#luuk van gerven

[south-of-heaven]

YALL

IM LITERALLY GONNA CRY I JUST GOT TICKETS TO SEE MY DREAM BAND

I DIDNT THINK ID EVER GET TO SEE THEM BECAUSE THEY BROKE UP IN 09

BUT THEYRE REUNITING

AND I GOT TICKETS😭

AFTER FOREVER HERE I COME

[kenpiercemedia]

After Forever Announces 25th Anniversary Reunion Celebration Performance in 2025

Dear After Forever fans, 2025 marks a monumental milestone: 25 years since After Forever left a timeless footprint on the world of symphonic metal with their debut album ‘Prison of Desire’. Its 2001 successor, ‘Decipher’, pushed their music even further, fusing progressive elements with a heavier sound that helped shape the symphonic metal of today. These two releases marked the start of a…

[straight-up-metal]

After Forever - After Forever

With their 25th anniversary coming up, I though ”why not take that as a sign to review my favourite album.” Dutch symphonic metal band After Forever released six full length albums before their split in 2009, the self titled one being the last. With a line-up consisting of Floor Jansen on vocals, Sander Gommans on guitars and grunts, Bas Maas on guitars and vocals, Joost van den Broek on keyboard, Luuk van Gerven on bass and finally André Borgman on drums, this just might be the strongest album they released. 

The album opens with an incredibly strong track, Discord. The song starts off with a very nice sort of groove, heavy but still melodic. Gommans and Jansen work in sync with each other, taking turns with an almost vicious vocal delivery. They make for good contrasts with each other, considering their drastically different voices. Lyrically, it’s a pretty angry song, possibly a relationship gone awry. Around the halfway mark, the song softens momentarily, before a choir led by Jansen comes in. It’s a very good song with a catchy chorus. Definitely one of the stronger songs on the album and a very solid opener.

Transitory is the third song on the album. It opens very differently from most songs on the album. A quick, straight forward keyboard opening. It’s both fun and different. The vocals pick up the viciousness that we can see in a lot of the songs on this album, with Gommans stepping up to the mic first. Jansen stays on theme with the delivery, but moves onto a more operatic technique. What I like about the chorus on this song is that not only is it very catchy, but you can also clearly hear the layers of Jansen’s vocals blending beautifully. About halfway through there is this really fun part with more keyboard, van den Broek’s skills really show in this song. I really enjoy that it’s a pretty fast paced song, with drums driving it forward especially in the chorus. This is one of those songs that can possibly be a little bit harder to digest and understand because of its multitude of different components. But after sitting down and having a proper listen to it, I think most people who enjoy music in all forms would find at least one part of this song that they enjoy. 

The fourth track, Energize Me, is a much softer song than all the others on the album. Jansen opens up very softly, accompanied by only the slightest touch of some piano. Once again, you can hear the layers and harmonies in this song, which lift it to a new level. The song is what some would call radio friendly. Clean vocals, not too heavy, strong bridge, catchy chorus, and not too long, perfect to play on the radio. What I enjoy is that the song really softens before you get the chorus, so it really leaves you anticipating what’s to come. After the guitar solo there is this incredible part where Jansen really gets to open up and let her voice out. You can feel the power of her voice through any speaker. This is a great song to start with if you are unfamiliar with After Forever. 

Track number five, Equally Destructive, is somewhat of a force to be reckoned with. It’s very straight forward in the way that it opens up with some chugging and then goes straight into this beautiful melody made up by Gommans and Maas’ guitars working in sync with each other. Jansen gives a strong vocal delivery, as expected. This is a very easily digestible After Forever song, perfect if you’re just venturing into the world of symphonic metal. This song definitely takes the price for best guitar solo one the album. It’s this melodic, beautiful sound that just does not compare to anything else. A theme throughout the whole song is that it’s very guitar driven, and for good reason, because they are on a different level on this song. 

