Prison of Desire

Prison of Desire is the debut album by Dutch symphonic metal band After Forever. It was released in 2000 in Europe. The album contains the first three installments of "The Embrace That Smothers" collection of songs by Mark Jansen. This collection of songs deals with the influence and distortion of religion in human society, a theme which continues in the Epica albums The Phantom Agony and The Divine Conspiracy.

Prison of Desire
Studio album by After Forever
Released	21 April 2000
Recorded	16 December 1999–16 January 2000
Studio	Excess Studio, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Genre	Symphonic metal, gothic metal
Length	54:10
Label	Transmission
Producer	Hans Pieters, Dennis LeidelMeijer, Oscar Holleman
After Forever chronology
Wings of Illusion Demo (1999) Prison of Desire (2000) Decipher (2001)
Singles from Prison of Desire
"Follow in the Cry" Released: 2000

Professional ratings

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

The final track, "Beyond Me", features a guest appearance of Sharon den Adel, lead singer in Within Temptation.

The album was re-released in June 2008 as a 2-disc set by the re-financed Transmission Records. Sander Gommans has urged fans not to buy this re-release through the band's official forum.[3]

Track listings

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

No.	Title	Lyrics	Length
1.	"Mea Culpa" (The Embrace That Smothers, Prologue)	M. Jansen	2:00
2.	"Leaden Legacy" (The Embrace That Smothers, Pt. 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, Pt. II)	M. Jansen	4:08
6.	"Silence from Afar"	M. Jansen	5:51
7.	"Inimical Chimera"	F. Jansen	5:00
8.	"Tortuous Threnody"	F. Jansen	6:13
9.	"Yield to Temptation" (The Embrace That Smothers, Pt. III)	M. Jansen	5:53
10.	"Ephemeral"	M. Jansen	3:05
11.	"Beyond Me"	M. Jansen, F. Jansen	6:22

Japanese release bonus track

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Wings of Illusion" (Demo track)	7:26
Total length:		61:36

Limited Edition bonus track

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Leaden Legacy" (Instrumental version)	5:09
Total length:		59:19

Chilean release bonus track

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Silence from Afar" (Radio edit)	4:37
Total length:		58:47

Bonus tracks 2008 edition track listing (Disc 1: The Album)

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Wings of Illusion" (Demo track)	7:26
13.	"Mea Culpa" (Previously unreleased instrumental version)	2:01
14.	"Mea Culpa" (A-capella version)	1:50
15.	"Semblance of Confusion" (Previously unreleased instrumental version)	4:07
16.	"Follow in the Cry" (Previously unreleased instrumental version)	4:05
17.	"Follow in the Cry" (Previously unreleased a-capella version)	1:20
Total length:		74:59

2008 edition track listing (Disc 2: The Sessions)

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

Songs played during the "Apocalypse" era

No.	Title	Lyrics	Length
1.	"False"	M. Jansen
2.	"Ermine"	F. Jansen
3.	"Awaken in Delirium"	M. Jansen
4.	"Broken Skull"	F. Jansen
5.	"Immortality"	M. Jansen
6.	"Prison of Desire"	M. Jansen
7.	"Apocalypse"	M. Jansen
8.	"Legends of the Black Lake"	M. Jansen
9.	"Intermediate Station Earth"	M. Jansen
10.	"The Abdication"	M. Jansen

Personnel

Band members

• Floor Jansen – soprano
• Mark Jansen – guitar, grunts
• Sander Gommans – guitar, grunts
• Jack Driessen – keyboards
• Luuk van Gerven – bass guitar
• Joep Beckers – drums

Additional musicians

• Sharon den Adel - vocals on "Beyond Me"
• Hans Cassa, Caspar de Jonge, Yvonne Rooda, Melissa 't Hart - choir

Production

• Hans Pieters, Dennis Leidelmeijer - producers, engineers
• Oscar Holleman - choir producer and engineer, mixing
• Hans van Vuuren - executive producer, coordination and research
• Peter van 't Riet - mastering

References

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.