Prison of Desire
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Prison of Desire
| type = studio
| artist = After Forever
| cover = Prison of Desire.jpg
| border = yes
| alt =
| released = {{start date|2000|04|21|df=yes}}
| recorded = {{start and end dates|1999|12|17|2000|02|26|df=yes}}
| venue =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 54:05
| label = Transmission
| producer =
- Hans Pieters
- Dennis Leidelmeijer
| prev_title = Wings of Illusion
| prev_year = 1999
| next_title = Decipher
| next_year = 2001
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Prison of Desire
| type = studio
| single1 = Follow in the Cry" / "Silence from Afar
| single1date = 2000
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 =AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/album/prison-of-desire-r640587/review | title = After Forever Prison of Desire review | accessdate = 5 July 2011 | last = Rivadavia | first = Eduardo | work = AllMusic | publisher = Rovi Corporation}}
| rev2 =Chronicles of Chaos
| rev2Score = {{Rating|7.5|10}}{{cite web |url=http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/articles.aspx?id=2-1610 |title=After Forever - Prison of Desire |last=Flaaten |first=Chris |publisher=Chronicles of Chaos |date=12 August 2000 |accessdate=28 July 2014 }}
| noprose = yes
}}
Prison of Desire is the debut album by Dutch symphonic metal band After Forever. It was released on 21 April 2000 by Transmission Records. The album contains the first four installments (three parts and a prologue) of The Embrace That Smothers, a collection of songs by Mark Jansen which deals with the influence and distortion of religion in human society. This theme was carried over to the Epica albums The Phantom Agony and The Divine Conspiracy.
The final track, "Beyond Me", features a guest appearance of Sharon den Adel, lead singer in Within Temptation.
The album was reissued in June 2008 by the re-financed Transmission Records, as a two-disc set containing previously unreleased studio sessions, instrumental/a cappella tracks, and a handful of demo recordings.{{cite web|url=http://www.metal-archives.com/release.php?id=5869 |title=After Forever - Prison of Desire |accessdate=2 April 2010 |publisher=Encyclopaedia Metallum}} Guitarist Sander Gommans has urged fans not to buy this re-release through the band's official forum.{{cite web |title=Official Forum |url=http://www.afterforever.com/forum/topics.aspx?ID=618&PAGE=1 |website=After Forever |accessdate=20 September 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606060656/http://www.afterforever.com/forum/topics.aspx?ID=618&PAGE=1 |archivedate=6 June 2008 |url-status=dead}}
In 2021, it was elected by Metal Hammer as the 6th best symphonic metal album of all time.{{cite web |last1=Davies |first1=Hywel |last2=Dome |first2=Malcolm |last3=Goodman |first3=Eleanor |last4=Chantler |first4=Chris |last5=Gordon |first5=Connie |last6=Grady |first6=Spencer |last7=Rees |first7=Adam |last8=Selzer |first8=Jonathan |title=The 25 best symphonic metal albums |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-25-best-symphonic-metal-albums/2 |website=Metal Hammer |publisher=Future plc |access-date=2 January 2022 |date=17 November 2021}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Prison of Desire track listing
| total_length = 54:05
| all_music = Mark Jansen, Sander Gommans and Floor Jansen, except "Mea Culpa" by M. Jansen
| title1 = Mea Culpa (The Embrace That Smothers - Prologue)
| lyrics1 = M. Jansen
| length1 = 2:00
| title2 = Leaden Legacy (The Embrace That Smothers - Part I)
| lyrics2 = M. Jansen
| length2 = 5:07
| title3 = Semblance of Confusion
| lyrics3 = F. Jansen
| length3 = 4:09
| title4 = Black Tomb