Withering Time, the sixth song, is a little bit different than the previous ones. It is much more vocal focused and Jansen delivers a more operatic sound. The rhythm is fun, something a little different. Gommans brings some grit and grime into the song that’s missing without him considering Jansen’s operatic approach. Around the halfway mark, the song quiets down and goes acoustic. It’s a stark difference from the rest of the song. Jansen takes on a very soft sound. Right when you think the song is going to stay this calm for a while, you get tossed straight back into the heavier sound, Gommans entering with a gnarly scream, accompanied by Borgman’s fast paced drumming. Over all it’s a very strong song, both on the album and on its own. 

De-Energized is the album’s seventh song, and also possibly one of the album’s heaviest songs. This is the point where that aggressive viciousness from earlier gets picked back up. Both with the vocal sound, but also the lyrics. Gommans and Jansen both deliver an incredibly strong performance with this song. It is pretty straight forward metal, but then you have these fun keyboard parts coming in making the song something a little different. There is this amazing operatic part coming in maybe two thirds through the song. It just gives the song a little bit more depth, makes it more interesting. Then right after that you have this beautiful guitar melody coming in, softening everything back up before you get the operatics again. Gommans might just be giving us his best vocal performance on this song, really snarly and mean sounding. 

The eighth track, Cry with a Smile, is a much softer song, almost like a ballad. It opens with an epic and melodic sound, almost orchestral. But then you get the sharp contrast of Jansen’s soft vocals accompanied by only a piano. For the second verse, Jansen goes up an octave and the piano is replaced with an acoustic guitar. The chorus likens itself to the beginning of the song, with a heavy but very melodic sound and Jansen almost belting out the words to the song. It’s a very symphonic song, a strong After Forever performance. With soft verses and a heavy chorus, the song has all the parts one could ask for. 

The tenth song, Who I Am, features metal royalty. From Düsseldorf, Germany, the metal queen Doro Pesch delivers an incredible performance together with Jansen. This song has an almost ghostly aura over it. Pesch comes out strong from the get go, almost duelling Jansen. Who I Am has an incredibly strong chorus, driven forward by Pesch, who is accompanied by Jansen’s soft operatic sound. Considering this was the first time these two recorded anything together, they work each other like they’ve never done anything else in their lives. There is an undeniable chemistry here that makes the song even stronger. Instead of a classic guitar solo around the halfway point, there is this very interesting part which I think is played on a sitar. It contributes to the spooky aura I mentioned earlier. This part is quickly contrasted by a heavy drum performance from Borgman. Pesch’s classic metal sound works undeniably well with Jansen’s high and light sound. 

I am rounding off here with the album’s eleventh track, Dreamflight, my personal favourite. The song opens very softly, I would describe the sound as high, light, and maybe even aloof. But as soon as the acoustic guitar comes in, accompanied by Jansen, the song takes a turn for the better. For the first time on the album, guitarist Bas Maas steps up to the mic and gives us this beautiful, raspy sound. Right as he comes in, the song also gets heavier. The acoustic guitar is still there playing its little melody, but it gets almost drowned out by the drums and electric guitars that come in. Maas’ part ends with what almost sounds like a scream, an incredible performance. That is when the song gets properly heavy, Jansen comes back with a vengeance, backed up by the whole band. A strong performance from both the drums and keyboards on this song. The tempo is very up and down, which is one of the reasons the whopping eleven minutes of this song don’t feel very long. If Jansen came back with a vengeance, then Gommans delivered a proper counterattack. Gritty growls contrasting the operatic approach Jansen has taken on. After the first chorus, the song slows back down, letting the bass shine through properly. Something I know some of us appreciate a little extra. It builds back up with this beautiful solo, but then comes back down with some acoustics before Jansen gets to go at it alone. Her vocals are both soft and incredibly powerful at the same time, keeping you on your toes. The ending note of this part might just be the highest one she hits on the whole album. The anticipation builds back up with the orchestra, a cello taking the lead. Then we get thrown right back into the mean that is Gommans’ vocals on this song. To counter that, we get a guitar harmony before we get down and dirty again. Then as we race towards the end of the song, we get some fast paced drums, a choir led by Jansen, and almost squealing keys. The last bridge and chorus are a little different than the previous ones, and they are really worth the wait. 

