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Prison of Desire
Prison of Desire
Studio album by After Forever
Released	21 April 2000
Recorded	17 December 1999 – 26 February 2000
Studio	Excess, Rotterdam, Netherlands; RS29, Waalwijk, Netherlands;
Genre	Symphonic metal; gothic metal;
Length	54:05
Label	Transmission
Producer	Hans Pieters; Dennis Leidelmeijer;
After Forever chronology
Singles from Prison of Desire
	"Follow in the Cry" / "Silence from Afar"; Released: 2000;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Chronicles of Chaos	^[2]

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.^[3] Guitarist Sander Gommans has urged fans not to buy this re-release through the band's official forum.^[4]

In 2021, it was elected by Metal Hammer as the 6th best symphonic metal album of all time.^[5]

Track listing

All music is composed by Mark Jansen, Sander Gommans and Floor Jansen, except "Mea Culpa" by M. Jansen

*Prison of Desire* track listing
No.	Title	Lyrics	Length
1.	"Mea Culpa (The Embrace That Smothers - Prologue)"	M. Jansen	2:00
2.	"Leaden Legacy (The Embrace That Smothers - Part I)"	M. Jansen	5:07
3.	"Semblance of Confusion"	F. Jansen	4:09
4.	"Black Tomb"	F. Jansen	6:29
5.	"Follow in the Cry (The Embrace That Smothers - Part II)"	M. Jansen	4:06
6.	"Silence from Afar"	M. Jansen	5:52
7.	"Inimical Chimera"	F. Jansen	5:00
8.	"Tortuous Threnody"	F. Jansen	6:13
9.	"Yield to Temptation (The Embrace That Smothers - Part III)"	M. Jansen	5:53
10.	"Ephemeral"	M. Jansen	3:05
11.	"Beyond Me"	F. Jansen M. Jansen	6:11
Total length:			54:05

Japanese bonus track
No.	Title	Lyrics	Length
12.	"Wings of Illusion"	F. Jansen	7:21
Total length:			61:26

Red digipack limited edition bonus track
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Leaden Legacy" (instrumental version)	5:10
Total length:		59:15

Mexican bonus track
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Silence from Afar" (radio edit)	4:38
Total length:		58:43

2007 Japanese Collector's Edition bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Wings of Illusion"	7:21
13.	"Silence from Afar" (demo)	5:59
14.	"Wings of Illusion" (demo)	7:28
Total length:		74:48

2008 reissue – disc one: *The Album* (bonus tracks)
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Wings of Illusion"	7:22
13.	"Mea Culpa" (instrumental version)	2:01
14.	"Mea Culpa" (a cappella version)	1:50
15.	"Semblance of Confusion" (instrumental version)	4:07
16.	"Follow in the Cry" (instrumental version)	4:05
17.	"Follow in the Cry" (a cappella version)	1:20
Total length:		74:55

2008 reissue – disc two: *The Sessions*
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Silence from Afar" (demo version)	5:55
2.	"Wings of Illusion" (demo version)	7:21
3.	"Follow in the Cry" (session version)	4:04
4.	"Yield to Temptation" (session version)	5:51
5.	"Semblance of Confusion" (session version)	4:06
6.	"Beyond Me" (session version)	6:13
7.	"Black Tomb" (session version)	6:29
8.	"Tortuous Threnody" (session version)	6:10
9.	"Ephemeral" (session version)	3:03
10.	"Inimical Chimera" (session version)	4:58
11.	"Silence from Afar" (session version)	5:50
12.	"Mea Culpa" (session version)	2:01
13.	"Leaden Legacy" (session version)	5:04
14.	"Wings of Illusion" (session version)	7:21
Total length:		74:26

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

^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "After Forever Prison of Desire review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
^ Flaaten, Chris (12 August 2000). "After Forever - Prison of Desire". Chronicles of Chaos. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
^ "After Forever - Prison of Desire". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
^ "Official Forum". After Forever. Archived from the original on 6 June 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
^ Davies, Hywel; Dome, Malcolm; Goodman, Eleanor; Chantler, Chris; Gordon, Connie; Grady, Spencer; Rees, Adam; Selzer, Jonathan (17 November 2021). "The 25 best symphonic metal albums". Metal Hammer. Future plc. Retrieved 2 January 2022.

[1] Rivadavia, Eduardo. "After Forever Prison of Desire review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 5 July 2011.

[2] Flaaten, Chris (12 August 2000). "After Forever - Prison of Desire". Chronicles of Chaos. Retrieved 28 July 2014.

[3] "After Forever - Prison of Desire". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 2 April 2010.

[4] "Official Forum". After Forever. Archived from the original on 6 June 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2020.

[MHbestsymph-5] Davies, Hywel; Dome, Malcolm; Goodman, Eleanor; Chantler, Chris; Gordon, Connie; Grady, Spencer; Rees, Adam; Selzer, Jonathan (17 November 2021). "The 25 best symphonic metal albums". Metal Hammer. Future plc. Retrieved 2 January 2022.

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