After Forever - Invisible circles
Invisible circles": un capolavoro targato After Forever. Un concept suddiviso in dodici episodi che parlano della vita umana, rappresentata da un cerchio invisibile nel quale dimorano ambizioni, sbagli, odio, rabbia, amarezza, frustrazione e ricordi dolorosi... Un cerchio che sviluppandosi ne descrive altri, simili e concentrici, chiudendosi attorno a noi, finendo per inghiottirci in un vortice eterno. Attraverso la storia della protagonista del concept troveranno voce anime ferite che non hanno mai avuto il coraggio di parlare; anime oscure e fragili che cercano un senso alla propria esistenza ma vedono sfumare qualsiasi possibilità di riuscita. Questa ferita è sempre lì: tangibile... nel cuore e nell'anima. E ad ogni litigio, ad ogni scontro, gelidamente essa verrà squarciata.
Nati in un contesto dove un sentimento come l'amore viene pugnalato alle spalle per lasciare spazio all'ambizione e consapevoli di essere venuti al mondo senza essere desiderati, siamo accusati di tutti i mali che affliggono coloro che dovrebbero amarci, e, invece, non fanno che riversare su di noi il proprio dolore, creando prima perplessità e sensi di colpa e poi odio. Per dimenticare il rancore non resta che cercare un appiglio, ma tutto ciò che ci circonda è intriso di falsità. Tv e computer non fanno altro che illuderci di aver trovato un barlume di serenità. La voce interiore si fa spazio e prova ad urlare il suo oscuro presagio, ma si trova ad affrontare un carattere testardo, che non le darà ascolto. Allora il presagio diventerà realtà, e volti amici, tutto ad un tratto, si trasformeranno in ghigni malefici sempre pronti a farci male. È un tunnel oscuro, un incubo senza via d'uscita destinato a ripetersi, ma dobbiamo tuttavia affrontarlo, perché il dolore è cieco e non guarda in faccia nessuno. Consapevoli del fatto che tutti gli sbagli che gli altri hanno commesso, saranno gli stessi che noi faremo in futuro, quando spingeremo altre vite, altre vittime nell'eterno vortice di odio da noi stessi creato.
A livello musicale la band subisce un cambiamento radicale rispetto al precedente "Decipher", in quanto le emozioni che questa storia vuole trasmettere non facevano parte della musica degli After Forever del passato, ancorati alla vena neoclassica di Mark Jansen, il quale, dopo la dipartita, ha avuto la possibilità di esprimersi al meglio con gli Epica. Le partiture sonore della band sono ora a cavallo tra il progressive, il gothic ed il death metal ed incorporano i migliori aspetti sinfonici del passato. Finalmente anche basso e batteria trovano il proprio spazio ma la vera sorpresa sono le chitarre, le quali si spingono spesso ai limiti del death. La tecnica non è sempre messa in primo piano, ma le doti di Sander Gommans e Bas Maas sono indubbie. Vengono inoltre aggiunti samples cinematografici (nella mente della protagonista risuonano gli echi di un'infanzia dolorosa: le voci degli altri bambini, che non sembrano minimamente sfiorati da sentimenti negativi, sono limpide e inquietanti, così come il suono di un carillon che svanisce nel nulla, simbolo di un'innocenza che in età prematura ha trovato la propria morte) e dialoghi recitati dal devastante impatto per dare un aspetto più realistico all'opera (come spezzoni di un film visto tanto tempo fa, tornano alla mente litigi, urla e porte che sbattono). Superbe sono le partiture orchestrali, che abbandonano l'aura mistico-ecclesiastica degli album precedenti per diventare impetuose nelle strofe e nei refrain ma anche ariose nel creare aperture atte a ridare fiato all'ascoltatore, come in "Digital deceit". Prezioso è l'apporto delle tastiere, che trovano il proprio apice compositivo in "Eccentric", drammatica ballad che racconta dell'animo afflitto alla disperata ricerca di una via di fuga tra gli occhi impietosi della gente. La varietà di stili vocali utilizzata ha dell'incredibile; farebbe perfino invidia a certi progster montati, che per le proprie opere monumentali chiamano all'appello un corteo di ospiti ad interpretare una vastissima gamma di linee vocali che non sarebbe copribile da un singolo cantante. Al cospetto degli After Forever la portata di tale problema è ridicola. Lo scream è più rabbioso, crudo e spietato che mai, ma la vera protagonista vocale è Floor Jansen, detentrice della miglior ugola femminile in ambito metal. La giovane singer dà sfoggio di un talento impareggiabile che le permette di passare con estrema disinvoltura da impressionanti tonalità da soprano ad altre grezze ed aggressive, puramente rock, fino a parentesi soffuse nei momenti più riflessivi, intimi e sofisticati. Perfino le qualità inequivocabili (ed incontrastate fino all'uscita di "Invisible circles") di Tarja Turunen spariscono di fronte ad una performance come quella cesellata dalla collega olandese in "Sins of idealism". A dar man forte alla meravigliosa performance della cantante si aggiungono, oltre ai grunts di Gommans, magniloquenti cori polifonici e, in rara sede, la bella voce pulita (di stampo prog-power) di Bas Maas.