Tracklist After Forever:

Discord

Evoke

Transitory

Energize Me

Equally Destructive 

Withering Time

De-Energized

Cry with a Smile

Envision

Who I Am

Dreamflight

Empty Memories

After Forever are:

Floor Jansen - Vocals

Sander Gommans - Guitars, grunts, screams

Bas Maas - Guitars, vocals

André Borgman - Drums

Luuk van Gerven - Bass

Joost van den Broek - Keyboards

Produced by: 

Gordon Groothedde

[mirandamckenni1]

DIANNE - Unleash the Siren (Official Music Video) - Symphonic Metal 𝙊𝙐𝙏 𝙉𝙊𝙒 ✧ "𝙐𝙉𝙇𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙃 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙍𝙀𝙉" “Unleash the Siren” is the eagerly awaited successor to DIANNE’s first solo single “After the Storm” and the second song of her upcoming solo album "Soulward Bound . “Unleash the Siren” is a bombastic, symphonic metal song about dealing with PTSD and facing the devil within. An honest, heartfelt tale with a victorious ending! ✦ 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘 𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗛 ✦ Music, T-shirt, signed photos, jewelry & more! https://ift.tt/fFd5aLp ✦ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘'𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝘃𝗶𝗮: Spotify - https://ift.tt/cwZ2GgP Apple music - https://ift.tt/EP9LAjf Other streaming platforms - https://ift.tt/wzvfx2T ✦ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲 & 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝗮: Website - https://ift.tt/q0cZJOb Facebook - https://ift.tt/HFGpxSy Instagram - https://ift.tt/DiFQO2H ✦ 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘'𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝘃𝗶𝗮: Patreon - https://ift.tt/RZczt7b An open Paypal donation - https://ift.tt/PvoMRHl ✧ VIDEO CREDITS ✧ Music video by 'Blackbriar' - https://ift.tt/D2NdlcS Dress by 'The Tailor Witch' - https://ift.tt/yOdDrvN Jewelry by 'Precious Metal Jewelry' - https://ift.tt/1zVaSAi ✧ SONG CREDITS ✧ Produced, orchestrated and co-written by Joost van den Broek - https://ift.tt/lxnBMm4 Featuring... Timo Somers ((ex) Delain, Ayreon, Arjen Anthony Lucassen's "Supersonic Revolution", Charlotte Wessels live & LEAH) on guitar Luuk van Gerven ((ex) After Forever, Ex Libris) on bass guitar Roel van Helden on drums ✧ LYRICS ✧ UNLEASH THE SIREN Viator peraudax provoca timores. Oh breath don’t fail me now, my heart beats firm and proud. Oh feet dare carry me towards a calm shore. Oh eyes would you deny a shadow does reside in warring winds and in the landscape of my mind. Darkness gently takes my hand, guides me towards desolate lands, gloats while whispering his commands. Sing forth, unleash the siren. Wild soul, soar and obey. Bow down, no more defiance, all your cries will be futile. Sing forth, unleash the siren. Wild soul, or burn at the stake. Bow down, dance on the pyre. Crucified! Erased! Oh stand my ground, be soulward bound. Once upon a darkened night, pure evil shone his light: “Sing forth, you worthless witch, or face your own demise”. Claws ensnare my weakened voice, tightening slowly with his words, douse my flame without remorse. Sing forth, unleash the siren. Wild soul, soar and obey. Bow down, no more defiance, all your cries will be futile. Sing forth, unleash the siren. Wild soul, or burn at the stake. Bow down, dance on the pyre. Crucified! Erased! Ah! Maleficence is here. Ah! In eerie nights and waking dreams. Viator peraudax provoca timores. Delius hum Vader dixit: Indigna Delius hum Vader dixit: Obdura Delius hum Vader dixit: Te perdam Delius hum Vader dixit: Te deferam Sing forth, unleash the siren. Wild soul, soar and obey. Bow down, no more defiance. Crucified! Erased! Thou hast, unleashed the siren. Behold, I will prevail. Go forth, build your own pyre, all your cries will be futile. Thou will, face your own demons. Behold, hellfire awaits. None shall delude the devil. Crucified! Erased! ✧ #diannevangiersbergen #DIANNE #afterthestorm #Soulwardbound #soloalbum #symphonicmetal #frontwoman #womaninmetal via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGI-f90QbDs

