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she looks unbelievably ugly on that cover photo! :shock:
stupid goth styling

I can't believe this album got a score in the 90's.There is nothing good here to suggest such high score.



That's just the problem.They couldn't sustain the high quality of their music mainly because Jansen quit the band.That's why Invisible Circle felt out of place and now Remagine sucks so bad.No matter how much i like Floor singing, i can't just ignore the bad music.Prison Of Desire and Decipher are two of the best gothic albums, which the band will never re-create.At first I would have asked you Ian, how would you rate their previous albums, since they are different compared to each other, but as you have stated you liked them all.
I can at least give you credit for the well writen review Ian.Someone that has never heard any AF albums before, may start with this one, based on your review...and be dissapointed. (just kidding about the last part)

This album is awesome! Personally I think the newer After Forever is much better than the early stuff. The death metal growls back then were not that great. I don't think the band is much different now, though. Definitely a great album here.

I agree with a fair bit of what PyroMan said...


I even agree that there was a lot of accurate things about this album mentioned in the review, particularly in the fourth paragraph. But it's those things that are why I would not give this album a score even near 91. 61? Maybe.

Again, refer back to the fourth paragraph of the review if you need a hint as to why I think this album is so poor. I don't agree really agree with the conclusions, but the facts leading into them are pretty on. For example:



But I'll also emphasize that I think this album often fails to take advantage of Floor's voice the way "PoD" and "Decipher" did. Once again it's another band that abandons the elements that made them unique in favor of a more "streamlined" sound. I can be all for evolution and moving forward, even when the results are mixed, but this is hardly "progress".

So another disappointing album as those of other bands of this (or similar) ilk like "Ashes" and "Once" were... Sadly, the decline almost seems to be more the norm than the exception right now. :(

-Tyrion

Tristania has changed immensley, listening to Ashes it's virtually a different band. After Forever and Nightwish have changed very, very little. In fact, not much at all. To say they don't take advantage of Floor's voice is crazy! She sounds much more powerful on these last two albums and the Exordium EP than on the early releases. Thumbs up, both directions for me.

Hmm, I can see your point in some way and you're right about Tristania and Nightwish.After Forever on the other hand have changed.Their early stuff was pure enjoyable gothic metal.On Invisble Circles they experimented with more progressive stuff and somehow the music lost it's charm.I think Remagine continues this direction even further.I feel that Floor isn't meant to sing to this music anymore.She was getting better technically because of her training, but she no longer fits to this music.
I'm still a fan of their early work and will hope for another change in music direction, one that I will enjoy.

introducing heavy, chugging riffs and a symphony orchestra is a little change in style?

Maybe you should go back and re-listen—or listen for the first time—to Angels Fall First.

As for After Forever, I just feel that the new stuff is the old style perfected. Not much change, they just smoothed out the wrinkles. Then again, the first time I'd heard After Forever was when Exordium came out, so I was introduced to the band from the opposite side of the fence, so to speak.

I haven't heard this one, but the difference between Decipher and Invisible Circles was HUGE! 85/100 respectively 30/100 or something...

The cover is the worst thing, they should have continued with the nice artworks instead of a band photo. And Fleur should not do that kind of photos.

The album is better than invisible circles, but not as good as the previuos two (not counting the EP). Prison of Desire and Decipher are simply amazing albums.

I have a feeling you won't like this either.Remagine simply continues the path that Invisible Circles had carved and hence my quote for it - 45/100.

I think you are way off here Man. Listen to Oceanborn then listen to Once, massive change in Tarja vocals and even the music. Same goes for After Forever, massive, massive change between Decipher and Invisible circles and sounds to me like AF did what Nighwish did, tempered the fem vocals into a more simple style. I am sure I will dig it. I don't like prog and IC left me cold so this sounds like a step in the right direction. As for Tristania, yeah they changed a lot, but Morten left the bad and the creativity went with him for that style so they had to change. Sirenia is the continuation of what the orig Tristania would have become had Morten stayed in the band. Big fan of this type of music but the last 3 or 4 years have left me pretty cold. So we will see what the new AF does for me.

Angels Fall First was raw and very simple, but listen to Oceanborn and Wishmaster, then listen to her vocals on Once and Centruy child, not to mention half of Once has Male vocals on it which is a MAJOR change.

Who said ANYTHING about vocals? I was referring to this: "...heavy, chugging riffs and a symphony orchestra...". All those elements have been a HUGE part of Nightwish since Angels Fall First, to disagree is idiotic. It may have sounded different because of the production, but it was still there. The orchestra may have been a keyboard, but it's still orchestration! Had Tuomas had the money he had to make Once when he recorded Angels Fall First there would be nary a difference in sound.

And half of Once does NOT have male vocals on it! Come on, dude.

Yes it does, listen to it. Only Nemo and a few others are all Tarja, compare that to Wishmaster or Oceanborn. The music is very different, to argue is Idiotic

"Planet Hell" is the only song to prominently feature male vocals. "Wish I Had An Angel" and "The Siren" feature male vocals only in the choruses accompanied by Tarja singing as well. The very end of "Romanticide" has male vocals, too. How is that too much?? Seems to me like there's just as much male vocals here as on their other albums.

Now don't make me school you again!

Romanticide sounds *nothing* like anything they recorded before Century Child. in fact, it's more a metalcore-influenced song.

Oh, shut up! Metalcore? You smoke crack, my friend.