Inutile cercare un pelo nell'uovo o fare un'analisi di ogni singola traccia. Il metal sinfonico con voce femminile (attenzione, nonostante le due realtà musicali vengano spesso confuse, qui non si sta parlando di Gothic Metal) ha sicuramente prodotto realtà di dubbio valore , ma, nel 2004, con l'uscita di album come quello in questione e "Once" dei Nightwish, è diventato un genere dall'alto tasso qualitativo (nonostante sia stato riscontrato un calo evidente negli anni successivi).
Tracklist
1. Childhood In Minor
2. Beautiful Emptiness
3. Between Love And Fire
4. Sins Of Idealism
5. Eccentric
6. Digital Deceit
7. Through Square Eyes
8. Blind Pain
9. Two Sides
10. Victim Of Choices
11. Reflections
12. Life's Vortex
Song Lyrics - Beautiful Emptiness
You're the worst of all with all your accusations and compunction
I can't suffer this duress from someone sodepraved and selfish
You embody all that I've been trough
without you I am sure I will be loved
My existence conforms to your distress
Your ambition,the cause of mine
A disruption,I'm nothing,even less
Misforunes never come singly,and I was there to stay
You don't allow me a single placenor any love into your lives
An unpercieved,
annoying presence you'd rather ignore
But in m life you know you'll leave a beautiful emptiness
Where you used to be
impotent screamswill turn into the love of silence
my liberation,
then silence
will be perfect and pure
It's all in my dreams
I'll remove youand all our mutual disgust
In my dreams,
I solve the problem by removing it
My wish is to see you grovel like you once forced me to!
There's no other way,
here's my course of life
a path without the sickening trace of you
I need the beauty of a cleared,
pure world
this eternal interruption of your rash life can save me
You don't allow me a single placenor any love into your live
san unpercieved,
annoying presence you'd rather ignore
But in my life you know you'll leave a beautiful emptiness
It's sad to feel you don't believe in love
it's sad that you're so cold
and I'll be the same if you keep on poisoning my life
Drowning in self-sacrificing visions
when you're gone,
than we will all be released
It's sad my life has been like hell so far
it's sad that you're the cause
and I will be cured in this beautiful,
empty world
Floating,
floating away with your perilous visions and hate
When you're gone,
silence will fill up the emptiness
When you're gone,
we all will be released
In my dreams I shall rinse my body and soul
My wish, the accomplishment lies here before me in my hands
I will be released from your accusing eyes
and torrents of verbal abuse
You'll know the causes are your own mistakes
while life flows out of you and exempts me forever
Song Lyrics - Between Love And Fire
Here I am,
the future is mine
And mine as well,
we'll stand at the top of a prosperous society
Our dreams can become reality
I am in charge of life's great circle
I control my path of wealth
Ambitions high,
burningThe flames burn deep down in our souls
To be known for efficiency and passion
Separate goals but fire shared
We both need our professions
Do what you want but I'll never give up mine
Oh,I can thinkI can work,
I don't need your support
our love is pale,
but it's notin my wayto share our lives,
our fireI shall become a man of distinction
We can share our lives,
our fireAmbitions high,
burning
The flames burn deep down in our souls
To be known for efficiency and passion
Ambitions,
dreams,
they're burning(feel it burn,in our soul)
The flames burn deeper towards our goals,
our needs
Suddenly,
we have become carelessa new life,
a new dimension
It disturbs our solid future,
it puts out the fire we both need
It's a choice between the passion,
or the love that can be saved now
See the child here as a saviour,
choose for love and let this life begin
We have been careless but you have provoked it
Your weak searck for more love between us,
a blind emotionshould I believe that this new life can save us,
a saviour,
a prodigy,
so choose for love and let this life begin
See a birth,
a saviour,
a coursesee these lives,
they see this as a choice between their life together
between love and fire
With this child we must make choices,
it can save us if we want
Oh,I fear it,the path we take
Is this a choice anyway,between love and fire?