[metalcultbrigade]

Luuk Van Gerven, baixista do Ex Libris, Netherstorm, Xystus, ex-After Forever, ex-Cardamon, ex-Karmaflow, Robby Valentine (live), completa 42 anos nesta data. https://www.instagram.com/p/CiDe_A3A-b9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[holley4734]

Ex Libris: #AtoZChallenge

Ex Libris

Who: Ex Libris of the Netherlands

Dianne van Giersbergen – Vocals

Koen Stam – Synth & Keys

Bob Wijtsma – Guitars

Luuk van Gerven – Bass

Harmen Kieboom – Drums

What: Symphonic metal. Metal for history buffs. Their last album was more like a trilogy of albums about 3 historical figures: Anne Boleyn, Anne Frank and Anastasia Romanova. So if you are a fan of…

[scoutingnieuws]

Scouts op het podium

Schiedam – Op een podium gaan staan voor een groot publiek is best eng. Toch durfden de bevers en welpen van de Scouting Tono-groep dit zaterdag tijdens de jaarlijkse PlayBackShow.

Foto: Richard Spruit

Winnaars waren de 6-jarige Kim van den Graven bij de bevers en de 10-jarige Floor Lemon bij de welpen.

“Ik had best goed geoefend”, zo straalt de 6-jarige Kim, “maar was best nog wel zenuwachtig. Maar nu heb ik wel gewonnen!”. Floor Lemon was zo mogelijk nog zenuwachtiger en volgens haar moeder ’s nachts meerdere keren wakker geworden. Toch waren beide scouts ontzettend trots op hun medaille en wisselbeker.

“De playbackshow is al een echte traditie bij de Scouting Tono-groep”, zo verteld Monica Pool, een van de vrijwilligers die de playbackshow organiseerden. “Sinds 1986 doen we dit elk jaar, en de namen van alle winnaars staan op de wisselbeker.. Zelf heb ik de playbackshow bij de welpen gewonnen in 2008. En wat zo leuk is dat je ziet dat de kinderen het allemaal ontzettend spannend vinden, maar ze hiermee wel net hun grenzen weer iets verleggen. Weer iets meer durfven dan er voor, dat is voor mij echt Scouting”.

In de jongste categorie, de bevers (4 tot 7-jarigen) is Luuk Lemon derde geworden, Svea Svetselaar tweede en mag Kim van den Graven de wisselbeker een jaar thuis houden. Bij de net iets oudere welpen (7 tot 11-jarigen) werd Shannon Spruit derde, Eva van Gerven tweede en komt de naam van Floor Lemon op de wisselbeker te staan.

Bron: Scouting Tono-groep, Schiedam

[gothamcitybabe]

I see a false alliance causing all this pain I see a sick relation ending up in vain I see a world at war because of pride and might I feel we're all getting de-energized

- De-Energized; After Forever

[the-infallible-empress-blog]

[julitapedrita]

[fuckyeahafterforever]

So kvlt

[julitapedrita]

DAMN

[julitapedrita]

So young!

OMG, Mark and Sander's hair!

Read the interview with Sander here.