Decipher (album)

Decipher
Studio album by After Forever
Released	May 27, 2001
Recorded	June–August 2001
Genre	Symphonic metal
Length	54:45
Label	Transmission
Producer	Stephen van Haestregt and Oscar Holleman
After Forever chronology
Prison of Desire (2000) Decipher (2001) Exordium (2003)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Metal Storm	[2]
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.

Decipher is the second album by Dutch symphonic metal band After Forever, released in 2001. The music of the band reaches its full potential in this album with the use of live classical instruments and a complete choir to back up the soprano voice of lead singer Floor Jansen. The complex arrangements, that mix classical and ethnical influences with death and gothic metal, produce an unusual and unique blending.^[3] Thrown in the mix are also a duet of soprano and tenor voices in "Imperfect Tenses" and the recording of the late Israeli PM Yizhak Rabin voice during the Peace treaty signing ceremony on the 26th of October 1994 on "Forlorn Hope". This is the last After Forever album with guitarist and founder Mark Jansen, who left the band soon after its release.

The album has been re-released by Transmission Records in 2003 in a limited edition of 5,000 copies worldwide. The limited edition in digipack had an extended booklet, a sticker with new artwork and two bonus live tracks.^[4]

Track listing

Music by M. Jansen, S. Gommans, F. Jansen, After Forever, except where indicated. Lyrics as indicated.

1. "Ex Cathedra: Ouverture" (music: S. Gommans, lyrics: M. Jansen) – 2:02
2. "Monolith of Doubt" (lyrics: F. Jansen) – 3:32
3. "My Pledge of Allegiance #1: The Sealed Fate" (lyrics: M. Jansen) – 6:24
4. "Emphasis" (lyrics: F. Jansen) – 4:20
5. "Intrinsic" (lyrics: F. Jansen) – 6:44
6. "Zenith" (music: M. Jansen, S. Gommans, A. Borgman, F. Jansen, After Forever, lyrics: F. Jansen) – 4:21
7. "Estranged: A Timeless Spell" (lyrics: M. Jansen) – 6:56
8. "Imperfect Tenses" (music: M. Jansen, F. Jansen, lyrics: F. Jansen) – 4:07
9. "My Pledge of Allegiance #2: The Tempted Fate" (lyrics: M. Jansen) – 5:07
10. "The Key" (lyrics: F. Jansen) – 4:48
11. "Forlorn Hope" (lyrics: M. Jansen) – 6:25

Bonus tracks limited edition digipak CD 2003

• "My Pledge of Allegiance No. 1" [Live @ 2 Metersessies] – 6:28
• "Forlorn Hope" [Live @ 2 Metersessies] – 6:22

Personnel

Band members Floor Jansen - vocals Mark Jansen - guitars, grunts Sander Gommans - guitars Luuk van Gerven - bass guitar Lando van Gils - keyboards André Borgman - drums, acoustic guitars Production Stephen van Haestregt - producer, engineer Oscar Holleman - producer, mixing Hans van Vuuren - executive producer, coordination and research Peter van 't Riet - mastering

Additional musicians Cees' Kieboom - piano, keyboards Ebred Reijen - solo violin Noemi Bodden - violin Janine Baller - viola Carla Schrijner - violoncello Roxanne Steffen - double bass Irma Kort - oboe on "Intrinsic" and "My Pledge of Allegiance #1" Jack Pisters - citar on "My Pledge of Allegiance #2" Rein Kolpa - tenor vocals on "Imperfect Tenses" Hans Cassa - choral bass vocals Caspar de Jonge - choral tenor vocals Marga Okhuizen - choral alto vocals Ellen Bakker - choral soprano vocals

References

1. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "After Forever Decipher review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/decipher-r635829/review. Retrieved 2011-07-05. 
2. ^ Congrains, Kike (2003-08-23). "After Forever - Invisible Circles review". Metal Storm (webzine). http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=19. Retrieved 2010-04-11. 
3. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Decipher". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r635829. Retrieved 2010-04-03. 
4. ^ "After Forever - Decipher". Metal-Archives.com. http://www.metal-archives.com/release.php?id=5870. Retrieved 2010-04-03.