Feel it,this life in me,moving
with this child we must make choices,
it can save us if we want
Oh,I fear it, the path we takeis this a choice anyway,
between love and fire?
Ambitions high,burning
the flames burn deep down in our soulsto be known for efficiency and passion
Ambitions,
dreams,
they're burningthe flames burn deeper towards our goals,
our needs
Song Lyrics - Sins Of Idealism
Hello father,
hello motherthere is so much i don't get
please don't be mad at me,
I will try harder
I'll really do the best I can
That's not enough,
suffer the cause of my domestic captivity
And I will close my eyes,
and fantasize of a world that's not so cold
That's how it will be,
suffer the causes of my personal misery,
I've sacrificed
My beauty,
my freedom,
my dreams,
the independent me
Hello father,
hello mother
don't blame me for things I didn't doYes,
I will go now,and I'll be silent
please stop your screaming,
and love me!
That's all you can see,
speak of love while you've ruined what's meant to be
And then I'll close my eyes,
to fantasize of a world where I can be free
And free to be
Sinner or righteous,
the line is so thin
Can you condemn it?
Can you be the one to judge it all,
or accuse yourself if the sentence is your life
Hello father,
hello mother,
forgive me for standing in your way
I just wanted someone who'd hold me and listen
are these illusions,
are they
Only fantasies?
Imagine how our lives could've been
I would still have
My beauty,
my freedom,
my dreams
the independent me
Our course in life is a path
we must take alone no one can choose what to do,
only you
so the sins we commit are the struggles within
there's nog judge to decide what is right
what is wrong
Tell me,
can you live in freedom,
knowing that your choice hurt someone?
Once,
we had a life,
and now we have you,
the saviour of love is a catastrophe
I'll leave you both if I must give up my dreams
My chances aren't here with you
I won't be chained because of this
The sins of all,
the sinner in me
I follow my dreams,
you call it blasphemyIf my ideals are sins
To me,
they are the strength within
Then I shall stay a sinner!
I can be free,
and free to be
Sinner or righteous,
the line is so thin
Can you condemn it?
can you be the one to judge it allor accuse yourself,
if the sentence is your life
Song Lyrics - Eccentric
What do they see
when they look at me?