| lyrics4 = F. Jansen
| length4 = 6:29
| title5 = Follow in the Cry (The Embrace That Smothers - Part II)
| lyrics5 = M. Jansen
| length5 = 4:06
| title6 = Silence from Afar
| lyrics6 = M. Jansen
| length6 = 5:52
| title7 = Inimical Chimera
| lyrics7 = F. Jansen
| length7 = 5:00
| title8 = Tortuous Threnody
| lyrics8 = F. Jansen
| length8 = 6:13
| title9 = Yield to Temptation (The Embrace That Smothers - Part III)
| lyrics9 = M. Jansen
| length9 = 5:53
| title10 = Ephemeral
| lyrics10 = M. Jansen
| length10 = 3:05
| title11 = Beyond Me
| lyrics11 = {{hlist|F. Jansen|M. Jansen}}
| length11 = 6:11
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Japanese bonus track
| total_length = 61:26
| title12 = Wings of Illusion
| lyrics12 = F. Jansen
| length12 = 7:21
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Red digipack limited edition bonus track
| total_length = 59:15
| title12 = Leaden Legacy
| note12 = instrumental version
| length12 = 5:10
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Mexican bonus track
| total_length = 58:43
| title12 = Silence from Afar
| note12 = radio edit
| length12 = 4:38
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = 2007 Japanese Collector's Edition bonus tracks
| total_length = 74:48
| title12 = Wings of Illusion
| length12 = 7:21
| title13 = Silence from Afar
| note13 = demo
| length13 = 5:59
| title14 = Wings of Illusion
| note14 = demo
| length14 = 7:28
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = 2008 reissue – disc one: The Album (bonus tracks)
| total_length = 74:55
| title12 = Wings of Illusion
| length12 = 7:22
| title13 = Mea Culpa
| note13 = instrumental version
| length13 = 2:01
| title14 = Mea Culpa
| note14 = a cappella version
| length14 = 1:50
| title15 = Semblance of Confusion
| note15 = instrumental version
| length15 = 4:07
| title16 = Follow in the Cry
| note16 = instrumental version
| length16 = 4:05
| title17 = Follow in the Cry
| note17 = a cappella version
| length17 = 1:20
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = 2008 reissue – disc two: The Sessions
| total_length = 74:26
| title1 = Silence from Afar
| note1 = demo version
| length1 = 5:55
| title2 = Wings of Illusion
| note2 = demo version
| length2 = 7:21
| title3 = Follow in the Cry
| note3 = session version
| length3 = 4:04
| title4 = Yield to Temptation
| note4 = session version
| length4 = 5:51
| title5 = Semblance of Confusion
| note5 = session version
| length5 = 4:06
| title6 = Beyond Me
| note6 = session version
| length6 = 6:13
| title7 = Black Tomb
| note7 = session version
| length7 = 6:29
| title8 = Tortuous Threnody
| note8 = session version
| length8 = 6:10
| title9 = Ephemeral
| note9 = session version
| length9 = 3:03
| title10 = Inimical Chimera
| note10 = session version
| length10 = 4:58
| title11 = Silence from Afar
| note11 = session version
| length11 = 5:50
| title12 = Mea Culpa
| note12 = session version
| length12 = 2:01
| title13 = Leaden Legacy
| note13 = session version
| length13 = 5:04
| title14 = Wings of Illusion
| note14 = session version
| length14 = 7:21
}}
Personnel
After Forever
- Floor Jansen – vocals
- Mark Jansen – guitar, grunts
- Sander Gommans – guitar, grunts
- Jack Driessen – keyboards
- Luuk van Gerven – bass guitar
- Joep Beckers – drums
Additional musician
- Sharon den Adel – vocals on "Beyond Me"
Choir
- Hans Cassa, Caspar de Jonge, Yvonne Rooda and Melissa 't Hart
Production
- Hans Pieters – engineering
- Dennis Leidelmeijer – engineering
- Oscar Holleman – choir producer, engineering, mixing
- Hans van Vuuren – executive producer, coordination and research
- Peter van 't Riet – mastering
References
{{Reflist}}
{{After Forever}}
{{Authority control}}