was I don't think she'd be into me... we just hung out together. She's not really my type either.... I prefer blondes!

great band even still, although i prefer their earlier stuff. i generally go for doomy over symphonic.

I clicked on this thinking it was going to be about the Black Sabbath song.

Listened to the new one last night and they are becoming one of my favortie female fronted symphonic bands. Floor's voice is beautyful and operatic and fits the music really well. My favorite track, from my first listen, is Who I Am which features guest vocalist Doro. Doro's and Floor's voices, although very different, mesh together real well IMO. I will give this album another spin tonight at work.

Quote :

What sets the band apart from others, I think, is the vocal work of Floor Jansen. Since first hearing her she has become my favorite metal female vocalist, hands down (her pants). Much like Lana Lane's vocals,

That is what sets most of the female vocalists apart nowdays are their voices, like Lana Lane, Sharon, Floor............

Also their is a new Lana Lane coming out in Dec can't wait!

Wargod48

NP: Godiva - Destruction

I've always been interested in hearing Lana Lane. What is her stuff like?

About After Forever, I've had this disc for a while now - and while I certainly DO like it ... it just seems to be missing something for me. Perhaps hooks I suppose.

I love it when I crank it, but there doesn't seem to be much pulling me back to it each time.

Lana Lane is considered more symphonic rock she has been around for a long time her hubby is Eric Norlander from The Rocket Scientists. When I first heard her she blew me away have been a huge fan ever since.

If you wnat to check out her music I'd go with "Queen Of The Ocean" or "Secrets Of Astrology".

They are huge in Japan and Europe as are most bands of this nature!

Wargod48

NP: Resistnce - Patents Of Control

Yeah, Lana is not really metal. I first heard her on an Ayreon disc and was just amazed with her voice. There's a depth to it that most female vocalists don't have. Just outstanding.

Some of her albums are heavier than others, and one could argue that they're metal albums, but I'd go for heavy rock.

http://www.lanalane.com

Check out the samples.

And a new album? Outstanding!

Samples from Lana's upcoming album:

Quote :

1. Into the Fire [5:10]
(Norlander)
2. The Frozen Sea [5:05]
(Lane)
3. Capture the Sun [7:23]

These are a bit heavier than I expected.

WOW - I really like her!!!!!

I'll be getting some of her stuff for certain. Thanks guys!

Wow it's sounds like the sounds back to her Queen Of The Ocean era!

Wargod48

blackieboy wrote:

About After Forever, I've had this disc for a while now - and while I certainly DO like it ... it just seems to be missing something for me. Perhaps hooks I suppose.

I love it when I crank it, but there doesn't seem to be much pulling me back to it each time.

It is definatly music where you have to be concentrating on the music, just like Epica (I have plans to get their new one). At work I listen to music through headphones so I get the benefit of being able to focus on the music as well do other tasks. That being said, this is not the type of music you can just use as background music. I tried that with Epica and is just didn't have the same effect as it does when focusing mainly on the music. Now we will see after some more listenings how I feel about it.

The new Epica is indeed the same way. Both cds are quite good, but you have to work at getting into them.

blackieboy wrote:

The new Epica is indeed the same way. Both cds are quite good, but you have to work at getting into them.

Not me. I love this crap! Hits me right away.

Eyesore wrote:

blackieboy wrote:

The new Epica is indeed the same way. Both cds are quite good, but you have to work at getting into them.

Not me. I love this crap! Hits me right away.

It hits me right away as well, I never really have to get into anything unless there is a major change between albums (i.e. Kamelot-Ghost Opera and Sonata Arctica-Unia). I've said before that I seem to have an ear for music (I can like a Dream Theater album upon my first listen). That being said, with both Epica and After Forever, if I the music is not loud enough to hear over whatever I'm doing (i.e. background music) or I'm not listening through headphones the music doesn't click.

That is why it took me forever to appreciate Cosigned to Oblivion and Invisible Circles, at the time I got those albums the place I worked at didn't allow the music to be too loud and later, after a "customer" complaint (the customers don't really care what music we listen to, only off duty mangagers from other branches posing as customers do) music was banned from the store completly and my CD player in my car will not play CDs unless the car is unmoving and the engine is not running (otherwise it skips every three seconds) and at that time in my life I spent most of my free time watching TV (I only listened to music while cleaning the house or sleeping) so albums like those (and others) didn't get the play that they deserved (I will never let my music go unlistened like that again).

Don't get me wrong ... I LOVE After Forever and Epica!!! I'd consider them both some of my faves.

But what I was saying was that they just don't seem to get played as often as stuff like Nightwish and Leaves Eyes do for me. I guess the latter just have more 'hooks' for me personally.