[Scroll to the bottom for a summarized "verdict", or read ahead for my full thoughts.]
If you liked Evanescence, you at least have a chance of liking After Forever on their 2007 self-titled album (which, I must confess, is the only one I've heard so far). Think of a numerical system of describing a rock band, where the full range of possible descriptors are given a score from 0 to 10. For example, Creed might have a 2 in Musical Complexity and Limp Bizkit might have a 0 in Lyrical Quality, but Green Day might get an 8 in catchiness. If you were to add 5 to all of Evanescence's scores, you'd have some idea of what this album sounds like.
In the most general of terms, After Forever is similar to any female-fronted, goth-and-metal-tinged rock band. On certain songs, you can almost hear them reaching for the poppy accessibility of mainstream rock and nu-metal, but it's almost like they can't bring themselves to do that to their music. The closest they ever come to the Evanescence mainstream is flirting with the sound of popular genre comrades Nightwish, though their sound always manages to remain distinct.
As my initial scoring-system description may have implied, After Forever plays pretty complicated music, but that's a little deceptive. They aren't like Opeth, with nary a song under 10 minutes and no recognizable structure to their songs. After Forever seems to start off by writing basic-but-solid symphonic metal songs, then spending lots of time dressing them up with an endless supply of progressive flourishes and nice touches. Even their most relentlessly driving songs -- "Transitory" comes to mind -- manage to incorporate rhythmic surprises and musical flourishes seemingly with each alternate step. These touches are mostly kept under control, though, and don't generally make the music overly busy.
Admittedly, I am a fan of a lot of busy music, but part of what I find appealing about After Forever is their lack of pretense. For all their drama (in addition to their inherently dramatic style, song titles include "Cry With a Smile," "Empty Memories," and "Dreamflight"), After Forever are surprisingly down-to-earth. Most of the songs on this album are fairly straightforwardly about relationships, romantic and perhaps otherwise, as opposed to other genre staples like fantastic creatures, epic adventures, or graveyard imagery. I personally have a weakness for all three of those more typical categories, and one could certainly point out that most recorded music deals with relationships in one way or another, but After Forever's approach struck me as honest, refreshing, and -- most importantly -- sincere.
If you've listened to any other music in the very broad category of "symphonic rock" -- heavy rock with at least string accompaniment -- what you've likely heard are nu-metal, black metal, or power metal songs with some orchestral flourishes to add atmosphere. If you've listened to Therion (one of my all-time favorite bands), on the other hand, you've heard a metal band essentially fitting seamlessly into an opera performance, often treating the the rock instruments as somewhat louder members of the larger orchestra. After Forever seems to take an opposite approach, using both live and synthesized symphonic instruments as though they were another guitarist or keyboard player. Lead vocalist Floor Jansen obviously has operatic training, but for the most part she sings plainly and completely in line with the mood of the song, avoiding the samey showboating that sometimes hamstrung former Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen.
On the subject of vocals, one thing worth noting is the occasional use of a growling male vocalist, which helps to place After Forever firmly in the metal camp to which they rightfully belong. I know several people who despise growled vocals, particularly when used to offset a beautiful female voice, but I think that After Forever's relatively sparing use of them helps to add punch to songs like the aforementioned "Transitory". After Forever are already treading a thin line between mainstream accessibility and metal cred, and the smart placement of the growls helps (in my opinion) to keep them from falling to one side or the other.
THE VERDICT: After Forever's self-titled album is an accomplished, focused symphonic metal product that has the potential to win over fans of Evanescence, In Flames, Cerberus, and most other bands on that continuum. Clever and creative use of genre elements like orchestral instruments and growled vocals help keep their sound intense while still maintaining this broad appeal. Highly recommended, and if you don't like the first track you sample, try another few before you write them off. As for me, I can't wait to delve further into their catalog!