Who are they,
to judge me,
if they never spoke with me,
never looked without laughing,
never tried to see,
see meI can't believe that it's only me,
the person to hate,
the only left out
I can't believe how they can be so mean
if they could feel the brutal stings of their word
sand the bitter cold when they laugh
once more,
I'mRunning,
running away -I must hide-Can't take anymore,
A fight,
to free me from an endless struggle with life
Running,
tell me how far should I go if they're all the same
This fight,
I'm fighting my way troughI don't really want to be like them,
the way they behave,
the way that they live
I don't really need someone,
no people like that
But someone in a world with warmth and respect
A world without the feeling I must beRunning,
running away -I must hide-Can't take anymore,
A fight,to free me,
from an endless struggle with life
Running,tell me how far should I go,
if they're all the same
This fight,
I am fighting my way trough
Song Lyrics - Digital Deceit
Come enter,
here's my world
closed off from pain and cold
Come enter,come inside
A secret place of light'
Cause in this world I'm rid of you,
you can't get trough
So here I am,and I'm beautiful
And all my friends would say the same
So here I am,and you cannot deny
That I am someone you'd embrace
I am the queen,
I'm pure and loved,
by everyone
Come enter,
here's my code
Trough the world wide wire you'll know me
The queen of her own world
My story,
meet my life
So now you see,
there is another me
Not someone insecure and strange
My father's will in here,
it doesn't mean a thing
and I don't fear his violent rage
I am the queen,
you know I'm loved by everyone
Come enter,
here's my code
Trough the world wide wire you'll know me
The queen of her own world
Stop dreaming,
and wake up
Your silly world is not what's real
This world of fake friends and computers-digital deceit
This cyber wall(this cyber wall)
Is built to break out or hold
The choice is yours(the choice is yours)
Will you dream or see what's real
Oh...no,no more
Just let me be alone with myself
These conflicting thoughts increase my doubts
I am the queen,
I must be loved
This so-called 'wall' is there to protect
A life controlled by keys,
closed off from pain and cold
Song Lyrics - Trough Square Eyes
This is the world trough square eyes
I can see fiction like it's real
Window to an unknown paradise,
A paradise where no one sees
I wish I saw it all,
A paradise where no one knows
all these images for real
The realityIt's a seduction,
like a dream I can feel pain,
I feel the blood
Out of your hands but in your minds
The fire of the burning fight
I wish I saw it all,
I feel love as a disease,
all these images for real in my fantasy
Good or evil,
right or wrong
Find yourself between the dying crowd,
the bloodied streets
How can't this affect a mind
How can't this affect a pure,
young heart
In my own world it's getting worse
It's never good enough for them
Learn this,
do that,
do as we say
As if results are all there is
It doesn't affect me much,
I cannot be more than I am,
the screen shows me enough
Face reality
I can play I'm strong and tough
And let them feel who should be blamed
Fighting and killing for new lives
A way to learn how to survive
I can play on and on,
It ends up just the same again
But my life is not a game
Life should be a game
Good or evil,
right or wrong
Find yourself between the dying crowd,
the bloodied streets
How can't this affect a mind
How can't this affect a pure,
young heart
Hope is fragile,
and all there is to make them see
I'm not that bad
Hope is the last reason not to flee,
not to run away
into the tempting square world of fantasy,
free me
Hate is an impulse
Your aversion,
my reason
Games,movies,things a child should not see
A flash,see,but you won't forget
A game,play and hear and see,again
It marks the heart and spills your youth
I'm in the world of square minds
The beauty of a clearer world
Fighting a game,
its name is life
The game of life is hard to fight
I've shot my hate today,
You'll know the causes when it's too late
its embodiment has paid
Feel reality
The pictures say more than you see
Why should I see what you've told me
Nothing gets worse it stays the same
The same is killing,anyway
I wish I saw it all,
So could you please let me escape
all these images for real from reality
Good or evil,right or wrong
Find yourself between the dying crowd,
the bloodied streets
How can't this affect a mind
How can't this affect a pure,
young heart
Song Lyrics - Blind Pain
Everything keeps getting worse
The terror at home,the dread at school
I mustn't count on much support,
I'm still locked out,
it's up to mehow to face the teasing and the pain
Hate,one thing we have in common
Play your game
Beat me,hurt mea physical release for mental pain
don't make me explode in your way
This is a chain of torture,a line of pain,
no other way to show how you feel
This is the rebel in her,the torment from him
the absence of help,the mothers care
Rage,it burns all around us
Blind pain
So abuse is only weakness
It feels more like a cry of distress,
an act of incapacity
Feel the threat
Feel the oppressed ambience of having no place to go,n
o one who'll take care of my salvation
This is a chain of torturea line of pain
no other way to show how you feel
This is the rebel in her,the torment from him
the absence of help,the mother's care
Here comes the finel episode of terror and pain
abuse and hope
Here comes the fight between us all
A fight between a love long goneI'm to blame,
but it's their own blind pain
Song Lyrics - Two Sides
Somehow everything's getting worse
My fight is just one of their struggles
And have I seen it all Oh no,
now their hate's reaching the top
And guess who's to blame,
and guess who's responsible
If pain is our line,
The one that connects us in life,
should we hold on
I only feel their shame when I'm near
Life should be more than this,
should be warmer than this
Cause there's more grief and pain,oh yes
There is more than what
I caused,things beyond me
And their eyes reflect things they'll never say out loud
If pain is our line,
The one that connects us in life,
should we hold on
Our dreams,ambitions and passion
Our plans for the future,our combined goals
A life with status,respect and adoration
our wishes and hope destroyed at once
Without those things to connect us,
a life together is even worse than alone
we all need two sides of the story
Two sides,one can become a reflection of the truth,a lie
You'll be judging soon
Two sides,they both have their emotions,
opinions and thoughts
on who's to blame on reality,can you tell
If pain is our line
The one that connects us in lief,
should we hold on
Song Lyrics - Victim Of Choices
See my life,the failure,
you'll make the same mistakes
a child,marriage,your choices,
they're all in your hands
Where were you when I needed you
Your interference is not welcome now
I can't believe these words
showing feelings that he never had,
such a human behaviour
did she teach him these feelings of hateStop!
I want you to listen
There is so much at stakethe child,victim of choices
She could never make
I listened but you never spoke
this child is not yours
What are they talking about
Her voice full of compassion
She's warning of things from the pasta victim of choices
Give her a chance to explain why she's here
She will interfere with all that we are
Maybe her fear is a sign she's for real
Her fear is too late,she is to blame
Fighting and blaming,they don't know much more
It scares and excites me,the past repeats itself
NO!We're all victims
I try to feel and understand
That their distant past is like my life today
It's a circle,a curse
I am one of the victims
One of their,one of your victims
Song Lyrics - Reflections
I'm in a spiral of thoughts,the past,
the pain,it all comes back
I see but now I see more,
even feel their side of this tale
I realise their fate,
no one's to blame,two sides
My life's a mirror that no one sees
so if I could show them my own vision to this world
My life's a mirror I need them to see,
so they would open up to me and fill up my emptiness
I still really try to feel,
a strang experience to enter the other side
I feel there's so much we never said
It's all mis
understood,the emotions that we had
My life's a mirror that no one sees,
so if I could show them my own vision to this world
My life's a mirror I need them to see
Voice in the back of her head
Maybe if you would have the guts to open up
maybe the world would do the same,maybe,maybe
You can still be a part of this world,
still be the queen of the ball
not of your own empty paradise where no one sees the beauty inside
Face the world outside my safe shell
I must face reality for once
I've never felt the passion of a warm life
Games,TV,I know they're not real,they're just a substitute
This could meanthe breaking point in these three lives
The moment of insight that could change their misfortune
Let this help be enough to make it
Let this be stronger than pain,
the ancient wall between love and the comprehension
that will lead to the inner forgiveness
A reflection outside the circle of your life is all you should seek
Song Lyrics - Life's Vortex
My mind is under an attack,
although no one sees
My past is pounding in the back of my memories
It's always there to poison my mind with all I do
Feelings I know so well seem to come back
as if nothing's ever changed
Fear was one of the reasons to crawl away into a world
I lostI know the rules,
I play the gamebut some
how it always stays the same
In spite of my will,
in spite of my hope,
in spite of it all
So for those who believe in this life,
spin right on this circle-must be round
Every turn has its vortex,
you'll drown if nobody warns you
and shows you another circle of life
Nothing will change,nothing is done for the victim
I am forced to remain
Cause these days make you feel,
and you are,on your own
Study,work hard,marry,
reproduce and become the perfect model
Can you stand the test of time if life is a vicious circle
without the mirror of another path
So for those who believe in this life
spin right on the circle-must be round
Every turn has its vortex,
you'll drown if nobody warns you
and shows you another circle of life
Siena - Panorama
Siena - Duomo
Siena - Piazza San Giovanni
Firenze - Piazzale Michelangelo
Lucca
Lucca
Siena
Siena - Le vie
Firenze - Ponte Vecchio
Firenze - Arno
Firenze
Firenze - Piazza del Duomo
Firenze - Duomo
